Page 724 of One More Kiss

Slade

I sawher leaving again out my window, off on another run. She ran too much, and that was saying something coming from someone who had two-a-day practice. I wasn’t sure what she was trying to forget or escape from, but whatever it was, it was intense.

Pulling on my tennis shoes, I hustled down my stairs and hit the pavement. I was tired and didn’t want to chase after her, but I couldn’t leave her to her own devices. What if she went into the water again, and this time there was no one to save her? I didn’t care that she said she wasn’t trying to kill herself. Maybe it wasn’t intentional, but she could have died.

Right?

She hadn’t sputtered when I brought her up. She was only a little out of breath.

I could see her figure leaning against a telephone pole. We were close to the beach. Again. She always ran this way.

“Are you going to join me or not?” She shouted.

I hadn’t planned on it. I tried to keep enough distance between us, so she wouldn’t know I was following her. Seemed I’d failed at that endeavor.

Picking up my pace, I reached her side and looked her over. Her legs were long and lean from running. Her waist was tiny with tits that I wouldn’t mind getting acquainted with. I knew they’d be more than a handful to my large hands.

“What are you doing following me?” she huffed and crossed her arms under her breasts, only amplifying them more.

“Eyes up here, big boy.” The humor in her voice didn’t escape my notice, and when my eyes locked on hers, she smirked. “Now, do you want to tell me why you’ve been following me every night?”

“I didn’t see you at school,” I added in my head today, yesterday, or the day before.

Kicking off the tree, she started to run. My eyes were drawn to her breasts, rising up and down with each stride as I matched her pace beside her.

“Maybe I’m homeschooled.”

“Doubtful. Does your mom know you’re ditching school?”

Even in the dark, I could see her knuckles turn white as she clenched her fists.

“She’d have to care to know. Were you looking for me, big boy?”

If anyone else called me that, I would tear off their heads and stick it up their ass, but for some crazy reason, I liked the ways she teased me.

“I figured it would circulate around school if there was a new girl. We don’t get many newcomers here.”

“Is it because this town sucks and the only thing it has going for it is the ocean?” She wasn’t even out of breath as she increased her pace and kept talking. “Please tell me there’s something to do?”

“Besides run until you pass out?” I rolled my eyes even though she couldn’t see them. “During the week, I usually hang with friends after practice or working out. There’s a party every weekend.” I lifted one shoulder. “You might even be invited to one if you ever showed up at school.”

Her cheek caved in for a moment before it popped back out. “Is it even worth it? Once I’m eighteen, I’m out of here.”

“So, you’d rather be alone with no friends until that day?”

“Two months is all I have, and then I can go back home.” She sighed wistfully.

“Where’s home?” It was out before I could stop myself from asking. Harley was obviously a private person. I barely got any answers out of her. I wasn’t sure why I tried or cared.

“Scottsdale. Have you always lived here?” She stopped running the second her feet hit the sand and slowly walked until the tips of her tennis shoes hit the edge of the water.

I stayed a few feet behind, not wanting to get my shoes wet. They’d finally dried out after pulling her ass out of the water few days ago.

“Are you going to live with your dad once you turn eighteen?” Why didn’t she live with him now if that was the case?

She took a few steps back and sat down in the sand where I was standing. “I wish. I don’t know where I’ll live. You’re probably right, though. I should go to school so I’ll graduate. I’m not sure how I’m going to afford a place to live if I don’t.”

“Where’s your dad?”

She jumped to her feet and started to jog back to the road. With her mouth turned down, she called out over her shoulder, “You don’t have to keep following me. I’ll stay out of the water.”

It didn’t matter what she said; I would still follow her.

Keeping my distance, I followed her home.

I barely slept that night, wondering what had her wanting to leave if she wasn’t going back to live with her dad. Maybe she had a boyfriend.

Not that it mattered. I wasn’t in the market for a girlfriend. Girls were trouble no matter how they came.

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