Page 3 of Hunted by the Fallen
“Sure.” I push off the chair and whistle for Peri to come to me. “I’ll gochange.”
Gabe nods. “I’ll wait outhere.”
Peri returns to the patio. Instead of following me when I open the back door, she goes straight to Gabe. Peri’s curly tail swishes back and forth, and she sets her chin on his leg. She whines when Gabe doesn’t immediately begin to pether.
Gabe’s laugh is charming. He leans forward and scratches Peri’s head. “Good morning, Periwinkle. Long time, no see.” Peri’s tail wags furiously, and I roll my eyes. My dog has grown attached to all four of the angels, but she is especially fond of Gabe. Not that I can blame her. He’s prettylikable.
I leave Peri outside with Gabe; she won’t go anywhere with him around. After pouring out my cold coffee, I rinse the mug and head upstairs. I brush my teeth, then change into running shorts and a tank with a built-in sports bra. Gabe and Peri are waiting for me at the foot of the stairs by time I’m hopping down the steps, pulling my hair into aponytail.
Gabe’s eyes run the length of me. He’s abandoned his hoodie. “Ready?”
“All set.” I think about retrieving my headphones but decide against it. Normally, I’m not a fan of talking while I run, but I know some people enjoy the personabledistraction.
I leash Peri and lock the front door. The temperature is quickly warming with the appearance of a cloudless sky. I’m glad to be running before the heat of midday makes doing so miserable. Living next to a lake can only moderate the Texas heat somuch.
Gabe and I walk to the end of the driveway and take a couple of minutes to stretch our muscles. I wince when I pull my arm across my chest, but I know I need to loosen my shoulders. I stretch my quads, hamstrings, and calves in succession. Then, I’m ready tostart.
Seeing I’ve stopped stretching, Gabe releases his own stretch and motions his head toward the road. We break into a light jog. My neighborhood is built on hills and valleys, and it isn’t long before my leg muscles begin to protest the steeper inclines. I press forward, as does Gabe and Peri. My Goldendoodle loves to be outside, and she is keeping pace with me as she scans our surroundings, looking for any evidence of squirrels orbirds.
We crest the third hill before Gabe breaks our silence, “Still good?” He searches my face for any sign I am too tired tocontinue.
“I’m fine,” I huff. Despite my soreness, I’m enjoying myself. The constant beat of our sneakers against the pavement and the quiet sounds of the outdoors aresoothing.
“Want me to hold Peri for abit?”
I glance down and see Peri is panting but maintaining constant speed. She can probably continue jogging for another fifteen minutes, and I could use the extra motion of my arms to propel myself forward. “That’d begreat.”
Gabe wraps his wrist through the pink leash, and Peri doesn’t hesitate to shift over to his side. She really is fond of the LightFallen.
We descend into a deep valley, and my legs enjoys the reprieve. I make sure to keep soft knees to prevent damaging my joints. I glance at Gabe. He barely looks like he’s broken a sweat, and his complexion is smooth as ever. I envy him. No doubt, my face is red andblotchy.
“I feel bad that I’m holding you back,” I pant. “You can run ahead if youwant.”
Gabe looks at me. “I don’t mind.” He shoots me a warm grin before returning his attention to the road in front of us. I smile to myself and look back at the road,too.
Despite Peri’s endurance, I am only able to run for another ten minutes. I lift my hand to signal defeat after we reach the top of another hill. Gabe stops immediately. “Feelingokay?”
I wave away the concern I hear in his voice. “Just… winded.” I fold my arms over my head top open my lungs, and I continue walking to cool down. I don’t stop until we reach the bottom of the hill. Then, I walk over to a shaded curb and sit down. Gabe follows, and Peri plops down in the grass behind me, using the cool surface to help her cool off. Gabe settles next to me. I see him tilt his head up, letting the breeze ruffle his hair. I’m momentarily stunned by his attractiveness. The way his dark hair shines in the rays of sun breaking through the trees is mesmerizing, and the contrast draws attention to his structured jawline and perfectfeatures.
I am so taken with his appearance, I don’t immediately notice when Gabe opens his eyes and sees me staring at him. My gaze moves to his, and I inhale sharply. A smoldering look burns his blue eyes. It’s like I’m locked in a spell. I know I should look away, but my subconscious doesn’t want to risk ruining this moment. The way Gabe is looking at me sends my heart racing. My fingers twitch, longing to close the gap between us and touch hisskin.
As if he can read my thoughts, Gabe’s hand slides towards mine. The tips of his fingers brush against the back of my hand. The tingling feeling goes straight to mystomach.
“Veronica?”
I jerk away from Gabe. My head turns toward the source of the disruptingsound.
Preston McKenna, my childhood crush, is standing less than ten feet away. Immediately, I assess his distance and acknowledge he isn’t in a position to have seen Gabe’s gentle caress. Still, Preston is looking between me and Gabe with nothing short ofsuspicion.
I push myself to my feet. “Hey, Preston.” I wobble when my foot nearly slips off the curb, but I right myself before I make an embarrassingfall.
“Hey.” Preston continues to eye Gabe. He is sweaty, and I deduce he’s been out for a morning run aswell.
I shift awkwardly. “Preston, you remember Gabe? From Freddy’s party.” The Light Angel had been a part of my protective team that night, and he was the one who’d warned me about demons skulking around my house. Afraid they would track me to the party, Gabe had arrived to escort me back to the safety of my magically protectedhome.
Preston dips his chin. “Yeah. You’re friends with Freddy’s parents. Right?” He stares challengingly, and I hold my breath, unsure of how Gabe is going toreact.
I’m surprised when Gabe says, “That’s me.” He stands and takes a step away from me, taking Peri with him. “I’m going to walk around to continue my cool down,” he tells me. “Holler when you’re ready to headback.”
