Page 28 of Bound Hearts

She moves steadily on the elliptical, lost in her own rhythm. I don’t bother pretending not to notice her; instead, I head straight over. Catching her eye with a wave, she slips out her AirPods but keeps her legs in motion.

“Oh, hey.” Her smile is small but seems pleased.

“I didn’t expect to see you here.”

She chuckles to herself. “I don’t believe we keep one another up to date on our whereabouts,” she volleys back, her breath labored.

“Very true.”

“Here to beast out and maintain your body?”

Grinning to myself, I’m not one to refuse a compliment. “It’s the Lord’s work.”

She glances at her screen, the numbers revealing ten minutes in and a heart rate barely breaking a sweat. Anyone who shows up deserves credit, but honestly, I expected her to be tearing it up, not coasting.

“I’m not sure why I’ve done this to myself today. I have zero energy for this, but it’s been a few days since I’ve been here.” That explains it, I guess.

“Well, I wouldn’t worry too much. You’re finding exercise in other ways,” I tease her.

She lolls her head slightly to the side, and she has that smile that I’m crazy about. Innocent, warm, and completely blushing.

But then something is different about this time. I notice her smile slip and her fingers grip the machine as she slows her legs almost to a stop. Paleness takes over her face, and she takes a deep breath to settle herself.

I quickly step to the side of the elliptical, blocking the moving arm to avoid being in her way. I reach over and press the button to turn the machine off.

“Whoa there. You okay?”

A nervous huff leaves her. “Yeah.” She swallows a breath. “Just not feeling it today. I probably shouldn’t have skipped my afternoon snack or something.”

Concern blazes inside of me. “You haven’t eaten in a while?”

She shrugs. “Not much of an appetite.”

That's unusual. Besides our intense connection, food is one of our main bonds. She’s never without an appetite.

I gently tug on her arm, signaling for her to step off the machine with me. "Come on, let’s grab some dinner."

She chuffs a laugh as color returns to her. “You only just got here.”

“Meh, must be a full moon since I’m not feeling a gym session too much, either.”

She rolls her eyes, not believing me. “Okay, yeah, sure.”

“Let’s get out of here.”

Honestly, I’d trade thirty minutes on the treadmill for dinner with her any day.

We settle on the nearby Mexican place—my suggestion, since it’s laid-back, the menu is short and sweet, and everything comes out fresh and made to order.

Sutton pops a tortilla chip into her mouth as she sits across from me in our booth. That’s the only thing that she seems to be attacking despite the best enchiladas near the office. Actually, she had a bite but then seemed to struggle to enjoy it. I guess tortilla chips are less likely to upset the stomach.

I lay my fork and knife down, taking a breather—the portions here could feed an army.

“So, I’m assuming you’re going to Lola’s birthday party next week?” she asks.

“Yeah. It’s Hayes’s first time experiencing his daughter’s birthday. I guess turning three is a big deal. I’m counting on the alcohol for the parents to get through a room full of three-year-olds.”

“Oh, don’t you worry. Classy Sunday-afternoon cocktails are coming your way.” Sutton is the life of the party. I figured that out quickly, especially when I compared her to Savannah and Elodie. Sutton isn’t snarky, just poised when needed and unfiltered in others.