Chapter 36

Gabi and I were locking up our apartment door, gym bags slung over our shoulders, when her phone started ringing. She barely glanced at the screen before answering.

"What's up, babe?" she said, shifting her bag strap as I fished my keys out of my pocket.

I could faintly hear his voice over the phone, sounding casual but curious. "What are you guys up to?"

"We're heading to UFC Fit," Gabi replied, giving me a glance as she spoke. "Leg day." Gabi and I always did legs together. It was our thing. We suffer together.

Will hummed on the other end. "Macklin and I just finished practice. Can we come?"

Gabi and I exchanged a look before she put the phone on speaker. "You guys wanna hit legs with us?" I asked, knowing full well they'd rather do anything else.

Will scoffed. "Hell no. Upper body day for us."

Macklin's voice cut in, amused. "But we can still meet up in between sets, yeah?"

I rolled my eyes but smiled. "Yeah, yeah, we both have guest passes. Just meet us there."

"Bet. See you soon," Will said before hanging up.

I turned to Gabi as we walked toward my car. "I love how they invited themselves."

Gabi laughed, tossing her bag into the backseat. "Right? But at least now we get some eye candy while we work out."

I cackled before shaking my head as she started her car.

—

By the time we pulled into the UFC Fit parking lot, Macklin and Will were already there, leaning against Macklin's car. They were still in their post-practice gear—hoodies over their compression shirts, joggers, and sneakers. Macklin's hood was up, but he pushed it back as we walked over, revealing his usual fluffy hair. His face broke into an easy smile when he saw me.

"Hey, gorgeous," he greeted, stepping forward and pulling me into a quick hug.

"Hey handsome," I said, squeezing him back before stepping away. "Ready to suffer?"

He gave a mock shudder. "If I was doing legs, yeah."

Gabi and Will were already bickering about something, but were up close and smiling this time.

Macklin nodded toward them. "They fighting or flirting?"

I shrugged. "Honestly? At this point, even they don't know."

We checked in, scanned our passes, and then split up; Gabi and I heading toward the squat racks while the guys immediately went for the free weights.

Gabi and I started with some dynamic stretches, rolling out our muscles before warming up with light dumbbell squats.

"So," I said while squatting downward. "You and Will seem... domestic now."

Gabi scoffed as she lunged forward with a dumbbell in each hand. "We literally just made it official. You act like we've been married for five years."

I grinned. "I mean, I did witness the most dramatic confession ever."

Gabi rolled her eyes. "Oh, shut up. You and Macklin were the ones who plotted it."

I just smirked as we moved on to barbell squats. We loaded the bar with plates, getting into position. I went first, gripping the bar tightly and lowering into my squat.

As I came up, I caught sight of Macklin across the gym, spotting Will on the bench press. He must've felt me looking because he turned his head, smirked, and shot me a wink.

I rolled my eyes but smiled, racking the bar.

Gabi caught the look and snorted. "You two are so gross."

"Uh-huh," I said, motioning for her to take her turn. "This coming from the girl who literally climbed Will like a tree the other night."

Gabi flushed but didn't argue.

After our squats, I went to grab water, passing by the guys. Macklin was doing seated shoulder presses, his arms flexing as he lifted the dumbbells. I paused for a second, purely to admire.

Unfortunately, Will noticed.

"Damn, Lex, take a picture, why don't you?" he teased, smirking.

Macklin set his weights down, laughing as I rolled my eyes.

"Shut up, Will," I said, taking a sip of my water. Then I turned to Macklin. "How's upper body day?"

Macklin reached for his towel, wiping his face before grinning. "Good, but I'd rather be suffering with you."

I arched a brow. "Oh? You suddenly wanna hit legs?"

"Hell no," he said immediately, making me laugh.

Will scoffed. "He's just saying that 'cause he wants brownie points."

I shrugged. "Well, it's working."

Macklin shot Will a smug look before reaching for my hand, giving it a quick squeeze. "Go kill the rest of your workout."

I smiled before heading back to Gabi.———

"God, why is hip thrusting so humbling?" I groaned as I set my bar down after a brutal set.

Gabi laughed breathlessly beside me. "I don't know, but if I don't have the fattest ass after this, I'm rioting."

We high-fived in exhaustion.

As we rested between sets, I checked my phone and saw a text from Macklin.

