"Push through it, Maddison. You've got two more reps." Kelly's voice was firm, cutting through the low hum of the gym's holiday playlist. Jingle bells mixed with the clank of weights, but in this corner, it was just us. I gripped the barbell tighter, my quads burning as I lowered into another squat. At twenty-eight, I'd signed up for personal training after a rough year.divorce papers finalized, job promotions slipping away, and the holidays looming like a bad joke. Kelly was the best in Willow Creek Gym, or so the reviews said. Six months in, and I was stronger, but the real pull was him."Done," I gasped, racking the bar. Sweat dripped down my temple, soaking into my tank top. The gym was decked out with tinsel and a fake tree by the front desk, but most folks had bailed early for family dinners. It was Christmas Eve, and here I was, punishing my body to avoid the quiet of my empty apartment.Kelly nodded, wiping his hands on a towel. He was thirty-four, broad-shouldered from yea
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