Olivia came to a quick stop, panting. She pulled off her headphones, swaying a little, her body not expecting a halt so soon, or so abruptly. God, it would be a pain to pick up her pace again, yet nothing could have made her just nod at Jaime and pass by.
At first, they just stared at each other in silence. Then Jaime shifted, clearing her throat. “Hey.”
“What are you doing here?” Olivia asked, her tone sharper than intended. But the nerve of Jaime to… What? Sit on a bench in a public park? She kicked at a small stone, her gaze finding her feet.
“I needed a…moment in nature.”
“At eight in the morning in Freedom Park?” Olivia scowled.
“You’re here, aren’t you?” Jaime shrugged, now leaning against the backrest, once more looking calm and collected, while Olivia wanted to stomp and shout.
The adrenaline careening through her balked at the development—the interruption, and the leaden pause kept her heart thrumming too fast.
“Well, I’m here on a run,” she said dumbly.
Jaime canted her head. “And that’s acceptable at eight on a Sunday morning, yet sitting here and enjoying nature isn’t?”
Olivia crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Who are you waiting for? It’s an odd date, isn’t it, coffee in a park on a Sunday morning?”
“Huh?”
Olivia nodded toward the cupholder. Two cups.
Jaime turned her head, looking at the cups with a frown, as if seeing them for the first time or remembering their presence. “Right.” Her face seemed to flush.
It wasn’t that hot yet, so why would she—
“Here.” Jaime rose, grasped a cup and held it out for Olivia. “Black with one spoon of sugar.”
Olivia blinked furiously. “What?”
Jaime’s arm faltered a little. “That’s how you like your coffee, no?”
“Yes, but…”What is going on here?Jaime could hardly be here forher, especially considering how she’d left things. To now show up at the park with a cup of coffee to do… What exactly?
“You don’t want it.” Jaime lowered her hand.
“No!” Olivia took a quick step forward, grasping the cup before pulling it back. “Thank you. I was…not expecting it.”You, really.
“You’re welcome.”
Olivia shifted on her feet. She couldn’t drink coffee now, not when she planned to continue her run, but did she? With Jaime here and…
“Did you enjoy your run?”
“Uh, I wasn’t quite done yet.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt you. Do you…want to continue?” Jaime, usually unflappable, seemed so awkward here, completely out of her element.
That was the question. Olivia sighed. Given all her weekly plans had gone awry, why not continue the trend? “No, it’s fine.”
Jaime smiled—the sight so destabilizing, Olivia had to duck her head.
A moment of stillness settled between them, the only sound coming from buzzing insects and fluttering birds overhead.
“I’ve never been to Freedom Park before. It’s nice.”
Olivia almost choked on her coffee. So Jaime had indeed come here for her. But why? To apologize or offer some kind of truce? It couldn’t be something more. “Yeah.” She cleared her throat. “Not one for walks in the park?”
