Chapter 12

I sat at Philz Coffee, my usual spot by the window, the warmth of the sun starting to peek through the mist. I had been here for over two hours, trying to focus on my textbook, but every time I tried, my mind kept drifting back to Macklin. His eyes, the way they locked with mine, the subtle intensity behind them. I groaned inwardly and pushed my textbook farther away, but the words still echoed in my head. "Ugh, focus, Lex," I muttered, trying to brush off the thought. But it wouldn't go away.

The door chimed, and I looked up instinctively, the one thing that could break my mental loop. There he was, Macklin, wearing his black sweatpants and compression shirt, effortlessly walking. His eyes scanned the room, and the moment they landed on me, he gave me that grin, the one that always made my heart skip.

"Hey, how's it going?" he asked as he walked over, his deep voice cutting through my haze. "How's studying?"

I sighed dramatically, dropping my pen. "My brain is melting. This stuff is ridiculous."

Macklin's grin widened, and he leaned against my table. "You look like you could use a break. Want to escape for a bit? Come join me at the gym."

I paused for a moment, the idea of a gym workout tempting, but I really should study.. Then again, my brain was fried. I glanced at the pile of books on my table, then back at Macklin, who looked so damn good in that compression shirt.

"Sure," I said, grabbing my stuff quickly.

He excused himself to grab his coffee from the counter, and when he returned, he didn't hesitate to lift my heavy textbook, cradling it with one hand like it was a piece of paper.

I shot him a look. "I can carry it, you know."

Macklin waved me off, eyes playful. "Think of it like a warm-up for me," he said, making a show of lifting it with ease.

I rolled my eyes and followed him out to his car. As we walked, I couldn't help but notice how clean his car was, how it smelled like a mix of woodsy citrus and cologne, his cologne. Oddly comforting. As he adjusted his grip on the steering wheel, I couldn't help but steal a glance at his veiny arms. Stop, Lex. He's just a friend. But it was hard to ignore the pull. We're heading to my apartment so I can change first.

We arrived at my apartment, and for the first time, I realized it was Macklin's first time inside. As we walked in, his eyes scan the surroundings "This place is nice and cozy."

Will and Gabi were on the couch watching Harry Potter, and both did a double-take when Macklin walked in. Gabi grinned, but Will's face flickered with something I couldn't quite place.

"Didn't expect to see you here, man," Will said, but the smile was warm, even if it felt a little forced. He quickly hid whatever had crossed his mind, giving Macklin a quick dap up.

Macklin followed me into my room, and I couldn't help but feel a little self-conscious as he looked around. The walls were decorated with my favorite vinyls: Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter, and Tyler, the Creator. My bed was covered in lavender sheets, topped with a plush duvet. My desk was scattered with textbooks, notes, and stationary.

But the sweetest part was my bedside table photos of my mom, dad, and my dog Clover. And on the rug in the middle of the floor, there was a design of Clover's face.

Macklin looked down at it, smiling softly. "That's adorable," he said, and I felt my face heat up.

"It was a going-away gift from my mom," I explained. "She thought I might miss Clover, so she made it."

I quickly excused myself to change, giving Macklin the option to sit on the bed. When I changed into dark purple DFYNE shorts and a matching sports bra, I felt a little nervous. The outfit was tight but comfortable—hugging me in all the right places. Not going to lie, I love these shorts. They make my ass look so good— and got leg day? Chefs kiss.

When I emerged from the bathroom, I could feel Macklin's eyes on me. His gaze lingered and when he cleared his throat I noticed the shift in the air.

"Is purple your favorite color?" he asked, his voice a little softer than before.

I couldn't help but smirk. "You'd never guess, huh?"

Macklin raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, I could never guess, especially with your outfit and matching bed sheets."

I shoved him lightly, my heart racing, before heading to the kitchen to grab a protein bar and some pre-workout. I handed one to Macklin and asked, "Want some pre-workout?"

"Yeah, sure," he said, taking it with a grin.

Gabi and Will sang a playful "Goodbyee" as we headed out and soon we were driving, the hype rap music filling the car as our energy grew for the workout. The drive was smooth, but when we passed the UFC gym, my excitement dropped a little.

"Wait, where are we going? We just passed it," I said, looking back at the UFC Fit gym.

"Trust me, you'll like it," Macklin said, smirking.

"Let me guess—you're taking me to some all-you-can-eat place to fatten me up instead?" I teased.

