Chapter Thirty-One - Hannah
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Hannah
HANNAH LEANED FORWARD into her final stretch, feeling the satisfying pull in her hamstrings. She watched idly as the man approached from across the gym floor. He moved with easy confidence, weaving between equipment and other gym-goers like he owned the place.
When he stopped in front of her, she straightened, wiping sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand.
"You did good," he said. "First few weeks are always the hardest."
Hannah reached for her water bottle, taking a long sip before responding. "That obvious I'm new?"
He grinned—a genuine smile that softened his earlier cockiness. "Let's say I recognize the look. I'm Leo, by the way." He extended a hand.
"Hannah." She accepted the handshake, noticing the calluses on his palm, the firm pressure of his grip.
"So, Hannah," he said, releasing her hand, “Would you want to grab a coffee sometime? Or a protein shake if that's more your speed?"
The question caught her off guard. She'd assumed his interest was a fleeting gym flirtation, the kind that evaporated once the endorphins wore off. In her current state—hair plastered to her forehead with sweat, face still red with exertion—she hardly felt like someone worth pursuing.
Her first, gut reaction was: I can’t. I’m married.
The thought struck like muscle memory—instinctive, automatic.
But then the weight of reality settled over her.
She wasn’t really married anymore. Legally, maybe, but no more than that.
Daniel had shattered that reality the moment he stepped into Sienna’s arms. The moment he chose to fuck another woman.
No, she wasn’t married.
But a date? The thought of sitting across from someone, making small talk, pretending she wasn't still carrying the wreckage of her marriage—it was exhausting just to consider.
"I'm not really in a dating place right now," she said finally, holding his gaze. "I'm... coming off something complicated."
He looked disappointed, but he nodded. "I get it. No pressure."
Hannah surprised herself with what came next.
If Daniel could throw everything away for a moment of physical selfishness, then she could choose something too. On her terms. For her pleasure. She wouldn’t let his betrayal define what she was allowed to feel anymore.
"I wouldn't mind something less complicated." Her voice was steady, even as her heart hammered against her ribs. She spoke quietly. “Something just…physical."
A flicker of surprise crossed his face. For a moment, she thought she'd misread everything, made a horrible mistake.
Then he smiled—slower this time, his eyes darkening. "I can work with uncomplicated," he said, voice dropping to match her near-whisper. "In fact, I excel at uncomplicated."
Hannah felt a rush of something. This wasn't the Hannah who had built her life around someone else's promises. This was someone new—someone who could take what she wanted without pretending it was forever.
She didn’t need forever. Not anymore. She just needed to stop feeling like Daniel was the only story she’d ever tell.