Page 67 of Running Into You
She opens the door where Josh stands casually just outside the doorway. He runs a hand through his thick hair, but when his dark eyes find me on the bed, he stills.
“Can we help you?” Rilla asks sweetly.
“I was just wondering if this is a females-only type deal or if men are invited too,” he says, putting his hands in his pockets.
“Men are most definitely welcome! Let us know if you see any.” She grins, and he makes a face at her. His eyes find me again and he smiles tentatively.
“It’s run day, Betts. You ready?”
Really? He wants me to go for a run right now? I stare at him and say nothing.
“Wait a minute,” Rilla says, looking back and forth between the two of us. “You’re running? Like, on purpose?” I don’t have the energy to do more than nod at her.
“I don’t have any of my gear with me,” I say finally. Josh looks me over.
“You can run in that,” he says, eyeing my sweats. “And you wore your running shoes.” Dammit, he’s right. I can’t think of a way out of this.
“Okay. I’ll meet you downstairs in five,” I say with a nod. He smirks at me and heads for the stairs while Rilla closes the door again.
“Explain this to me again,” she says, sitting on the bed next to me. “You,” she points both index fingers at me. “You are a runner now?” The incredulous look on her face is priceless. She looks like I’ve just told her that I’m a flat earther and I find myself laughing for the first time today.
“I tell you that I’m in love with your brother and you have zero reaction. You find out I’ve taken up jogging, and it’s breaking your brain.” She starts to laugh too and soon Maggie joins in. We lean on each other as we laugh, and it feels like we’re teenagers again. It’s a sort of therapeutic laughter, the kind that heals things that were once broken. When we finally get a hold of ourselves, I turn to her seriously. “Are we okay? I can understand if you’re upset with me for keeping this from you.”
“Don’t be silly.” Rilla deadpans. “Cardiovascular health is important, to some. You do you.”
“Rilla,” I groan. “You know very well what I was referring to.”
She beams down at me and ruffles my hair like she did when we were younger.
“Two of the people I love most in this world love each other. Why would that upset me?” Her smile is so genuine that I’m certain she means it. “Go for your run. Maggie and I have T-shirts to design.” I nod and somehow move to the door. “Hey!” she says before I can leave. “You both need to keep getting me separate birthday and Christmas gifts. None of that joint present bullshit.”
With wooden legs, I start to descend the stairs and see Josh waiting at the bottom for me. It’s like that scene inShe’s All That, except I’m wearing sweats instead of a sexy red dress and he’s so much hotter than Freddie Prinze Jr. The butterflies build inside me until I can’t believe I don’t simply float away. He’s changed into workout gear I’ve never seen before. I wonder if it’s something he’s borrowed from his father, given the circumstances. Regardless, he looks preposterously handsome, even with tired eyes and nervous energy.
“Ready?” he asks softly when I make it down to him.
God, I hope so.
Chapter 39
Betty
Running through the old neighborhood is beyond surreal. The buildings look smaller, which doesn’t make sense because I haven’t grown vertically since I’ve lived here. Maybe it’s because I’ve gotten used to all the towering buildings of the city. The streets are quiet, which checks out, seeing as it’s Sunday afternoon. We run in silence, apart from a few observations on some of the changes and additions to our surroundings. There is so much I want to say to him, but the words simply don’t form in my mouth.
“I’m glad you’re here,” Josh says quietly as we turn onto a community trail.
“I am too.”
“You didn’t have to come.”
“Yes, I did.”
He slows his pace and then comes to a complete stop. I stop too, turning back to look at him. He searches my eyes with his.
“Why?” he says, his voice thick. He stands ten feet away from me, his hands resting on his hips. He’s staring at me intently and I’m guessing his labored breathing isn’t entirely due to the run. “Why did you have to come?”
Here goes nothing.
“You know that picture of my dad and I at my graduation?” The picture I’m talking about is in a gold frame and sits on top of the old oak dresser in my room. “You asked if my mom took the picture, and I said yes?” He nods, brow furrowing. “I lied to you. Your mom took that picture. My mom couldn’t take the picture because she wasn’t even there. She didn’t come to my high school graduation because it was on the same night of the university convocation of the grad student she was screwing.”
