Page 12 of A Solid Guide to Surviving a Situationship

I sighed. “That’s a very reasonable sentence.”

“That’s a very rehearsed sentence,” she corrected.

I opened my mouth to argue again, then stopped.

Annoyingly, she was right.

“Come on.” She nudged me. “Another set.”

I groaned. “You’re using my heartbreak as a workout plan at this point.”

“No,” she said, picking up her weights. “I’m using your heartbreak as proof that your heart actually works.”

She glanced back at me with a small smile.

I smiled back at her—heart touched.

I picked up the dumbbells, and apparently, we were training both muscles and emotions today.

One rep.

Two.

My arms burned, but not as much as they had earlier.

Mel moved to the squat rack behind me, already loading plates like conversation we’d just had was simply another part of the workout.

Perhaps to her, it was.

Her words sat somewhere in my chest, like truth waiting patiently for me to stop arguing with it.

The smoothie bar sat just outside the gym’s glass doors.

Mel ordered first.

“Protein smoothie,” she said to the bored-looking guy behind the counter. “Chocolate. And please don’t drown it in almond milk like the last time.”

The guy nodded like someone who had absolutely drowned it in almond milk last time.

I leaned against the counter. “Strawberry banana. The emotionally fragile option.”

Mel snorted.

We stepped aside while our drinks were being made, the low whirr of the blender filling the space between us.

“So.” Mel glanced at me. “How are you feeling now?”

We were not done with the conversation.

I shrugged. “Lighter.”

“Good.”

“But not cured.”

Mel laughed. “James, what you’re feeling isn’t a cold.”

“I know. But it’s weird. I get it now. Logically. What you said earlier.”