Chapter 277
**Chapter 0277**
**Judy’s POV**
Gavin stood in front of me, shirtless and wearing only a pair of sweatpants. I couldn’t help but stare at his amazing body. My mouth nearly watered as I took in the sight of his glistening abs. He looked great, and I felt a rush of excitement just by looking at him.
He was covered in sweat, showing that he had been working out for a while. When I looked up at him, I noticed he had a towel draped around his shoulders, catching the sweat running down the back of his neck. My eyes followed his form, taking in the scene before me.
I noticed the confusion and a hint of anger in his eyes.
“What are you doing in here?” he asked, his voice low and threatening.
I wasn’t scared of him, though. I wasn’t sure if there was anything he could do that would frighten me.
I felt a real fear of him. I knew he was angry, and it was my presence that made him that way. It hurt, and I couldn’t pretend otherwise.
“I… I was going to work out,” I said.
He stared at the ground, unable to meet his eyes. All the pain and loneliness I had felt over the past few weeks came rushing back. It made me feel smaller than I had in a long time.
What was wrong with me?
He looked at me as if he didn’t believe me. He seemed annoyed. His gaze dropped to the bag on the ground, and he pressed his lips together tightly.
“Why isn’t that in a bag?” he asked.
“Are you going to put your stuff in a locker?” he asked. “It could get stolen.”
“Uh…” I replied, looking over my shoulder at the locker room. “There are no lockers left.”
He frowned, then picked up my bag from the floor and started walking toward the exit.
I walked into the men’s locker room and saw him there.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“Putting it in my locker,” he replied quietly. Then, he quickly left.
He didn’t stay gone for long. I waited outside the locker room, curious about what he was up to.
He stayed in the room until he came back a few minutes later.
“There, now it won’t get stolen,” he said, narrowing his eyes at me. “You shouldn’t have come here.”
“I just wanted to get…”
“I was just working out,” I told him, pointing to the workout equipment.
He looked at me for a moment longer, then stepped back to let me pass. I walked around him and started to weave through the crowd, keeping my head up as I moved.
As I walked past a few familiar faces at the gym, I made my way up the stairs to the second floor. This was where the treadmills and bikes were located. I was happy to find plenty of treadmills available. I picked one that had a nice view, allowing me to look out over the area.
I went to the gym this morning because I wanted to be seen. I figured that if I could see others, they could see me too. Part of my motivation for working out was to show the competition that I was serious and not someone to be underestimated. I wanted them to recognize my commitment and strength.
I got on the treadmill and started with a light jog. I didn’t notice the person next to me at first. I only realized they were there when I heard their treadmill beep to life. The person beside me began running quickly, and I could feel the energy in the room shift.
I looked over and my mouth dropped when I saw Gavin on the treadmill. Had he followed me here?
I pressed my lips together, annoyed by his presence. Gavin glanced at me, his eyes dark and narrowed, as if he was silently challenging me. I felt a mix of surprise and irritation at the unexpected encounter.
I knew he wanted to compete with me, and I wasn’t going to back down without a fight.
I quickly increased the speed on the treadmill to match his pace, and then I pushed it one level higher. Now, I was sprinting just a bit faster.
I felt the rush as I ran faster than before, determined to keep up the challenge.
This was nothing. He would need to try harder if he wanted to trick me.
A smirk appeared on his face as we ran side by side. Suddenly, I heard his treadmill beeping again. Soon, he was running even faster.
I frowned at him, determined not to let him get the best of me. So, I pushed myself to go even faster.