Gabby's POV

"Everyone is staring at us."

"So? Let them."

I blinked up at Chase who just shrugged his shoulders and continued training me on the butterfly machine. He ran through the specs, showing me how to change the weights and to move the arms of the machine so they're adjusted to how I like it. After moving the seat up a little bit, I just sat there, unmoving.

"What's wrong?"
"I don't think I can do this."

"Yes, you can, I just showed you."

"No, no, that's not what I'm talking about." I bit the inside of my check as tears stung my eyes.

My anxiety was out in full force this morning. It hit me like a brick wall the moment I walked into the doors of Infinity Fitness.

Why?

Oh, cause Greek God Chase Elliott insisted that he drive me to the gym today and instead of getting out of the vehicle and walking in like two friends should, he made it a point to hold my hand.

Chivalry is not dead with this one if you were wondering.

I swear everyone stopped what they were doing and a spotlight was shown brightly on us as someone over the loudspeaker announced our presence, or at least, that's what it felt like.

I quickly dropped his hand, signed in, and made a beeline to the locker room to shove myself in a locker so no one would see me.

The invisible girl was sudden seen and she doesn't like this.

"Gabby," Chase whispered, pulling me back to the hereto. I looked up to him and melted at the look he was giving me; his eyes are so soft and he was giving me such a tender smile. "Look around us." I did I was told, looking at the guys who were lifting weights, and then over to the cardio machines where a few men and women of all ages were completely lost in what they were doing. "No one is watching us, Gabby, they're here for the same reason as you."
"I know," I sighed, "It's just, I feel them watching me, judging me... judging us. It's like I can hear their thoughts whenever I walk by and it's nothing good." Chase heard the anxiety in my voice because now he holding my hands.

"No one is judging you here, Gabby, and if they are, let them. They don't know you, or the struggles you've gone through to be here today. That right there is a testament that you're better than their judgmental thoughts." He squeezed my hands tightly and looked me right in the eyes. "If they're going to make derogatory comments because you're here at the gym making a healthy lifestyle choice, then they're going to have to answer to me because I will not tolerate that."

I tried to blink back my tears but they fell down my face anyways. Chase was quickly to wipe them away.

"I'm going to be right here with you, every step of the way. Okay?" He nodded, waiting for me to answer him.

I took a deep breath, closing my eyes, allowing my mind to go quiet so I can move forward and focus on today's workout.

"I promise." I said, opening my eyes to see Chase's own smiling back at me.
"That's my girl. Now c'mon, we have some muscles to shred." I laughed, rolling my eyes as Chase made a funny face and flexed like an idiot.

"Oh second thought, can Blaney train me?" Chase playfully pouted but then gave me a smile that caused my heart to skip a beat.

"He could, but then I wouldn't be able to do this..." I gasped when Chase bent down and placed a tender kiss on my lips. I looked up at him in shocked.

I can't believe he just kissed me... at the gym of all places.

"Shouldn't I have done that?" He could read the shock impression on my face and I quickly shook it off and smiled.

"You took me by surprise, that's all."

"So did you." I knew what Chase was implying, and yeah, he took me by surprise at well.

If you told me a few weeks ago that insufferable Greek God who endured a training session with me would kiss me of his own accord, I would have never believed you.

Honestly, I can hardly believe it myself.

"C'mon, let's finish up here. I want to take you out for lunch."

**

"Are you ready for your first weigh-in?" I looked over at Chase and shook my head no. "Gabby, it's going to be okay." He came over and wrapped his arms around me and held me against his chest. "You have nothing to be afraid of, you've come so far from a month ago when you stepped foot in this place. I think you're going to like what you see."

I woke up this morning with dread in my stomach. I knew today was coming and this whole last week I've been on the struggle bus. I hardly followed my meal plan and working out was even more of a struggle.

"I don't think I am..." I held back my tears and pulled away from Chase.

"I think you will."

"How can you say that? You're going to see how much I weigh and I don't like that." Chase walked over to the scale, kicked off his shoes and stepped onto it.

"165. Now you see how much I weigh."
"That's not the same."

"I know, but it's just a number, and when I look at you, I don't see that. It doesn't bother me one bit to know how much you weigh, it's not going to change anything between us. I'm still going to want you, in every way possible." Chase looked at me with a glint in his eyes and I knew what he was implying.

I want him in every way possible as well.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. "Okay. But if I don't like what I see, I'm going to go home and cry and reunite with my ex-boyfriends, Ben and Jerry, deal?"

Chase laughed and shook his head, "deal."

I kicked off my shoes and narrowed my eyes at the judgmental scale. I placed a foot on it, wincing as the numbers climbed past Chase's before my second foot even made contact. I closed my eyes, not wanting to see the final number. "Let me know when I can get off."

"Got it." I turned away from that stronghold and began to put my shoes back on as Chase began to write whatever training stuff he wrote on his clipboard. When he finally looked up at me, he was smiling.

"15."

The number hung in the air like a giant billboard, all I could do was stare at Chase.

"You lost 15 pounds over these last few weeks, Gabby."

"I... what?" Disbelief flooded me, I don't believe this.
"Gabby, you lost 15 pounds!" Chase engulfed me in a huge hug, lifting me of the ground and twirling me. "You did it! I'm so proud of you!"
"I... I've never lost that much weight before, are you sure?" Chase shook his head yes, his smile so huge as he held onto me.

Tears pricked my eyes as I hid my face in the crook of his neck. Embarrassed that I was crying, but I was completely overwhelmed by this news.

"Gabby, look at me." Chase tilted my head up so I was looking into his chocolate eyes. "I'm so proud of you. You've put in so much hard work over these last few weeks. I know it's been a tough start, emotionally and physically, but this right here, is proof that you CAN do this."

"I couldn't do this without you," I whispered, "thank you for being here for me. Through the pain, tears, and everything else I've put you through. Words cannot express how I feel right now. It's surreal."

"If we can get through all of that, then we can get through anything."

"We?"

"I mean, yeah," Chase cocked his head to the side and I swear I saw blush on his cheeks. "I know we haven't put a label on this, but I want to."

"You do?"

"I wanna be with you, Gabby." His lips were so close to mine now.

"I wanna be with you, too." I closed the distance, kissing Chase with a new adoration for him.

"Am I interrupting?" Both Chase and I groaned in frustration and stepped apart from each other to face a very smugged Ryan Blaney.

"As a matter of fact, you are. I'm just kissing my new girlfriend on the milestone she just surpassed."

"New milestone?"

"I lost 15 pounds!" Ryan looked at me and beamed, then he looked over at Chase. "It's about damn time you two got together, but I swear, if you hurt her, I'mma cut your balls off."

"Deal, but I don't think that's going to be necessary, my heart is pretty smitten with this one." Chase and I locked eyes and laughed when Ryan groaned and stalked off. "Now, where were we before we rudely got interrupted?"
"I think we were about to get out of here?" Chase understood the undertone of my comment and took my hand in his.

"I think that's a great idea."

A/N:  EEEKKK!! They're officially together!!  Wonder what the next chapter could be about?? *ponders*  The game plan is to upload on my regular schedule time, but there might be a delay!  So if I miss a Sunday update, it will get posted as soon as I can.  

Love you lots for reading and commenting on this story!