Macklin: If I hit 225 on incline, do I get a kiss later?

I smirked and replied.

Me: Make it 235 and you get two.

A minute later, I heard a loud, victorious yell from across the gym.

Gabi and I turned our heads just in time to see Macklin standing up from the incline bench, grinning like an idiot. Will looked at him like he was insane.

I laughed, shaking my head. "I don't even wanna know."

Macklin caught my eye and shot me a thumbs-up. I just rolled my eyes fondly and went back to my set after blowing him 2 kisses.

I set my water bottle down next to the leg press machine and took a deep breath, settling onto the seat. Gabi and I had just finished our Bulgarian split squats, and I was already feeling the burn, but I loved leg day too much to stop now. Macklin and Will were somewhere in the free weights area doing their upper body workouts, so I focused on setting up my weights.

I adjusted the plates carefully, mentally running through my reps. Alright, let's get this done.

As I pushed up my first set, my eyes naturally wandered around the gym. It was the usual evening crowd; some regulars, a few new faces. The music was playing low over the speakers, the rhythmic clanking of weights and occasional grunts from people lifting filled the air. I was in my zone. That was, until my gaze landed near the water fountain.

Macklin was standing there, talking to a girl.

She had dark brown hair styled into perfect, neat braids, a baby-faced glow, and— oh my god, the exact neutral-toned Alo set I had been eyeing online for weeks. She was effortlessly pretty, the kind of person who probably looked good rolling out of bed.

I tried not to think too much of it. Macklin was a sweet person and fans would approach him every now and then at the gym. Maybe she was asking for workout advice, maybe she was just making small talk. It wasn't a big deal.

I exhaled, shaking off the unnecessary thoughts, and focused back on my leg press. I gripped the side handles and prepared for another push. Inhale, engage your core, push up—

Then I saw her reach out and touch his bicep.

"What the fuck—"

The words slipped out before I could stop them, my concentration snapping like a rubber band. My legs faltered mid-press, suddenly feeling like jelly. The weight that had felt fine moments ago now felt like a ton of bricks.

Gabi, who had been spotting me, immediately noticed. "Whoa, whoa—Lex!" She sprang into action, helping push the weight up while I scrambled to lock the safety bars in place. My heart was racing, but not from exertion.

I sat there for a second, gripping the handles tightly, my breath slightly uneven.

"You okay?" Gabi asked, concern in her eyes.

"Yeah. Yeah, I just—" I forced a laugh, waving it off. "I got distracted."

Gabi followed my gaze toward the water fountain, then looked back at me, instantly understanding. "Oh. Oh."

I clenched my jaw, unclipping myself from the machine. "I just... I'll be right back."

Gabi didn't stop me. She just gave me a knowing look, stepping aside as I made my way over.

I kept my pace even, my expression neutral. I wasn't about to start something over nothing. I wasn't the possessive type, and I trusted Macklin.. but something about the way she had touched him so casually set off a feeling I didn't love.

As I got closer, I caught the tail end of their conversation.

"...I'm just saying, you've gotten so much bigger since I last saw you," the girl said, voice smooth and sweet, but with an edge that felt... off.

Macklin gave a polite, noncommittal chuckle. "Yeah, well, training's been pretty intense."

Then her eyes flicked to me as I approached, and she smiled. "Oh, hey! You must be Lex."

Macklin turned, his face shifting into something unreadable. "Hey, Lex." He hesitated. "Uh, this is Daniela."

I blinked, my stomach doing an immediate nosedive.

Daniela.

Macklin's ex... Oh, great.

I forced a smile, even though my mind was already sprinting in a thousand directions. "Nice to meet you."

Daniela's expression was pleasant, but something about it made me feel like she was sizing me up. "I was just catching up with Macklin. It's been so long."

I nodded slowly. "Yeah?"

She tilted her head. "I was just telling him how crazy it is to see how much he's bulked up. It's impressive, right?"

I glanced at Macklin, whose expression was mostly neutral, though I could tell he was slightly uncomfortable. He wasn't exactly enthusiastic about this conversation but he wasn't shutting it down either.

I turned back to Daniela and smiled sweetly. "Yeah, I know. It's nice having a strong boyfriend who could spot me" I trace my hands along his biceps before wrapping my arms around his, sort of hugging it.

