Page 44 of No Way Home
“Must be nice,” I mumbled. It was roasting out here. Even at eight p.m., the end of July in Virginia was sweltering.
“Feel free to take your shirt off. It’s just a sports bra. I’ve seen you in a bikini. We all have,” he said breezy and unaffected, like I was one of the guys.
I hated how that stung. “Yes, I’m sure Griffin would be thrilled to walk up and catch me in my sports bra, you shirtless. I’m not trying to start World War III.” I fanned my tank top in and out. “I just want to get through this race and win that money.”
“We’re not winning jack-crap if we don’t start running.” His tone was tight but soft, making it clear he wasn’t frustrated withme.
A text notification hit my watch. From Griffin.
“Oh, he just pulled into Dupree Ranch,” I said. “He’ll be here in two minutes.”
“About time. Did you read the article on Group Identity Theory?”
I fought back a smile. When Bowen committed to being my friend, he committed. Every day, all day, he sent me memes and articles. From info on performance diets, to race tips, to mental health videos, to dog reels. They always made me smile.Over the past couple of weeks, I felt my heart healing. We were becoming a team.
“Yes.” I nodded. “I read the article. But anything we do will just make Griffin feel more left out.”
“It’s a simple fact,” he said, a hint of irritation in his tone. “We’re race partners. I had nothing to do with it. Blame the cosmos, Magnolia.”
I tilted my head. “You have to stop calling me that.”
He smirked. “Oh, the shame, calling you by yourgivenname?”
I chewed the insides of my cheeks, determined not to smile. “You know it bugs Griffin.”
“I’m not trying to bug him.” He frowned as if he were genuinely puzzled. “I just don’t get it. Why would anyone take a name likeMagnoliaand cut it down toMaggie?” He said my nickname like he’d just coughed up a slimy green loogie. “One of them is a flower. The other sounds like a lunch lady with inch-long chin hairs. Andyouare a flower.” He blew out his breath, not the least bit clued in to what he’d just done to my heart. “But, you know, whatever.” He waved his hand lazily. “Anyway, according to the article, a shared identity builds trust and unity, which will only enhance our performance. We could wear matching shirts but that’s generic. Everyone does that. And Cash and Charlie already ordered matching compression socks, so that idea’s taken. We need to do something different. Something original.” He shot me with finger pistols. “Ideas,Mags?”
My heart fluttered at the new nickname and I hated myself a little.You’re with Griffin. Griffin, Griffin, Griffin. “I think I can’t do anything that’s going to make Griff angry. Not even to throw him off his game and give us an advantage.”
“Yeah.” Bowen glanced over my shoulder and his face fell.Think about it,he mouthed. Then he took off running.
I turned to see Griff jogging up, his eyes burning into Bowen’s disappearing backside.
“I’m here,” he growled.
“Hi,” I said, keeping the frustration out of my voice. Because his hair was smashed flat in a one-inch strip across the top of his head—which could only mean one thing. “You’re forty-five minutes late because you were gaming?”
His brows furrowed, eyes darkening. “I was decompressing, okay?”
Bowen doesn’t play video games. He gets stuff done. Just like you.
I blew my breath out in an O. “We’re running out of daylight, and we won’t get all of our laps in because you insisted I run with you. Mario Kart couldn’t wait?”
“It was League of Legends with Theo,” he said, as if it made all the difference. “We were bonding.”
I breathed out through my nose. I could’ve been done by now. Could’ve been halfway home. But I’d stood here, waiting for him, while he was playing video games? He gave me crap every day about training with Bowen, but he couldn’t bother to show up when he said he was going to?
His arms slid around my waist, pulling me against him. “Hey, let’s not fight.”
He came in for a kiss, but I dodged it and tipped my head toward the trail. “We gotta run.” I pointed at the sun, cut in half by the horizon. “As it is, we’ll be lucky to get two laps in.”
His nose pressed into my cheek. “In a minute. I haven’t seen you all day.” His mouth found mine and I tried to let myself relax. But I hadn’t been able to relax with Griffin since I found out he was the reason Bowen had been so mean.
“Did you think about it?” Griff murmured.
My stomach knotted.
Had I thought about whether I wanted to blow off all my plans and move out west with him? Yeah, I thought about it. “You know I can’t. I’m about to start med school. Being a doctor is my dream.”
