Roommates

Chapter 8

The past weeks, Hannah and I slowly grew more comfortable with each other. We would spend time going to the market or making food and even talking. It was kind of nice, surprisingly enough. I was expecting to hate her at first, but she was completely different than I expected.  It was nice to have someone around and get ideas from. She even convinced me to go to the gym since I wanted to be healthier.

"I don't know about this. People sweat here and it's nasty." I looked around the gym. There were a few people around exercising on the machines and we were in far the corner of the gym away from them.

"That's what the cleaning sprays are for," Hannah said.

"I'm wearing my hood just in case." I popped my hood on my head and crossed my arms against my chest. I should be asleep still, not in a gym at six in the morning.

"Okay, fine," Hannah said with a laugh. "Have you stretched yet?"

"A little," I said with a shrug. How much stretching did a person need?

"That doesn't sound so good. Here lie down.' Hannah pointed to a black gym mat.

"On that," I said skeptically as I pointed to the mat.

Hannah walked toward the nearest spot with a cleaning spray bottle and some paper towels. She takes it and sprays down the mat before wiping it down. She then gestures for me to lay down.

I held onto my hood as I reluctantly laid down on the mat. "What does this have to with stretching?"

"Just take a deep breath and let me help you," Hannah said calmly.

"Okay?" I slowly inhaled and then exhaled.

"I'm going to put my hand on your leg."

"What?" I tried to sit up, but Hannah gently pushed me back down on the mat.

"Trust me." Her tone was gentle but firm.

I took another deep breath as I felt Hannah's hand on my right leg. She was crouched above me and I suddenly felt nervous about the close proximity. Her right knee was on the inside of my leg to keep my left leg in place while she slowly extended my right leg toward my head.

"How is it?" She stared down at me as I did my best to look away. There was an ungodly amount of mirrors beside us and all I could see were our reflections.

"Good, everything is good," I said. My voice sounded weak and shaky. I turn my attention back on Hannah who was smiling down at me and for some reason, my heart was pounding like crazy. Was I always this nervous when I'm around someone? Maybe it's because she was too close?

"Are we done yet?" I silently pleaded that her answer was yes.

"Nope, twenty more seconds," Hannah replied.

Deep breaths Cara, deep breaths. Think of something cute. Hannah's smile appeared in my head and I quickly shook my head at the image.

"Okay, all done," Hannah said. She slowly lowered my leg back on the ground.

"Good, I'm all stretched out." I tried to sit back up again, when Hannah pushed me back down.

"Not yet, I still have to do the other leg," Hannah said as she shook her head.

"No, no you don't." I sat back up and waved my hands. "I stretched this leg a lot." I patted my left leg. "It's ready to go."

"Just to make sure," Hannah replied with a grin. She placed two hands on my shoulders and pushed me down again.

Her face was so close to me, that my breath caught in my throat. She smelled sweet like lilac. It was the first time I could see her eyes this close. They were like sapphire, deep and bottomless. I was frozen in place and my heart was pounding so hard and so loud that I was afraid that she could hear it.