Daniela's lips twitched just slightly before she continued. "I was just telling Macklin that he should spot me for my workout later, I'm doing leg day today that's why."

My fingers twitched. The audacity.

I inhaled sharply through my nose before forcing another smile. "Oh, I got you, girl. You need a spotter? I can do that."

Daniela laughed lightly. "Oh, that's sweet, but I was kind of hoping Macklin could do it." She looked up at him again, batting her lashes. "You don't mind, do you?"

I turned my gaze to Macklin in a way of sending him a message that said fuck around and find out. He glanced at me, his expression flickering just for a second before he said, "I'm good. Lex and I still have our sets to finish."

I lifted a brow at him slightly, as if to silently say good choice.

Daniela's polite mask cracked just a little before she smoothed it over. "Well, maybe another time."

Macklin cleared his throat. "Yeah. Anyway, we should—" He turned to me. "You wanna finish up?"

"Gladly," I said, still watching Daniela, who was definitely not happy with how that had played out.

Macklin gave her a small nod before lightly taking my hand and leading me back toward our workout area.

As soon as we were a few steps away, I exhaled, trying to let go of the tension curling in my stomach. Macklin, sensing it, nudged me lightly.

"You good?"

"Yeah." I glanced back toward Daniela, who had turned toward another machine but was still visibly annoyed, still glancing over after every few seconds. "She's... something."

Macklin let out a quiet chuckle. "Yeah."

I gave him a side-eye. "Why didn't you tell me she'd be here in San Jose?"

"I didn't know," he said. "I don't really talk to her anymore."

I hummed. "She didn't seem to get that memo."

Macklin smirked slightly. "Jealous much?"

I rolled my eyes. "Nah." But then, just to prove a point, I grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him down, pressing a soft, lingering kiss to his lips.

I felt him smile against my lips before I pulled away.

Macklin looked thoroughly amused. "Not jealous, huh?"

I patted his chest. "Nope."

As I walked back toward Gabi, I heard him chuckle behind me.

Gabi, who had been watching the whole interaction like it was a reality TV episode, raised an eyebrow. "So... how'd that go?"

I exhaled. "That was his ex."

Gabi blinked. "Oh shit. Where is she?" She turned her head dramatically. "Go ahead, kiss him again for good measure."

I let out a laugh, shaking my head. "Oh hush."

"I mean, I wouldn't blame you. Mark your territory, girl."

I laughed harder this time, the last bit of irritation dissolving. Whatever game Daniela was trying to play, I wasn't interested because at the end of the day, Macklin was with me.——

Macklin's place feels familiar by now. We chose to hang out here because Will and Gabi wanted to chill at the apartment and Macklin and I wanted just us time at least for a little bit.

He kicks the door shut behind us and hoists both of our duffel bags higher over his shoulder. "Remind me why I agreed to carry both of these?" he teases.

"Because you're a gentleman," I say sweetly, flashing him a grin as I drop my water bottle onto the counter.

Macklin snorts. "Oh, is that it?"

Before I can respond, he tosses the bags to the ground beside the couch, making a dramatic sigh before flopping onto the cushions like he's just run a marathon. His head lands against the armrest, and his arms sprawl across the backrest.

I shake my head at him before walking over, plopping down on top of him. He lets out an exaggerated "oof" but immediately adjusts, wrapping his arms around me as I settle my head against his chest.

"Shut up," I mumble in his chest, listening to the steady thump of his heartbeat.

"You love it," he quips.

I roll my eyes, even though he can't see unless he looks down at me. "Debatable."

Macklin hums in response, fingers tracing absentminded patterns on my back. Then, with that playful hint in his voice, he says, "You know, I thought you looked kinda cute when you were jealous earlier."

I lift my head, narrowing my eyes at him. "I was not jealous."

He grins. "Oh, no?"

"Absolutely not," I say, shaking my head. "And don't get any dumb ideas about making it happen again."

Macklin chuckles, his hands squeezing my waist lightly. "Don't worry, I won't. I'm happy with you." His voice is softer now, less teasing. There's something about the way he says it that makes my stomach flip.

I tilt my head, considering him. "How did things even end with Daniela?"

His brows raise slightly, like he wasn't expecting the question. "Uh... pretty calm, I guess. It wasn't a big blowout or anything. We just... grew apart."

