COLLIDING PARTS

Leo had spent most of his day trying to keep his mind off Ari, but it wasn’t working. No matter what he did, she invaded his thoughts, pulling him back to a past he wasn’t sure he was ready to face. "I need to stop thinking about her," he muttered, frustrated with himself. He quickly grabbed his gym bag. Maybe a good workout would finally clear his head.

When Leo reached the gym, and paused at the entrance. His eyes landing on the almost faded words etched into the wall: "TO HELL WITH HIM." That familiar phrase had become a haunting reminder of the day Ari stormed out in anger after he made her mad . Every time he came to this gym, he stood there for a moment, just like now, staring at those words before going inside. He’d been doing this for five years, and it had become part of his routine—one he wished he could break, but couldn’t.