Conviction (Club Destiny 1)

After two hours of cardio, Sam’s desperate attempt to burn off some of the pent up energy, she headed to the showers. Staying at the gym any longer than she needed to was risky. Even though she had never talked to him there, Sam had seen Logan once or twice.

Hurrying through her shower, then drying her hair quickly, Sam hoped to escape without running into him.

Her luck ran out as she was walking through the lobby. Catching a glimpse of Logan as she neared the exit, Sam was immediately hit with a force she hadn’t been prepared for.

Near the back row of treadmills, Logan was talking to a scantily clad, exceptionally attractive woman. A woman who apparently knew Logan on a more intimate level if the way she was touching him told the story.

An ugly wave of possessiveness overcame her and Sam choked back the sob that threatened. She had no ties to Logan; after all, she had run out on him that very morning.

Sleeping in the same bed for one night did not a relationship make.

It was like an accident on the highway, and she couldn’t seem to tear her gaze from the twosome blatantly flirting like teenagers. She immediately took a dislike to the girl hanging on his every word, as well as his muscular bicep. Although disappointment was like a knife in her back, she wasn’t going to interrupt what appeared to be a rather personal conversation.

Luckily, he hadn’t seemed to notice her standing only a few feet away, so she ducked her head and hurried out the door. As she made her way across the parking lot, she refused to acknowledge the pain constricting her chest, it was imaginary she told herself. She truly didn’t care if Logan was seeing other people. After all, he had made her no promises, and he didn’t owe her anything.

Some women see promises where there aren’t any.

His words from the night before hit her like a ton of bricks. She would not be that woman. At least she still had her pride. After all, she had walked away that morning rather than divulge in a few minutes of shared passion. The intense pain in her chest was her own fault. Shame on her.

After she arrived home, she showered again, shaving and scrubbing with her favorite body wash, spending more attention to detail than she had in a while. But, she needed something to distract her from the thoughts running through her head.

After she dressed in shorts and a t-shirt, she decided she needed to get out of the house. Basically, because she feared Logan would show up, but worse than that, she feared he wouldn’t. She didn’t even know why she thought he would attempt to talk to her. His pride was wounded. Was that screwed up?

As she climbed into her truck, she tried to think of something to do to take her mind off of Logan and the events of the night before. A pedicure would be a good thing, she told herself as she drove out of the apartment complex.

She didn’t know much about the Dallas area, but there was no time like the present to go exploring. She drove a couple of miles to a nail salon she remembered seeing. She sat in the truck for a moment, not reaching for the door handle.

A pedicure would be nice, but it would give her too much time to think.

Screw it. She was going to do something crazy. She backed out of the parking place and headed south, her foot heavier on the gas pedal than she intended. She might be making a monumental mistake, but nothing could be as devastating as the mistake she almost made that morning.

Night descended by the time Sam finally made it back to her apartment. She parked the car in her covered parking spot, but on her way upstairs, she glanced over at the garages located on the property. She wanted a garage, but she also realized that she wanted something more than a garage at the apartment complex. Her scenic drive had taken her past numerous houses, and one in particular had caught her eye.

Maybe tomorrow.

Maybe tomorrow she would alter the rest of her life.

One significant decision per day was her max so she pushed the thought from her mind.

After putting on her pajamas and washing her face, Sam decided to turn her cell phone back on. It had been a conditioned response that she always turned her phone off because she knew she would just be looking at it all day to see if anyone called her. Today was not that day so she had turned it off, hoping to avoid anyone who called or anyone who didn’t.

The phone booted up, and she glanced through the missed calls. There were three missed calls and two texts. She hit the button for her voicemail and pushed the speaker phone.

“Hey. What happened to you today? I went by your house but didn’t see your truck. I wanted to apologize for this morning. Where are you? Maybe we can get together tonight and talk?”

Logan’s voice was deep and sexy. Asshole.

Sam couldn’t believe how her heart was betraying her. She didn’t care about him, especially after the stunt he pulled at the gym just that morning. She didn’t need him, or the shit he would bring to her life.