Macklin laughed, shaking his head. "You caught me."

The car soon stopped in front of an unfamiliar facility, and my eyes widened as I realized where we were. "Wait am I allowed to be here?!" I asked, panicked.

"Lexi, trust me, it's cool. I called my coach ahead of time. He said it's fine as long as we don't get injured," Macklin assured me, scanning his fancy keycard to enter.

The Sharks' training facility was massive, the gym stretching out in front of us. It was quiet, but I could feel the power in the air. Everything was sleek, professional, with high-end equipment.

We split up for our workouts; me focusing on legs, Macklin on arms but we stayed close enough to keep an eye on each other. I found myself sneaking glances at him every now and then, especially as we stretched beside each other.

After a few sets of deadlifts, I grabbed my water, wiping sweat from my brow, trying to cool down. I heard Macklin call my name from behind.

"Lex, can you spot me?" he asked, his voice steady but with that familiar undertone of challenge. He was setting up for dumbbell shoulder presses, and my stomach did a little flip at the thought of getting so close to him.

"Yeah, of course," I replied, trying to keep my tone even, though my heart was already picking up speed.

Macklin took a deep breath and got into position, his biceps swelling as he gripped the dumbbells, the muscles in his arms bulging out of his compression shirt. It was like watching someone power through pure strength, but the way his shirt hugged his form only made him look even more impressive. His veins popped against his skin, tracing the lines of his forearms, flexing with each movement. He was effortlessly powerful, his body sculpted from hours of training.

I swallowed hard, my eyes following every muscle as he lifted the weights. The connection between us felt so tangible. My gaze lingered for a moment longer than it should have, my fingers itching to touch the very muscles that made him look so damn good. But I quickly snapped my attention back to the task at hand.

He pushed through the first set with ease, but something in me told me he wasn't done yet. There was more power in him, more he could give. As he positioned himself for another rep, I moved closer, standing behind him, my chest just a little too close to his back, and his scent enveloped me.

"Come on, you've got this," I said softly, trying to keep my voice steady, but it cracked slightly. I was standing so close now, so close that I could feel the heat radiating off him.

He exhaled deeply, his muscles flexing, and the strain on his biceps was undeniable. The compression shirt barely held it all in..

I lightly assisted, my fingers tracing the hard muscle of his arm as I helped guide the dumbbell up. The contact was electric, and I felt a shiver run down my spine as his bicep tensed under my touch. Macklin let out a strained exhale but pushed through, his second rep completing smoothly. He immediately looked at me, and there was a flicker of something in his eyes—something more than just the victory of a new PR.

"Nice job," I whispered, my voice calm. I cheered him on, still in awe of how effortlessly strong he was. "I barely did anything, it was all you," I said with a smile

"You did more than you think," Macklin said, his voice soft but intense. "I didn't think I'd even manage the first one that easily."

My heart skipped a beat as I looked up at him, the air thick with something unspoken. It felt like there was a shift in the way he looked at me now, like the workout had somehow brought us closer in ways neither of us expected.

It was hard to ignore how close we were, how intimate this moment felt but I didn't dare to pull back. I could still feel the heat of his body, the firm muscle beneath his skin, and then it hit me.. there was so little space between us. The tension was undeniable. I blinked, forcing myself to focus on the next set I'm going to do, but the energy between us lingered in the air, heavy and charged.

I hesitated before moving, the weight of the moment hanging in the air before I finally asked, "Can you spot me now with my squats?" I could feel the rush of adrenaline from the previous sets, my muscles already burning. As we set up for squats, Macklin positioned himself behind me. His presence was so close that I could practically feel the heat radiating from him. My heart picked up its pace at the proximity.

My breath came in shallow gasps as I bent into my squat, pushing myself to my limits. The burn in my legs intensified, but I refused to give in. I gritted my teeth, focusing on the movement, determined to go till failure. But on the seventh rep, my muscles screamed for relief.

Just as I started to struggle, I felt Macklin's strong hands gently brush the barbell, steadying it. He guided it up with a precise touch, his grip firm but not overbearing, like he was perfectly attuned to every move I made. His breath was warm against my neck and the proximity made my skin tingle. It wasn't just his hands on the bar that sent a shiver through me, it was the way his body seemed to press against mine in such a subtle, innocent but intimate way. The heat from his chest was unmistakable, his strength offering the support I needed to push through.

