Together We Fall

Chapter 56

His face is scrunched up just a little bit. Without close attention it would be missed. I know that face. He's lying. He's proud of me, but doesn't think 80 pounds is impressive for me. I lifted eighty pounds, my dog weighs more than that.

He just doesn't want me to feel bad.

"Add more to the sides." I command.

He looks at me for a moment for certainty before adding another twenty to both sides, giving me 150.

"If at any point you feel it's too heavy just stop and we can put it back."

I keep my mouth shut, taking a deep breath. I grip the bar and push up.

He keeps his hands on the bar firmly wrapped around either side of mine. The bar lifts slowly, gradually.

It comes out of it's holder and I push it up some more to straighten my elbows out, without locking them.

The weight begins getting heavy and I suddenly feel it pushing back against me, like my arms have weakened from tiredness. But I refuse to stop yet.

I slowly bring the bar to my chest and Trace sucks in a breath as his fingers glide over my breast.

Oh me.

Boys.

My arms give out and the bar begins to drop. I keep my hands around it, pushing up slightly but it's just too heavy now. It's about to fall on me but Trace catches up with it and pulls, keeping most of it's weight from me.

He pulls it up while I push as we get it back on the bar.

"Okay, I have to admit that I have a new respect for you now. Three hundred sixty pounds is double my body weight plus some. It's insane." I might not know anything about sports or physical fitness but 360 has to be a lot to lift. There's no way that's a normal weight, he's got to be practicing.

"I know," he takes a step closer. He swoops me up bridal style, spinning me around, "you're light as a feather."

I flail my arms through the air as he spins us around. I begin giggling, a few laughs escaping his mouth too.

He stops, looks down into my eyes, a small smile plays on his lips, "You're beautiful."

I blush at his words and he leans down to place a gentle kiss on my forehead before dropping my feet back to the ground.

We walk towards the hallway that leads to the locker room. I sit down against the wall, he follows my lead.

We're sitting on opposite walls, facing each other with our feet hitting the wall across from us. His legs are too long so he has to bend his knees a little.

He places a hand on my leg. It's not a touch meant to get anything started, he's just holding my leg because he can. Because it seems he can't not be close to me.

"Why'd you storm off at lunch today?" I ask slowly.

He shrugs, disregarding the topic, "I was getting angry. Didn't want to say anything I'll regret."

It was clear to me that he was angry at Mason and I. I'm just not sure why. Is this a jealousy thing? Because I don't like Mason as anything more than a friend. Trace knows that.

"What do you mean?"

He brings his eyes up to meet mine. He's trying to decide if I'm serious or not when I say I'm confused.

It doesn't take him long to read into my eyes and realize I'm still wanting a legitimate answer.

"It's not important. I'm sure you'll find out soon enough. I just hope you keep me in mind once he tells you."

Once who tells me what? Mason? If anything he just made my head a bigger mess of questions than it was before.

"You know how I went to look at an apartment yesterdy?" He asks and I nod. "I hated it."

"What didn't you like about it?"

He sighs out, "Everything. The kitchen wasn't as big as I'd like for it to be so the kids and I wouldn't have enough room to make dinner together anymore. It just didn't feel like home. There wasn't anything cozy and warm about it. I walked inside and it was cold and deserted."

He's still got his mind wrapped up around his old house, but things are different now.

"If you want you could move in with us? I know my mom would be fine with it. But I think I already know your answer so I haven't offered before now."

"You know I'd love to live with you." he chuckles, "Wow, I'd love to live with you." lets out a breath, "I just want a place that I can call my own, that the kids can call their own. I owe them that.

"I'll find a place, it'll just take a little time is all." he says simply.

He's doing so good at coping with everything that's happened to him these past few weeks. His entire world fell apart and tried to leave him stranded. With the help of his friends he's been able to stay steady and rebuild, but how much can a man take?

Trace is strong, one of the strongest people I know but he lost everything in that fire: clothes, money, furniture... pictures.

"How are you doing with everything? I mean really. You haven't had much of a chance to talk about it with me and I just want to know that you're okay."

He takes a deep breath and runs a hand through his hair, "I'm okay. It sucks ass sure, but it's already happened. The quickest way to recover is to accept. I just miss the sentimental stuff that I can never get back, but at least I have the memories."

Correction: Trace is the strongest person I know.

"Now you can make memories in a new place." I tell him with a wide smile.

He nods and grabs my hand to pull me to him, "I sure can," his lips curve up into a smile to match my own, "and I want you to be in them."

We both freeze as we hear the field house doors open. Is class over already?

If I get caught in here I could be suspended! Cameras aren't an issue since it's the boys locker room and they get naked, but a nosey student could easily run away spilling his mouth about my intruding.

"Shit," Trace mumbles and jumps up, pulling me with him.

He grabs my hand, leading me to the back of the locker room. The field house begins filling up with football players but as long as they don't try coming back here, we should be good for a few minutes.

"Hey, Henderson! Is that your ass I see shaking?" a guy hollers with a laugh.

Trace leads me around a corner, out of sight and stops, spins me around to face him. "Keep going straight until you see the bathroom. There's a window in there that you can fit through easily without being seen." I'm about to turn around when he pulls me back to him.

"And, Emma?" he says, "Thank you." He leans down and gives me a quick but passionate kiss.

Without another word he whips back around, "Andrew!" he calls out with friendliness.

I hear their voices stray farther from me so I know Trace is carrying him out to let me have a chance to leave.

I get to the bathroom and like the rest of the boys rooms, it reeks. But this smell is different than sweat and body odor. It's like when your house training a dog and they piss on your carpet, if you don't clean it up it'll start to stink the longer it sits there and rots.

This entire bathroom smells like each boy took a chance pissing on the walls, then the sunlight shined through the window each day rotting the piss stains.

I make small breaths, careful to not breath in any poisonous piss fumes. I rush to the window, open it and fall over the edge.

Ah, the sweet smell of fresh air and victory.

Authors Note:
Hello! Thanks for reading and don't forget to vote! Have a great day and stay safe!

I don't normally like to use the term "filler chapter" because I feel it's very degrading lol. I try to make each chapter significant and calling it a "filler chapter" just hurts my heart... but that's exactly what I'm about to do. This is more of a filler chapter so sorry for not having much happen!