Chapter 63: A Scent He Couldn’t Ignore

It took Jason a long moment to finally let Sabrina go.

Even after his arms fell away, Sabrina remained perfectly still.

For a few seconds, she seemed trapped in the warmth of the moment, her thoughts scattered and her emotions running far ahead of her. Her cheeks were still flushed, and her breathing hadn’t quite returned to normal.

She stared at the floor, trying desperately to collect herself.

Jason noticed her dazed expression.

A faint, mischievous smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

He reached over and gently shook her shoulder.

"Sabrina? Sabrina?"

She blinked.

Once.

Twice.

Then she suddenly seemed to wake from a dream.

Her face turned even redder.

"N-no... nothing." She quickly looked away. "I’m just a little tired."

She tried to sound composed, but her voice betrayed her.

Inside, she was practically screaming.

How did I lose my composure like that?

And right in front of this annoying little brat, too!

Jason pretended not to notice the panic written all over her face.

He nodded seriously.

"Then let’s take a break."

"Mm."

Sabrina answered so quietly that he almost didn’t hear her.

She walked over to a nearby chair and sat down. Resting her hands on her knees, she took several slow breaths, trying to settle the wild rhythm of her heartbeat.

The gym around them had grown quieter.

The afternoon crowd was thinning, and the golden light coming through the windows stretched across the polished floor. Somewhere in the distance, weights clanged against metal racks, followed by the low hum of music playing through the speakers.

Sabrina closed her eyes for a moment.

Get yourself together.

She was a grown woman.

A mother.

A fitness coach.

She had dealt with difficult clients, stressful days, and far more serious problems than this.

Yet somehow, one confident nineteen-year-old had managed to leave her completely flustered.

After several minutes, she finally opened her eyes.

She took one last deep breath and stood.

"All right," she said, forcing herself back into professional mode. "Let’s continue. I’ll teach you a little more about proper squat form."

Jason nodded.

"Okay. You have to teach me properly, then."

Sabrina gave him a suspicious look.

"Of course I will."

She walked over to him and stood beside him.

"Start with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Keep your chest up, relax your shoulders, and slightly bend your knees."

Her voice was calm and patient again.

Jason followed her instructions.

Of course, he already knew exactly what he was doing.

In his previous life, he had spent years studying fitness and training seriously. Proper squat mechanics were practically second nature to him.

But Sabrina was enjoying being his instructor.

And Jason had no intention of ruining that.

So he deliberately made a few small mistakes.

His feet were slightly too far apart.

His knees bent a little too much.

Sabrina immediately noticed.

"Not quite."

She stepped closer.

"Like this."

She gently adjusted his posture.

Jason glanced sideways at her.

Then, with a playful smile, he said,

"Sabrina... you smell really nice."

Sabrina froze.

Her professional expression disappeared instantly.

A faint blush spread across her cheeks.

"W-what are you talking about?"

Jason shrugged innocently.

"I’m just telling the truth."

"There’s nothing special about me."

She touched her hair awkwardly.

"It’s probably my shampoo... or body wash."

Jason smiled.

"No. I don’t think it’s that."

Sabrina looked at him.

"What do you mean?"

Jason lowered his voice slightly.

"I think when you really like being around someone, even their natural scent can become attractive to you."

The words were simple.

But to Sabrina, they landed with far more weight than Jason probably intended.

Her heart skipped.

Like being around someone?

She stared at him.

Then another thought surfaced.

Is he saying he likes me?

Her heartbeat accelerated.

She quickly looked away.

"Is... is that really what you think?"

Jason smiled but didn’t answer immediately.

That only made her more nervous.

Sabrina’s thoughts became a tangled mess.

Why would he suddenly say something like that?

Is he confessing?

Or am I reading too much into it?

What if I misunderstand him?

The possibility alone made her feel embarrassed.

Then she remembered something else.

She liked being around Jason too.

She had noticed his scent before.

She liked the warmth of standing beside him.

She liked the way he looked at her.

She liked how safe she felt whenever he was near.

The realization struck her with uncomfortable clarity.

Oh no...

I really do like him.

Her breath caught.

For a moment, her legs felt strangely weak.

"Sabrina?"

Jason’s voice brought her back.

She quickly straightened.

"I’m fine!"

Jason raised an eyebrow.

"You sure?"

"Of course."

She looked down, refusing to meet his eyes.

"I was just thinking about something."

She was afraid that if she looked directly at him, he would see everything she was trying so hard to hide.

Her feelings.

Her uncertainty.

The tiny spark of hope she wasn’t ready to admit existed.

After a moment, Sabrina cleared her throat.

"It’s getting late. We should finish the squat lesson."

"Sure."

Jason didn’t push her.

He simply returned to position.

Sabrina stepped beside him and continued explaining the movement.

"Keep your weight balanced. Don’t let your knees collapse inward. Now lower yourself slowly..."

Jason followed her instructions.

He intentionally made a few minor mistakes, giving Sabrina plenty of opportunities to correct him.

"Almost," she said.

She adjusted his stance.

"Keep your feet here."

Jason moved them.

"Good. Now keep your back straight."

He lowered himself again.

"That’s better."

Sabrina’s voice softened.

"Now slowly stand."

Jason rose.

"Exactly."

They repeated the movement several times.

With each repetition, Jason became more precise until his form looked nearly perfect.

Sabrina stepped back and watched him complete another clean squat.

A proud smile appeared on her face.

"Very good. You’ve improved a lot."

She folded her arms.

"Looks like I’m actually a pretty good teacher."

Jason grinned.

"Of course you are. If you weren’t, I wouldn’t have learned this quickly."

Sabrina smiled.

She couldn’t help it.

There was something strangely satisfying about hearing him praise her.

And as the afternoon light grew softer, the two of them continued talking between exercises.

For a while, it didn’t feel like a training session anymore.

It felt like two people slowly getting to know each other.

The gym had become quieter.

The sunlight spilling through the windows had turned golden, casting long shadows across the floor and bathing the room in a warm glow.

Jason glanced at Sabrina.

Then he asked casually,

"You told me before that you’re divorced and raising your daughter on your own."

Sabrina’s smile faded slightly.

"Yeah."

"You’re still young," Jason continued. "Have you ever thought about starting over with someone?"

The question caught her off guard.

Her fingers tightened slightly around the edge of her shirt.

For a few seconds, she said nothing.

Then she let out a quiet sigh.

"My daughter is still young. She’s got school, friends, and her whole future ahead of her."

Her voice became softer.

"If I ever met someone new, I’d have to think about how he’d treat her too."

She looked toward the window.

"I can’t just think about myself anymore."

There was a hint of sadness in her expression.

"And honestly... finding the right person isn’t easy."

She gave a small, almost bitter laugh.

"There are plenty of people who can make you smile for a few days. Finding someone you can actually trust with your life is different."

Jason remained quiet.

Sabrina lowered her eyes.

She hadn’t meant to say so much.

Then, almost unconsciously, she glanced at him.

Their eyes met.

For one brief second, neither of them moved.

Sabrina’s heart jumped.

She immediately looked away, pretending to be interested in adjusting her workout gloves.

But the faint blush returning to her cheeks gave her away.

Jason noticed.

This time, he didn’t tease her.

He simply smiled.

Because he understood exactly what that fleeting glance had meant.