My focus faltered, my head spinning from both the exertion and the closeness. I completed the rep, setting the barbell back in place, and the rush of gratitude flooded my chest. But there was something more—something electric in the air. A spark I couldn't quite name. My heart raced, and I realized just how tightly we were tethered together in that moment.

"Thanks," I whispered, my voice softer than usual. I wasn't sure if the redness in my face was from the burn in my legs or from how Macklin's presence was affecting me. I felt so exposed, so aware of the tension between us. It made my chest tighten.

Macklin was still close, his breath warm and steady against the back of my neck. His eyes lingered on mine just a moment longer than necessary. There was an intensity in his gaze, like he was looking right through me, seeing the thoughts I was trying to keep hidden.

"You're welcome," he replied, his voice lower now, almost as if the words themselves were charged with something deeper. The sound of his voice, so close, made my pulse race.

For a moment, it felt like the space between us shrank, the gym around us fading away, leaving only the magnetic pull between us. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, wondering if Macklin felt it too. Every small movement between us seemed to amplify the unspoken tension in the air.

I could still feel the heat of his presence at my back, the way his body seemed to attune to mine in that moment. It left me with a mix of gratitude and something far more complicated, something I wasn't sure how to handle.

—— NEW POV ——Macklin ~ 4 hours prior

I wiped the sweat off my face with a towel as I walked out of the practice facility, trying to shake off the energy from the morning's practice. My legs were sore, a good sore, but I couldn't shake this strange buzz that had been lingering all day. Will kept talking, but my mind wasn't fully on him. It was hard to focus when Lex was all I could think about.

"You good, man?" Will asked, slinging his arm around my shoulders as we walked toward the parking lot.

I chuckled, shaking my head. "Yeah, just... something's been on my mind today."

Will raised an eyebrow, and I could already tell he knew something was up. "You've been off all morning. What's going on?"

I sighed, not even sure why I was about to admit this to him. "It's Lex. I don't know, there's just this... connection I feel when I'm around her. It's like I can't help but smile when she's around and it's not just that she's funny as hell, though she is. It's the way she's genuinely nice to everyone. There's something about her... that just makes everything feel a little better when she's around."

Will smirked, giving me a knowing look. "Oh, I've seen that look, man. You've got it bad."

I rubbed my face, trying to hide the heat that was creeping up my neck. "I don't know, man. I don't want to mess with her focus. She's doing her thing, staying focused on school, and I respect that. I don't want to be the distraction."

Will shook his head like I was overthinking it. "Lex is smart as hell, dude. She's going to graduate summa cum laude no matter what, she's got this. She won't let anything slow her down."

I considered that for a second. He was right, Lex had her shit together. But even still, I wasn't sure how to approach this. "I don't know. I just... I don't know how or when to make a move, you know? It's not like I want to rush things."

Will grinned, that mischievous look in his eyes. "Dude, you don't need to rush. Start slow. Play it cool. Do some innocent 'cool guy' moves, see where it goes."

I raised an eyebrow. "Innocent 'cool guy' moves? What are you talking about?"

He pulled out his phone and tapped away for a second before showing me the screen from life 360. "Look at this," he said, nodding toward the location. "Lex is at Philz right now. She's probably studying like usual. Why don't you go swing by, grab a coffee, and casually ask her to come with you to the gym? You can ask her to spot you. Boom. You'll be close to her. You'll see if she pulls away. Either way, you'll have your answer."

I stared at Will for a moment, processing the idea. I could already feel the nervous energy building in my chest. "You think that'll actually work?"

Will shrugged like it was the simplest thing in the world. "I mean, it's a pretty good plan. You'll figure out where you stand, whether she's into it or not."

I hesitated, my mind racing with the idea of being close to her, of feeling her presence again. But part of me wanted to play it cool, not rush anything. Still, I couldn't deny that Will's plan sounded solid. It was a start, at least.

"Alright, alright. I'll do it," I said, running a hand through my hair and sighing. I didn't know why I felt so nervous all of a sudden, but I figured it was now or never.

Will grinned, giving me a slap on the back. "Attaboy. Go get her."

I climbed into my car, the nerves only intensifying. As I pulled out of the parking lot, I could feel my pulse quicken. I didn't know how this was going to play out, but I couldn't stop thinking about her. Lex had a way of making everything else fade into the background, and I had to find out if what I felt was just some passing attraction—or something more.

-=+=-

Ooohhh looks like it was Macklin's plan all along to ask lex to go to the gym with him, not some random run in with each other. 🤭🤭