Those Ocean Eyes

I shut the door to my flat and locked the door as my keys loosely swayed from side to side. I tugged at the bun on my head and yanked my hood up. Outside it was pouring, typical weather for London, I guess.It still took some getting used to though. I was accustomed to being in more a humid climate. I nipped that thought in the bud. I refused to let myself slip back into that void that I had created months ago. It did me no good to dwell in the past and relive the hell I went though.

I sighed as I began to jog down the stairs. I loved living on the third floor, it was just another way I could keep fit. I stopped at the door, looking at the rain. A small smile grew on my face as I readjusted my backpack. Without a moment of hesitation I set off in a trot, heading towards the local gym that I had just began going to. Running had always been a passion of mine, something he never understood. The raindrops grew and my hood became damp. After a quarter of a mile run, I was finally at the gym.

I pranced in and greeted the woman at the desk. She went by the name Stephanie. She was in her mid-twenties, like me. Her hair was long and black. Her complexion was olive and flawless. When she saw me, a wide smile appeared on her face.

"Amelia!" She grinned. I considered her to be one of my friends. I was still new to London so I only knew her and a few others. A man crept up behind her and planted a kiss on her cheek.

"Hi," he whispered.

"Hi Liam," She laughed back. I waved at both of them before signing the sign-in sheet. I turned to walk away when Stephanie grabbed my arm.

"Wait! First I have to show you something," She held out her left hand, which was sporting a beautiful ring.

My jaw dropped. "He finally proposed?!" I cried, grabbing her hand and admiring the hug rock.

"Come on 'Mila, give me a break. I have every right to take my time. Steph would probably break me in two if I mucked up the proposal," He joked. His fiancé playfully hit his arm before pecking his plump lips.

I gave them a quick wave and headed into the women's locker room to shed my soggy hoodie and backpack. I made my way over to my locker and spun in my combination. I grabbed my water bottle, headphones, and iPhone then shut my locker with a click. I placed the lock back on and headed into the main gym.

I plugged the headphones into my phone and scrolled through my playlist, selecting a Panic! At The Disco song. My step-sister Amaya loved their music.

She was four years my junior, I being twenty-six. She had been married for almost three years and had a beautiful little boy named Andrew who had just turned two. I hadn't seen Amaya, Niall, or Andrew for a solid seven months, which was rough. Andrew was my godson and I was used to being constantly around him.

After my big break-up, I laid low for a little while. After a few weeks, Amaya stopped calling. She kept sending me pictures of her and Andrew. Andrew would make videos for me asking where I was and constantly drew me pictures. Andy was a good kid and I loved him to pieces. I had always hoped to become a mom, and for a few years it seemed like it was going to happen... But that was all in the past.

I began to roll my shoulders, feeling the tension in them. I took a deep breath and cleared my mind. I went over near the boxing ring, where I always worked out. I was typically in the gym in the early morning. There was less of a crowd, so I could take advantage of more equipment.My routine had to be readjusted since my boss was giving me a promotion, which meant I was needed earlier. I didn't mind though.

I began to jump rope, cardio was my favorite type of workout. About a dozen feet from me was a group of five men. They were all obviously friends. They were being loud and kept play boxing with each other. Every few minutes they would stop and gawk at a woman passing by.

All but one. He never lost focus on his bag, even though his friends kept hollering at him. I stopped jumping, and observed the man. He had short, brown hair with a five o'clock shadow. Both arms had beautiful tattoos. His body was muscular and manly. I turned my head to the right, lost in thought about the silent man.

"Oi! Love, everything all right?" A man with shaggy black hair called, drawing my attention from his quiet friend.

"Everything's great," I grinned, "but you see, I have a little problem." I mused.

The smile on his face grew, "And what's your problem, honey?" I glance from him to his friends and returned my gaze to him.

"Well, I-" I began.

"Ian! Leave the poor girl alone," the man at the punching bag growled. He took a step back from the bag and looked me in the eyes.

His eyes were the most lovely shade of blue-green.

He made his way over to me. "Look miss, I'm real sorry about Ian. He's a fuckin' asshole most of the time," he apologized.

I shrug my shoulders, "No biggie. I'm from California. I'm used to assholes," I winked.

Mr. Ocean Eyes let out a little chuckle as Ian threw a towel at his head.

"Come on Noah, let's actually do some work," another man said.

The man in front of me, Noah, nodded his head. "The guy that just spoke, with the bald head, he's Arnold. The blonde guy is Steven. And the one with curly hair is Alex," he whispered to me. I mumbled a thanks as he walked away.

As he stepped into the ring I hollered, "Noah?" He turned back to face me. All of his friends looked at me too. "I'm Amelia, by the way."

A warm smile lightened up his face as he replied, "It's a pleasure to meet you, love."