A Glimmer in the dark

My soft sighs turn to troubled erratic breaths. Ethan used the incline control which caused the deck to tilt, stimulating an uphill.

I feel like I'll die anytime soon, "Ethan" I call out hoarsely but he's enjoying all my suffering. My legs are tired and would give out soon but I can't stop running,— I fear what might happen when my pace no longer aligns with that of the belt's movement.

"E...than, please", hot tears whelm in my eyes and my vision is blur. I feel like I've been running for hours, my head is spinning.

Since he won't listen, I reach out to the off button but he slaps my hand away. I wail inwardly, he's taunting me on purpose!

"I think you've had enough" he says before turning the treadmill off.

I stare helplessly as the velocity of the belt movement decreases. My legs wobble and my feeble body falls to the side.

Ethan catches me easily. I rest my chin on his shoulders, still panting softly. Right now I just want to dig into his flesh with my nails but I'm waaay too tired for anything.

We both sit on the floor and Ethan offers me a bottle water and I snatch it hastily from him. I down it all in one gulp.

Throwing the bottle aside, I lay on my back on the cold floor. "I'm tired Ethan"

"But we only just started", his voice laced with satisfaction from torturing me. Why did I even agree to this in the first place, I'm not even fat!

"Please don't say that again" I whine. My hands are numb from weightlifting and my legs feel like wet noodles, no way. I'm done here.

I turn to my side, I feel sleepy all of a sudden.

Ethan gets up, in all his glory, beaming with youthful energy and amusement.

"You're tired, I can see that. Let's forget the equipment and do basic exercises"

"Ethan?" I call out

"Isabella" he responds

Wailing helplessly, "I already told you not to say it again. I'm not like you, you've been doing stuff like this for a long time. I just went through hell for hours and now I just want to sleep"

I hear him sigh. "You know you didn't actually lift the barbell, you only ran on the treadmill for almost thirty minutes", his tone telling me that I've don't next to nothing yet I'm complaining.

What does he mean by almost thirty minutes, It felt like generations had passed while I was on that thing. No more....

I sniff before muttering under my breath "I need a shower"

"Get up then, let's have one". His words give me strength and I'm on my feet again.

He hands me a white towel, "follow me".

We exit the gym and head to the door closest to it. There aren't any engraved signs but I can't tell it is a bathroom.

Ethan turns to me "let's have a bath together"

"Absolutely not!" I say almost immediately. He's shocked by my response.

"Um...what I mean is I'm...shy?" I look up at him, unsure of my reason for refusing.

No, I do know my reason for refusing. My mind forms an image of us together without clothes, I quickly shake the thought off. It's too erotic, there are somethings I'm not prepared to see yet,

I mean, just staring at his muscular build weakens my knee. What will happen if I see his....Ahem.

Ethan sighs in defeat, "alright, I won't force you"

He looks sad and disappointed, I almost feel sorry. He points behind me, "you use that one"

I look behind, no sign but I guess it's also a bathroom.

Ethan locks the door behind him and I stand before mine.

I open the door slowly and enter, my jaw drops—Like all the way to the ground.

I close the door behind me and gulp. Is this even a bathroom?

The first thing I notice is the large marble sink with an equally large oval mirror. They rested elegantly on the wall to my left.

I walk further in, opposite the sink is the shelf for shampoo and other body products and some spare towels. A washing machine was next to it.

Not too far from the sink sat the toilet. You know those modern tankless smart toilet with built-in bidet?, It's like I'm staring into the future where we no longer have to flush manually.

A moderate space divides the shower from the tub. They were opposite each other, the curtain covered the shower while the one for the tub is open. Makes me wonder.....

My heart drops in shock at the sound the running shower. There's someone in there.

I gulp and take slow steps towards the space between the tub and the shower.

My eyes widen at the sight of a silhouette, the silhouette of a woman. I scrutinize the moving shadow, long hair, slim waist and long legs.

This....this is the androgynous being, she's a woman. I gulp. She reaches to her head to wash her hair.

I feel my heart pounding in my chest but I can't look away, the slow movement she makes accompanied by the sound of the pouring shower, it's all too alluring.

Minutes later, she stands out of the pouring water and wrings her hair. My instincts alert me that she's coming out. I leave immediately and hide behind the machine.

I cover my body with the white towel. Fortunately, the machine is large and the towel is as white as the wall and the machine too.

My heart beats nonstop, praying I won't get caught. But why am I hiding though? Oh yeah, I was gawking at a woman while she was having her bath.

I want to scold my self but to be honest I feel no regret.

I bite my lower lip nervously, I can tell she's out already and walking this way.

I take a peek, she's standing in front of the sink with her towel on her hair instead of being wrapped around her body.

I feel a lump in my throat as I stare at her naked body. She's perfect, long slender legs, slim waist, and her appearance on the mirror is simply underworldly.

I sigh subconsciously while studying her features. Almost like she heard me, she turns around immediately