Measuring Up by Nyrae Dawn Read Free Book Online Page B

at me and look at you. You know my percentage of body fat for God’s sake. You can’t know that kind of information and then tease about my hit being hot or tell me I make the gym more interesting. I get the rules and I’m okay with them. Don’t try and make me look stupid. I can’t workout with you.” The words stick in my mouth like cotton candy. I want to work out . I want to work out with Tegan too.
    But then I get annoyed again when he actually steps inside my doorway to keep me from closing the door on him. “There are so many things I want to say about what you just said, but I’m going to focus on the workouts. If you want this, really want it, don’t fight it just because you don’t like me. Get another trainer. Keep me. Whatever, but don’t lose faith.” He shrugs. “If you really want this that is.”
    His words sound suspiciously like a challenge to me and by the way half his mouth twitches, I can tell it is. I want to fight it, fight him, but there’s a bigger part of me who wants to take him up on this. Not just because it is what I want, but because there’s something about him that intrigues me. I’d never admit it to anyone but myself, but I need to know what makes him tick. Why he’s so freaked out about getting help from people, when it’s obvious he puts himself out there for everyone else.
    “Just say yes, Rocky. I know you’re going to. I watched you that first day. Saw the determination on your face while you walked to the gym. Then you’d let it beat you a little. Totally different body language while you walked back to your car.”
    Not sure how I feel about him studying my body language.
    “Then your head would be held high again when you’d walk back. Show me that determination. Show me what I saw on your face when you were hitting that punching bag.”
    I lean against the door, knowing I have no defense for him. “You’re determined.”
    “Show me you’re more determined.”
    I just don’t get it. All his answers sound so real. They make sense when he says them, but I really don’t get why he’d come all the way here, go through this much trouble just for me. “Why?” I ask again. It takes him a minute to reply. When he does, I know he really understood what I meant.
    His eyes divert from mine, studying something on my house. “You were pissed that first day. You wanted to kick my ass, but then you saw…and you helped. No matter how you felt about me you did it because it was the right thing to do. Not because you felt sorry for anyone. It was just a reflex.”
    His words almost steal mine . They do capture my breath. “Anyone would have.”
    He shakes his head. “No, they wouldn’t.”
    More bits and pieces of him start to show. Who wasn’t there for him? Who shattered his belief in people helping him or his family?
    Tegan’s eyes find mine. The way he’s looking at me, it’s like he can see through me. As though he knows things about me no one else does. I want to see what he does. “Yeah, okay. Just…don’t play games with me, kay? Be real.”
    Tegan nods.
    “So, tomorrow?” I ask.
    “It’s our day of—oh wait, I picked up a few extra hours, but not till later. Go jogging with me.”
    Automatically, I want to say no, but then I remember the decision I just made. The one I’m sticking with no matter what. “Okay, but I’m warning you, there is no way I’ll be able to keep pace with you.”
    Tegan smiles and steps back on the porch. “Don’t doubt yourself, Annabel Lee. You can do it. I’ll pick you up tomorrow at 6:00 AM.”
    “WHAT?”
    He tilts his head and gives me a look. “Wussing out already?”
    “Ugh, fine. See you at six.” Then I remember Mom and Dad. “Um, can we meet though?”
    He looks a little offended before telling me to meet him at Let’s Get Physical instead. He gets halfway down my walkway before turning to face me again. “I’m probably going to regret this, but remember, you promised to be there.” He’s quiet