Nonreciprocal Love (COMPLETED)

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Chloe couldn't be any happier that it was already the weekend. She checked the time on the electric alarm clock by her bedside table and it read 8:10 in red neon light. She got up and put her hair in a high ponytail. She had then put on her sports bra and jogging shorts that stopped around her mid-thighs. She knew Ace used the gym early in the morning and he usually finished around seven-thirty so Chloe knew it was safe to go down. The last thing she needed was an awkward encounter with him.

Chloe took her iPod and earphones in one hand while holding her running shoes on the other and made her way down the basement. She really needed a good run today. She really needed to forget about the other night's episode in the kitchen and Ace's supposed jealously because of Jared. She wished her friends would have shut their mouths so that she didn't feel so confuse about her feelings for Ace again. She was doing so well bottling up her feelings. She didn't need false hopes and end up falling for him again.

Once she was at the front of the door of the gym, Chloe quietly opened it and peaked inside to check if the coast was clear. When she scanned the surroundings and knew it was empty, she entered. She saw a new stack of recycled water bottles by the rack of dumbbells and took one. Staying hydrated was always important during physical activities.

She put on her socks and shoes and plugged in her earphones. She played her playlist of classical music to get her system pumping. She did a short series of stretches before jumping on the treadmill and started jogging. Before she even knew it, she was already sweating profusely and she was running like there was no tomorrow. She was going along with her music that was currently playing a fast and hyped rhythm.

Chloe didn't know how long she had been running for and she was completely oblivious to the fact that Ace had entered the gym and had been watching her run for about five minutes already.

Ace didn't make his presence known. He stayed quiet as much as possible and watched as her hip swayed left and right while she ran. He had checked her out from the top of her head, to her sweaty, inviting neck, to her slim yet curvy waist, to her voluminous bottom, all the way to her long, never-ending smooth and sexy legs. Ace groaned in annoyance and frustration. How could he think of his sister in such sinful way? He scolded himself for getting his thoughts out of control again and took a deep breath to calm his heated body down. He knew he should have woken up early to have prevented himself from watching an enticing and tempting lady from running.

When Chloe felt like her lungs were fully inflated, she slowed her paced to catch her breath. She was always cautious of her running. She always had to make sure of not pushing herself way too hard because the last thing she needed was a series of asthma attack. When she was three years old, she had been getting severe asthma attacks to the point that she and her father practically lived in the hospital. She was always confined and had to make sure she didn't run out of puffers. Over the years as she was growing up, the asthma attacks lessened and she was able to get on to exercising and running for an extended period of time without collapsing. Of course, she just always had to be careful of not tiring herself out.

Once she knew she was done for the day, she turned the machine off and climbed down from it. She took the water bottle by the bench and was about to drink but she halted mid-action when she saw Ace standing by the punching bag near the door, putting some gloves on.

Ace glanced up from what he was doing and looked at her. Chloe ripped the earphones out of her ears and took a sip of her water. "How long have you been there?" She nervously asked him.

"Not long ago." He nonchalantly answered and continued with what he was doing.

Chloe took a longer drink and had finished the whole bottle before she knew it. "I thought you worked out already?" She stated but it sounded more like a question.