She was kidding, I knew, but there was something hidden underneath the surface. An unsaid question.This isn’t another fake date, is it?
“There are a few key differences,” I said. “One of which being that I can actually run.”
Her eyes lit up as she assessed my ankle. The brush of her fingers against the skin there still sent goose bumps across my body. It’s nice to know that some things won’t change.
“It’s healed?”
“Thanks to consistent wrapping and rest. Who knew?” I joked.
Macey laughed as she scuffed her toe against the pavement. “Certainly not you. What would you do without me?”
Although the question was teasing, I took it seriously.
“Nothing,” I answered honestly. “I would have done nothing. I had no idea when we flew to Aruba how lucky I was to have your unfiltered honesty.”
I was by no means a romantic relationship expert. I was probably the furthest thing from it. Honesty was at the heart of relationships for me. I couldn’t bear to listen to someone who only wanted to talk with me because of a follower count or because of the clout they hoped to gain.
“Wow.” The upfront honesty took her by surprise, but I was pretty sure it pleased her too. “I don’t think I can take too much credit. You would have gotten there without my words.”
“Maybe.” It was possible. “But it would have taken me a lot longer.”
When Macey turned her head, a stray hair stuck to her cheek. She tucked it behind her ear. “Speaking of taking long. Are you ready to lose?”
“Lose?”
“I’m planning to beat your time, Hansley.” She grinned.
Then she took off running.
Shit.
“Wait!” I yelled a few paces behind her. “You have to take the path with the spiky bushes!”
Macey listened and turned in the right direction. There was that, at least.
My ankle had healed, sure, but without my stamina, I felt like an amateur again. My legs burned, my lungs screamed, and I couldn’t help but wonder:Why did I ever think this was fun?
Then it hit—the familiar adrenaline rush. My chest expanded, and I remembered exactly why I loved running: it made me feel invincible, like I could take on the world.
I picked up my pace, closing the gap between us. Fortunately, I hadn’t planned for us to become the “disgusting messes” Daphne had predicted. In fact, we were just a few steps away from?—
Macey skidded to a halt, her braid whipping around her neck as she turned. “What is this?”
I grinned, my chest still heaving.
Beneath the shade of a sprawling oak tree, a picnic blanket lay spread out, its red-and-white checkered pattern bold against the vibrant green grass. A wicker basket sat open, revealing its contents: golden croissants, wedges of cheese, plump grapes, and slices of crisp apple. An ice bucket nearby cradled two bottles of sparkling water, their condensation catching the sunlight like tiny jewels.
“You didn’t really think our first date was going to be running a 5K, did you?” I asked, gesturing for her to sit beside me against the tree.
Her expression softened as she approached. Her fingers trailed over a single red rose in a small glass vase. She sat down, glancing up at me with a smile that made my pulse quicken in a completely different way.
“I don’t really care what we do,” she said softly, her voicecarrying a weight that stopped time for a moment. “As long as we do it together.”
“I know,” I said. “But I wanted to do something special. Something we haven’t done before. Like a symbol of something new.”
“I love it.” She reached for a sparkling water and cracked it open with one hand.
And then…silence.
