Holly Hearts Headlines (Holly Hearts Hollywood Book 2) Read Online Free

me. When he finally showed up I had a hand cramp from my speedwriting, and I desperately needed to pee.
    “Hey, I’m Hakim,” he said with a slight trace of an accent. “Vince told me that you wanted to get a membership started with us.” He sat down across from me and his pectoral muscles twitched under his tight UnderArmor shirt. He looked like he was about twenty-five or so, which is a total shot in the dark because I have no clue what the average twenty-five-year-old looks like. All of my friends are my age. Everyone else in my life is middle aged. Maybe I should find older friends.
    “I guess,” I replied. “I just want to get in shape for obvious reasons.” I gestured to my midsection.
    “Exercise is beneficial for many things besides weight loss, like overall health and happiness,” he replied.
    “Yeah, yeah, whatever. Look how long is this going to take? Because I’ve been contemplating running out the front door since I first set foot in here.”
    Hakim whipped out a placard with my different “fitness plan options” listed in bold, bright colors and graphics. I was like a gym menu, and I was at a beefcake restaurant. I selected a plan whose price wouldn’t freak my mom out too much, and before I could even say, “Thanks so much, see you tomorrow,” Hakim wrangled me into my first complimentary personal trainer session.
    Let me tell you something: personal trainers are jerks. I don’t know who they think they are, with their twitching pecs and tight t-shirts, but they have some nerve. Hakim seemed like a nice guy … until we started working out. He had me lifting, jumping, stretching, and squatting. It was all kinds of embarrassing. To make matters worse, he was yelling at me. I don’t know if that’s something he picked up in personal trainer school or whatever, but yelling is not a good motivational tool for me. It makes me shrivel up inside and instinctively start apologizing for everything.
    Afterward I could barely stand on my own two legs. It’s like I suddenly had jelly for legs. I could feel every single vein in my body throbbing, and I wouldn’t stop sweating. I felt gross. The fact that people claim that they feel “so great” after a workout is a load of malarkey.
    “Great job, Holly!” Hakim said. “If you put in the work by eating right and exercising, you’ll see progress in no time!” He then shoved pamphlets about healthy eating into my shaking hands, and said he’ll see me next week.
    Over my dead body.
     
     
    April 5 th , 9:30am—Home
     
    I’ve been sore before. I used to ride horses all the time. I’m used to getting off a horse and feeling a dull ache in my thighs. When you’ve been lugging around almost two hundred pounds in fat for as long as I have, you’re used to feeling tired or sore. This is a whole new level I never knew I could reach. When I woke up this morning, it hurt to breathe. I couldn’t move my legs, so I tried to wriggle and roll my way off the bed and instead ended up flopping onto my bedroom floor like a fish. I had to employ the use of my nightstand and bedpost in order to haul myself off of the ground.
    Once I had finally gotten on my own two feet someone knocked lightly on my door. “Holly? Are you okay? I heard a loud thud,” my mom’s voice floated through the wood of the door.
    “I’m fine. I had a bit of a spill.”
    My door cracked open and Mom’s green eyes cautiously peered at me through the crack. “Can I come in?”
    I waved her in as I limped toward my bathroom. “I just wanted to talk with you about … well, the situation we find ourselves in. I know it isn’t ideal, but they are still family.”
    “Mom, they lost Dad’s farm. On top of that, they’ve never been nice to you.”
    Mom closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Yes, I know. But I’m not one to hold grudges, even though they are totally the type.” She sighed and then continued. “I know you’ve been going through a lot. Lacey doesn’t come