Chapter 16 CH: 16
Vincent and Nathan met at the gym located on the 3rd floor of Central Park.
As soon as they stepped inside, Vincent was taken aback by the sophisticated atmosphere. The sleek chrome equipment, polished marble floors, and state-of-the-art sound system made him feel like he was in a five-star hotel rather than a gym.
"I was really surprised when you told me that you want to hit the gym," Nathan chuckled, clearly amused by Vincent's uncharacteristic interest in fitness all of a sudden.
"Is it really that surprising?" Vincent asked, arching an eyebrow.
"Don't tell me you only lasted a few rounds last night with Vanessa, so you intended to gain some stamina?" Nathan laughed, teasing his best friend mercilessly.
Vincent shook his head, refusing to dignify Nathan's insinuations with a response. He knew his friend loved to joke, but sometimes it gets on his nerves.
"Now that we're here, how about a friendly competition?" Nathan suggested, grinning from ear to ear.
"What kind of competition?" Vincent asked warily, knowing Nathan's competitive streak all too well. This guy loves to compete with menial things.
"Let's see who can run longer on the treadmill first," Nathan replied, chuckling as if victory was already in the bag.
Vincent hesitated for a moment, but the thought of losing to Nathan was unbearable.
"Sure," he replied, trying to sound confident.
"Let's go," Nathan said, leading the way to the treadmills. They set the machines to the same speed and began to run, their sneakers pounding the belt rhythmically.
They began their run at a slow and steady pace, their breathing even and measured. The machine was set to increase the speed every three minutes, and Nathan was unfazed as the first notch went up. It was a piece of cake for him.
As the minutes ticked by, the speed continued to increase, but Nathan remained confident. He had done this countless times before, and he knew he could run for at least 30 minutes if he had to.
However, as they hit the 20-minute mark, Nathan was starting to feel the burn. His legs were beginning to ache, and his breaths were coming in short gasps.
He glanced over at Vincent, expecting to see him struggling as well. To his surprise, Vincent was smiling, his face relaxed as if he was enjoying himself. They had been running for over 20 minutes now, and he did not seem to be tired at all.
"Be honest with me, is this really your first time working out?" Nathan panted, trying to catch his breath.
"What do you mean? You've known me since we were kids, and I've always been someone who hates working out," Vincent replied.
"I can't believe you hid the fact that your stamina is this strong," Nathan shook his head, feeling a little cheated. He had been so confident that he would win the competition, but now he wasn't so sure.
As the 35-minute mark approached, Nathan's legs felt like jelly, and he knew he couldn't go on much longer.
"I'm exhausted already,"
But Vincent didn't seem to be affected at all.
"I'll keep running more. You can rest," he replied, his voice steady and calm.
He couldn't believe it. Vincent had been running for almost 40 minutes straight, and he didn't look tired at all.
"You're not tired yet?" Nathan gasped, amazed at his friend's stamina.
"Ten more minutes," Vincent replied, his eyes focused on the timer on the treadmill. He was in the zone now, his body moving in perfect rhythm with the machine.
Nathan collapsed onto the bench next to the treadmill, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. He watched in awe as Vincent continued to run, his face calm and serene.
As Vincent finished the final stretch of his run, Nathan looked up at him with a grin. "I think you should join the track and field team next semester," he said jokingly, still amazed by Vincent's stamina.
"Maybe I will," he replied, his eyes glinting mischievously. He couldn't help but marvel at the newfound strength and endurance he had discovered during the workout. He had always been one to tire easily, but now his body seemed to be able to handle even the most strenuous activity without breaking a sweat.
As he checked his breathing and felt his heart beating normally, Vincent couldn't help but wonder what had caused this sudden change.
"Is this the power of sex?" he muttered under his breath, the thought crossing his mind for the first time..
He glanced over at Nathan, but decided against asking him if he had experienced a similar boost in strength after his first time. He knew that his best friend would overreact and assume that he had gained supernatural ability after that accident. Which was crazy and impossible.
Instead, he decided to keep the feeling to himself, and just take it as him finally discovering his hidden talents.
Suddenly , their peaceful time was disturbed by someone.
"Nathan Wayne in the flesh," A man spoke, and walked up to them. He was wearing a tank top that showed off his muscular arms, and Nathan couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy. The man was undeniably handsome, with brown hair and piercing blue eyes that seemed to see right through you.
"This bastard again," Nathan thought to himself, his forced smile faltering slightly.
"Nile Hummer, what are you doing here?" Nathan asked, trying to keep his cool.
"What do you mean? I also own a penthouse here," Nile replied, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
"It seems you're still hanging around with this lackey of yours," Nile sneered, his gaze shifting to Vincent.
"He's my best friend and not my lackey ," Nathan snapped, his eyes flashing with annoyance.
"Oh, I apologize. Did I hurt your friend's ego?" Nile shot back, his smirk widening.
As Vincent watched the exchange between the two, he couldn't help but feel irritated by Nile's voice. It grated on his nerves, like nails on a chalkboard. He wished he could just tune it out, but the conversation was getting more heated by the second
"Is that all you've got, Nile? I thought you were supposed to be smart?," Nathan retorted.
Nile's eyes narrowed, but before he could reply, Vincent stepped in.
"That's enough,. We don't have time for you," Vincent spoke in a firm voice, his tone dripping with indifference.
Nile wasn't planning on stopping his insults any time soon, but as he looked at Vincent's face and heard the tone of his voice, something in him shifted. He felt his blood run cold, like he was being observed by someone who wanted to kill him.
There was something about Vincent that he couldn't quite put his finger on. He was calm and collected, but there was a hint of danger lurking beneath the surface. Nile had never been one to back down from a fight, but for some reason, he didn't want to mess with him.
"I also don't have time for stupid dumb people like you " He mocked them and walked away.
"I will rip that guy head off in the future" Vincent unconsciously muttered to himself. It was just because of the heat of the moment, so he didn't know why he uttered such words.