I scoff. "Yeah, well, I could tell she was eyeing you today like she was ready to pounce."

Macklin rolls his eyes. "No, she wasn't."

"Oh, really?" I smirk, shifting slightly so I'm facing him more directly. "Macklin, I was wondering if you could spot me on the squat rack," I say in a dramatically sweet voice, deliberately dragging my fingers along his bicep in the most exaggerated way possible. "You're just sooo strong."

Macklin bursts out laughing, his head tilting back against the couch as he squeezes his eyes shut. "Okay, okay, I see it now."

I let out a triumphant "Ha!" but before I can gloat too much, he shakes his head, still grinning. "I'm sorry I didn't realize she was flirting sooner. I should've shut it down right away, but I appreciate you being honest about it and communicating with me."

The sincerity in his tone catches me slightly off guard, and suddenly, all the lingering irritation from earlier melts away.

"God," I sigh dramatically, "I just can't be mad at you. Stop being nice to me."

Macklin grins, nudging his nose against my temple. "Never."

We lay there for a few moments in comfortable silence before curiosity gets the better of me.

"So," I start, playing with the fabric of his hoodie, "if you guys ended on good terms, why did you break up?"

Macklin exhales, his fingers continuing to trace soft shapes along my spine. "Honestly? I was just too... young. Hockey was picking up, I was training more, traveling more. I didn't know how to balance it. And Daniela..." He pauses, choosing his words carefully. "She wanted someone who could be there and I wasn't. I just couldn't give her what she wanted at the time."

I nod slowly. "And what was that?"

"Time," he says simply. "She wanted something stable, consistent and I was gone all the time. She was patient for a while, but eventually, she told me she didn't want to keep waiting for me to figure it out."

I study his face, watching the way his expression softens—not in a way that suggests regret, but more like he's looking back at something he's long made peace with.

"That makes sense," I admit. "I mean... it's hard, right? Trying to juggle everything when you're young?"

"Yeah," he says, exhaling. "And I get why she left. I don't blame her for it but I think that's why seeing her today didn't really affect me. It's been almost two years. I've moved on. She probably has, too."

I raise an eyebrow. "Probably?"

Macklin chuckles. "Okay, maybe not entirely, judging by the whole 'spot me' thing."

I shake my head, biting back a smile. "Yeah, no kidding."

We settle back into a comfortable silence, and I close my eyes for a moment, just enjoying the warmth of being next to him.

Eventually, he shifts slightly. "You hungry?"

I hum, considering it. "I could eat."

"Good," he says, carefully sitting up with me still curled against him. "Because I made an executive decision earlier."

I lift a brow. "Oh?"

"Yeah. While you were finishing up your set, I ordered us food. It should be here soon."

My eyes widen in surprise. "Wait, really? What did you get?"

Macklin smirks. "Pad Thai for you, pineapple fried rice for me."

I stare at him. "You are literally the best."

"I know," he says smugly.

I shake my head with a laugh before resting my head against his shoulder again. "Okay, fine. You win."

Before he can respond, the sound of a phone buzzing against the coffee table makes both of us turn our heads.

"That better not be Will," Macklin mutters, already reaching for it.

I watch as he reads the notification and snorts. "What is it?" I ask.

He tilts the phone toward me so I can see a text from Will in the group chat with him, Gabi, and me.

Will: if u two aren't dead from the gym yet, Gabi made brownies and I'm eating all of them if u don't come back soon

I laugh, shaking my head. "He's lying. Gabi wouldn't let him eat all of them."

Macklin types back quickly. save us some or ur getting a shot to the ribs at practice

The response is immediate.

Will: fine but hurry up loser

(A/N: I know brownies right after the gym is a lil crazy considering they are also athletes who probably calorie count but for the plot- like a reward)

Macklin chuckles and locks his phone, tossing it back onto the table. "Guess we have an incentive to go back later."

"As if you weren't already going to eat half the tray," I tease.

He smirks. "I make no promises."

We settle back onto the couch, his arm wrapping securely around me and I feel the weight of the day start to fade.

-=+=-

Working hard to make Macklin be the greenest green flag of the greens

I wonder what could go wrong?

I always struggle on when to end fanfics but for now I will just keep writing and writing 😮‍💨