Page 27 of Run for Us

Caden opens my office door and strolls in without knocking, walking over and perching himself on the corner of my desk. He is my mother’s latest suitor for me: extremely good-looking, with an ex-husband arrogance. He exudes an ‘I’m doing you a favor since you’re past your prime’ vibe.

“Why are you drawing a crab with knives as claws?”

I snort and look down at my sketch pad. Is it weird that I actually miss them? I liked my morning walks down to the food truck, where Shore would make me coffee. Rip would sit beside me and say nothing, and Kasen would stop past for his breakfast burrito that Shore made off menu, just for him. I miss the small town and how easy it was to fit in.

“Do you not like it?” I ask, and he laughs.

“It’s childish, and you’re thirty. Maybe you should stick to doing your work.”

I grind my teeth. What does he know anyway?

It’s almost time to leave for the day, so it’s obvious why Caden is here. My mom will force him to take me to dinner, and he will do it to stay in her good books—maybe hoping at the very least he will get an easy fuck.

“Are you ready to go?” Caden asks, and I nod. I may as well get this over with.

I rip the picture from the sketchbook and tuck it in my bag to add to the collection of drawings I have sketched since I left Bluebell. My work phone rings, and I pick it up, knowing it’s probably my mom—she never uses my personal number.

“Miss Ellsworth, there are some young men in the foyer claiming they know you and are refusing to leave. Did you want me to call security and have them removed?”

My heart gives a resounding thump in my chest, then speeds up.

“No, Robert, it’s fine. I will come down.”

There is no way it’s them—it couldn’t be. I emailed Kasen today, telling him that Beth is sending Tyde over to pack my things and that he’ll take them to the cottage until I can organize a mover to bring everything back. I left that night with only the rental car.

Standing from my chair, I don’t even bother addressing Caden. I grab my bag and walk straight past him to the lift, and we both step inside. For once, he keeps his smug mouth closed.

When we reach the ground floor and the doors slide open, I see them first. I smile. Shore is wearing a shirt that has a tuxedo print on it, with board shorts and flip-flops. Rip is in his usual black ripped jeans and a black shirt that clings to him like a second skin, and Kasen is in slacks with a business shirt rolled up to his elbows.

They all turn and look at me. Shore holds up a painting, and I know which one it is. It’s the lighthouse I painted for them. I hadn’t yet given it to them; I was waiting to offer it as a housewarming gift.

“You know those degenerates?” Caden says loud enough that they can hear as we cross the foyer from the elevator.

I pause and turn to face Caden. “I think you should go. This was never going to work between us. You just want my family name, and I know you’re fucking Cindy on the third floor.”

Caden scoffs. “You’re too old for me anyway.”

I laugh. “You’re older than me. Just go before you make a fool of yourself.”

Caden shrugs and looks over at the guys with disgust.

“It’s okay, Robert,” I tell the concierge. “These guys are no threat. They’re my friends.”

“Friends,” Rip scoffs. “Friends don’t leave.”

Shore elbows him in the ribs. “What he means to say is we understand why you left, but you still owe us a date.”

I smile at him.

“We are so sorry for hiding behind the masks.”

They think that’s why I left. “That’s not why I left, Kasen. Why don’t we go upstairs and talk?”

“Nope. No can do,” Shore says. “I put nice clothes on for this date. You can talk later. First, we plan to woo you.”

“Woo me, huh?”

Shore nods. “Yup. We have it all planned out.”

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