It had been months since she had last seen or heard from him. She had tried her best to keep a distance between them. She was still hurting. She was trying to move on. The texts and phone calls became sporadic as she threw herself into her work, just as she knew he was doing. She had kept up with social media, noticing how tired he looked and it hurt her heart to know that she would probably never seen those eyes staring down at her in their intimate moments. She sighed softly and stuffed the ear buds further into her ears. Amanda allowed her eyes to close as the melodic beat of Free by 6lack soothed over her like a lulling wave. Reopening her eyes, she tugged one last final time on the padded fingerless kickboxing gloves on her hands. She threw herself into the beat as she ran through the grueling spar her personal trainer had for her. By the end of it they were both bruised and run down, panting heavily as they sipped from water bottles.
"Talk to me, girl." Brandon ordered, his voice stern with the concern he felt. He had met her through a mutual friend that she worked with. Since then, they had been virtually inseparable. He knew her heart had been recently broken. She had fully admitted that she had thrown herself into getting into shape and working to escape the pain. She hid it well behind smiles, laughter and joking, but he knew better. He had seen that darkness in his own head.
She glanced at him, her eyes taking in the dark hair slicked back with sweat. He was tall, lean and covered in tattoos. He had been a drummer for a metal band, but had unfortunately stopped playing all together. She often wondered if his heart just wasn't in it anymore. She had seen the pain in his eyes, the loneliness. She recognized it every time she looked in the mirror at herself. He was definitely cute, but was more so when he smiled. Something she didn't see too often unless she had made some witty sarcastic remark.
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"I'm fine, Brandon." She replied, turning her eyes instantly away from him before he could see that flash of hurt.
"Bull shit." As hard as she tried, she couldn't hide it from him.
That spunky fire in her returned as she whipped around to face him, pointing a finger directly at his chest. "What do you want me to say, huh? That I am emotionally, mentally and spiritually tired? That my soul is exhausted." She hadn't realized there were tears fully streaming down her face until she saw the expression on his soften. "I am tired of giving everything I have into a relationship only to have it crumble at my feet. I'm tired of being used, abused and left to rot. I just; for once in my life, want to be loved back the same way I give it. Is that so fucking hard to ask for?"
Out of instinct, he pulled her into his arms, wrapping them firmly around her as she broke in his embrace. He could feel her smaller frame shaking as sobs ripped their way from her very soul. Amanda was normally so strong, a fierce personality that nearly infected everyone it touched. He too had felt it in that first moment they had locked eyes. There was just something about her that called to him.
"They were all idiots, Amanda. It is their loss if they can't see what they are missing out on. I; for one, would kill to have a girl like you. You're strong, independent and a genuinely caring soul."
