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Max nods and Vale pushes at the button several tiure out just where we stand The obvious thing would be to just ask her, but fuck if I’ll do that Especially not with Max in the roo, and concentrate on running

By the tiht-minute mile pace, which is just perfect for a short run to warm up Max removes the mask and hands it to Vale, who sanitizes it and packs it away She stands next to hi over the results in low murmured tones He asks her a few questions, she responds, and then he’s heading out of the workout rooht behind him and my opportunity for conversation, surely stilted, starts to wither away

"Hey," I call out asoff before the belt comes to a full stop "Wait"

Vale stops dead and turns to look at lance to the open doorway of the locker roo it’s empty When I come to within a foot, I lean in a bit closer just in case so session…grab soether?"

What in the ever-loving fuck a?

Vale blinks at me in surprise, but then schools her features into a bland uity "Um…thanks, but I think I’ll just head over therebrush-off, and now rit out, stepping in closer

Her eyes flash hot but her tone is calht, you’re clinging to ave you, and today it’s the cold shoulder"

Vale gasps in outrage but doesn’t respond, instead spinning to leave I reach out and grab her ar her back ain, she steps up to ht, I ht in desperation, and yeah, that was a great fucking, but I see faster than lightning"

"I had to get to practice," I say las," she sneers "Don’t deny it I saritten all over your face while you were giving iven ht, and that part really, really sucked"

I’m the one who blinks in surprise now that she was actually that perceptive I figured she was caught up in the passion of it all, the escapis me that clearly Which is stupid, now that I think about it Of course Vale would read me clearly She knows me better than practically anyone

I try to come up with an excuse but it’s equally as lame "Come on, Vale…we have a history…a bad one"

"No, Hawke," she seethes in anger "We have a great history We had one bad iven, so let’s just call a spade a spade and realize that you and I are not meant to be"

Why those words almost cause my knees to buckle is beyondway off the track I had hoped to take I put my hands on her shoulders and rub my thumbs back and forth in an attempt to calm her