My Hockey Alpha by Eve Above Story PDF

Chapter 0480

Enzo

The air in the gym was thick with the stench of sweat. The fluorescent lights beamed down from the ceiling, casting a whitish hue over the various machines and free weights that occupied the room. The soundtrack for that day was the usual mix of grunts and sparse conversations, the clatter of iron against iron, and whatever was currently blasting through the sound system-at that moment it was a hit rap song, but I wasn't listening.

I was in the midst of my third set of bench presses, my fingers wrapped tightly around the barbell. The cold steel felt reassuring, grounding even, as I inhaled deeply and lifted it off the rack. My muscles strained under the weight, each rep a battle of will as much as it was of strength. I was going hard, much harder than usual.

"Damn, man, are you trying to lift the whole gym or what?" Matt's voice broke through the haze of my concentration.

I lowered the barbell back onto the rack with a grunt, sitting up to look at him. Matt was leaning against the wall, water bottle in hand, his expression a mix of admiration and concern.

somebody's gotta do it," forcing a wry chuckle

concern flickering through his eyes. "You've been hitting it

wasn't just a friend, but a confidant, a Beta, and an apprentice of sorts when it

a lot on my

is obvious. You gonna let me in on what's been bugging you, or

running a hand through my sweat-soaked hair. "Nina thought she might be

that a

a far corner of the gym where a couple was working out together. Nina and I often worked out together, but not lately. Not since she

just getting my career to where I want it to be. The timing would've been difficult. On the other hand, I can't

easing into a more contemplative expression. "That's a whole lot to handle, Enzo. Have you talked to Nina about how you're

idea of being a dad. It's strange, Matt. I never really thought about having a family until Nina and I got married, but