The gym smelled of rubber and sweat, the faint tang of metal from the weight racks clinging to the air. Afternoon light spilled through the floor-to-ceiling windows, throwing long shadows across mirrored walls and polished steel. Forty floors above the city, the hum of traffic was only a distant vibration beneath the glass. This was my space. Private. Disciplined. Mine.
I pushed through the doors, black shorts clinging to my hips, a fitted T-shirt stretching tight across my chest, sneakers whispering against the tiles. I hadn’t expected anyone here.
And then I saw her.
Amber.
At the far corner, astride the bike, head tilted forward, ponytail pulled tight. Gray leggings molded to every curve, a cropped top damp at the hem with sweat. No makeup. No jewels. No armor.
My lungs seized, sha
