Too Personal Trainer

Four

Fool. He was an absolute fool.

Last night was his first warning and it should have damn well been his last. The red alert that reverberated throughout his head when she entered the living room in her little cotton shorts was loud and clear, a sign that he needed to stay as far away from her as he could muster and not get involved. So why on earth did he feel the need to go with her on a jog?

She had surprised him, for one. When Marlow explained she had been jogging since January, he took it lightly; a big mistake. They left Ty's apartment at something past 8am, began with a quick walk to warm up and soon eased into a good pace to jog at. And he predicted that twenty minutes into their jog when her heart rate was creased and her breathing was unstable, she would ask to slow down to a walk. But that didn't happen. From what he could hear, she had good control of her breathing and an even better control of her arms.

He took a quick glance to his left to get a small glimpse at her. She looked weary, almost as if she were frowning.

“Are you okay?”

His question took her by surprise. Probably because she had made it clear she didn't jog and talk. “I'm good.”

Well, at least he now knew that Marlow Ryan was a terrible liar. “You're limping,” he said. “Is your ankle hurting?”

“I'm fine,” she snapped. “Just stop talking.”

He didn't smile at her temper because he was sincerely worried about her. “If your ankle is in pain, then stop.”

“No.” Her voice was cold, icy, like the morning air of July. “The park is only up the road.”

Another mile, at least, and a steep hill too. If she were to continue running at her brisk speed then it could really cause damage. But even so, she held a good face, showed no sign of pain. It made Jax wonder if she often ran on a sore ankle, whether it was a reoccurring thing or whether it simply grew painful when active. He would be sure to find out, either way, even if it meant being spoken to in that hostile tone of hatred. With slow steps, he would ease her into answering everything he wanted.

It didn't take them long to reach the park and when they hit the path, Jax slowed, hoping she would too and rest her ankle. His hint wasn't enough, it seemed, because Marlow continued until she reached the monkey bars – part of the section that was deep into the field. It was never busy at this time of the morning, a few joggers out with their dogs but no kids or teenagers. It was peaceful. A great time to talk.

“What's the deal with your ankle?” Jax asked. He took a seat next to Marlow on the old wooden bench of which held a memorial plaque for the fonder of the park, Finch Makson; he was greatly involved in the community, and greatly missed when he passed away.

Marlow had loosened the lace of her right trainer in hope to ease the pain. It normally worked when there wasn't someone constantly bringing it up. “Nothing,” she said. “It just aches sometimes.”

Again, she was a terrible liar. “You should get it checked out,” he replied. “It might be something serious.”

“It's not. As I said, it just aches sometimes.” Still sat on the bench, she started to stretch her legs and feet. The difference in effort she took on her left foot was more than noticeable and Jax knew it was definitely not just an ache.

“How will you manage getting back?” Jax questioned, still watching her try to rid of the pain. “I could carry you, if need be.”

She snorted, then. A cute little snort that made him smile, because despite her change in appearance, she was very much like the Marlow he could vaguely remember from school.