Chapter 22.


    I spent Friday doing nothing. But then, it''s not like I usually do anything anyway, other than spend time


    at the gym.


    Exercising is already feeling refreshing, to be honest. It doesn''t feel like I''m stressing out anymore and I


    don''t feel extreme pain in my bones when I wake in the morning like I used to.


    Looks like my body''s getting used to gym.


    Most of my clothes don''t fit the way they used to before. They''re either too big or way too long.


    The next morning, I get up and go straight to the gym, but Maverick''s already gone. I go back down to


    make myself a ck coffee and I notice a note on the kitchen counter, pinned down by a paperweight.


    Out for a morning jog. You shoulde along.


    ~ Maverick


    A small smile stretches across my face as I go to change into a green tank top, some leggings and


    sports shoes, then make my way out the penthouse.


    One thing that I love about this neighborhood is the calmness. I can only see a teenage girl walking her


    dog down the street.


    There''s no one else in sight.


    There are also pavements set aside for jogging, which is what I''m doing now. I tuck in my earphones


    and select a song from my iPhone, ying it at full volume.


    I start jogging slowly, but I soon feel my lungs aching and my body goes numb after reaching the park.


    My breath has turned into uncontroble gasps, but I don''t stop. Not even for a second.


    The adrenaline starts to pump through my veins and the energy from it is what pushes me forward.


    My pace slows down when I spot someone familiar.


    I''d recognize that body anywhere.


    Maverick is in a ck, sleeveless hoodie and a pair of shorts, showcasing his leg and arm muscles. He


    looks like he''s taking a rest so I walk up behind him and cover his eyes with both my hands.


    "Guess who?"


    "April," he says, without hesitation.


    "How did you know?" I step up beside him.


    "You''re the only one I know who smells like pineapple. It was pretty easy to figure it out."


    "You know what I smell like?" I don''t know whether to find that cute or creepy.


    "Yep, I do. Want to know what I smell like?" He stretches one of his arms towards me and I take a little


    step backward.


    "No. Not now that you''re covered in sweat, anyway. Get out of my ''smell zone''."


    He chuckles and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear, the tip of his fingers brushing my skin and


    sending shivers down my spine.


    "You changed," Maverick tells me.


    "How?"


    "You talk more... and you''re funnier. I hardly ever saw you, when you first moved in."


    "What? I- I''m not funny," I say, giving him a look.


    "Compliment, April. It''s called apliment and you need to know how to ept one. Let''s try that


    again, shall we?"


    I don''t reply, hoping he takes it as a no.


    "I assume that''s a yes," he says.


    Great.


    "I think you''re pretty."


    I shrug and put on my poshest voice. "Why, thank you for thinking I''m pretty, O wise one. I think you''re


    not bad yourself."


    "Not bad? Have you met me?" He spreads his arms out and turns around, showing off his body.


    "You really need to stop spending time with Jim," I say.


    "It''s just called ''feeling confident about yourself''."


    "No, that''s called ''being proud''-"


    He cuts me off. "Yes, of yourself. No one''s better at being you than you are, so be proud of it and just...


    own it."


    When I''m with Maverick, there''s always something new to learn. It''s like I''ve been blindfolded all my life


    and now he''s removing the blindfold.


    I have a clearer view of the world and how it works, although I still have no idea where Maverick stands


    in my life. I''d call us friends but it''s starting to look like it''s something more.


    With Tony, it was just about me trying to do whatever he wanted, about me trying to please him even if


    he''s never satisfied.


    These past weeks, I''ve felt things that I haven''t felt in a long time. Happiness, peace of mind, safety...


    It''s wonderful when all these feelingse rushing back because of one person.


    I look up at Maverick to see him staring at something in the distance and I follow his gaze, noticing a


    kid not more than three years old, crying over her spilled ice cream.


    "She''s a baby," I say.


    "I know," he says and walks over to pick her up, her puffy cheeks red and stained with tears.


    "Where''s your mommy?" he asks and uses his thumbs to brush off the girl''s tears. "Are you lost?"


    "Cindy!"


    We both turn our heads to the ear-splitting screaming from a youngdy who isn''t much older than


    me. She rushes to where we are and plucks the baby from Maverick''s arms.


    "I''m so sorry about that. I don''t know how she managed to slip from my sight," she says, bouncing the


    young girl in her arms.


    "It''s not always safe out there, so it would be wise to keep an eye on her all the time," Maverick says


    and smiles as the woman''s eyes roam his body before she blushes and puts her baby back on the


    ground.


    "I''m Anne-Marie." She outstretches her hand for a shake,pletely forgetting that she''s left her baby


    alone again. My eyes search for a wedding ring on her finger and I observe she doesn''t have one.


    She must be a single mother.


    "Maverick," he replies shortly.


    "I haven''t seen you before. Do you live around here?"


    I''m sure she won''t even notice if the kid wanders away again.


    "I do. My apartment''s just down by the street..." says Maverick, smiling.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    "Which we''re actually headed back to," I chime in and tangle my fingers against his arms. "Right, M?"


    Thedy notices me for the first time and her mouth forms an ''O''. "I hope I''m not interrupting anything."


    "You''re not."


    "You are."


    Maverick and I both speak at exactly the same time, and Anne-Marieughs slightly, showcasing a set


    of white pearly teeth.


    Damn! Those perfect teeth...


    "I''ll get going then. See you around." She smiles again and walks the other way, asionally pausing


    to look back at him.


    I hope she walks into a wall and hits her head.


    I untangle my grip from his arms when she''s out of sight.


    "What was that about?" Maverick looks down at me with a knowing smile. "You never call me ''M''."


    "So?" I''m getting slightly defensive here. "I just felt like calling you that... Because it''s the first letter of


    your name and..."


    His grin grows wider.


    I give in. "Oh, shut up."


    "Come on," he smirks. "I want to hear you say it again."


    "Well, you can''t. Sorry." I start walking back towards the house and he follows behind.


    "You know you still want to call me that and I can tell you''re smiling."


    That''s not a lie. I have this stupid goofy grin on my face I can''t wipe off.


    Remember when I said I have no idea where he stands in my life? Well, here''s a category I believe he


    fits into well.


    Some people can actually save you. They make you feel at peace; They bring out yourughter. They


    bring out sides of yourself you thought you lost. They show you the importance of self love and care, of


    friendship, loyalty and they remove the hurt from the moment they walk into a room. They do this


    without any kind of effort. Without thinking about it. Without knowing the positive effect they have on


    your feelings.


    They naturally make you feel at home. They bring out the sun in the middle of the rain.


    My only hope is that this thing between Maverick and me isn''t temporary.