Breathe, Annie, Breathe
Page 36

But did he feel lost like I do? I haven’t seen Kyle in eight months and it’s like looking into a black hole.
“Your sister told me your mom asked you to move out,” I say.
He nods. “When you were in the bathroom, Kate told me what Jennifer told you. I don’t mind that you know…I mean, my brother told me what’s going on with you.”
I guess it’s only fair. “I don’t mind that you know about me either.”
Our eyes meet for a moment. I briefly wonder what he’s thinking, but then I find out. He jumps me twice, ending the game. He pumps his fist, gives me a wicked smile, and I let out a low groan.
“I should be getting home,” I say, sliding out from the picnic table.
“Stay.” Again, his wicked smile. “Want to play some hide and seek?”
I laugh. “I have to run tomorrow morning ’cause I’m working the night shift.”
“Trying to beat the heat by going early?”
“You got it.”
“Well,” he says, running a hand through his hair. “Maybe I’ll call you sometime?”
“For real this time?” I say with a laugh.
“For real.”
When I drive away from his house with a plate of leftovers Kate wrapped up for me, he waves good-bye with one of his crutches. It’s like a robot arm.
I plan out tomorrow’s running schedule and meals in my head on my way home. I think about which of my running clothes are clean and which are dirty. I have one sports bra that fits really well and one pair of underwear that never ride up. I hope they’re both clean, because I’m running five miles in the morning. My goal is to finish in less than an hour.
But soon I’m out of running-related stuff to obsess about. So I think of Jeremiah. Will he call this time? Do I want him to? At a stoplight, I look over at the empty passenger seat. When it was my turn to drive, Kyle would massage my thigh, kiss my neck at stop signs, and suffer listening to the country music station, just because he knew I loved it.
Spending time with Jeremiah was good—great even, but the risk of caring is too high.
A friend. He can be a friend, but nothing more.
When I pull into my driveway at home, I check my cell and get my answer about whether he’d call. He texted: You really think you can beat me at bowling? Name time and place.
Marathon Training Schedule~Brown’s Race Co.
Name Annie Winters
Saturday
Distance
Notes
April 20
3 miles
I’m really doing this! Finish time 34:00
April 27
5 miles
Stupid Running Backwords Boy!!
May 4
6 miles
Blister from HELL
May 11
5 miles
Ran downtown Nashville
May 18
7 miles
Tripped on rock. Fell on my butt
May 25
8 miles
Came in 5 min. quicker than usual!
June 1
10 miles
Let’s just pretend this day never happened…
June 8
9 miles
Evil suicide sprint things. Ran w/ Liza. Got sick.
June 15
7 miles
Skipped Saturday’s run…had to make it up Sunday.
June 22
8 miles
Stomach hurt again. Matt said eat granola instead of oatmeal.
June 29
9 miles
Matt says it’s time for new tennis shoes.
July 6
10 miles
Jere got hurt.
July 13
12 miles
Finished in 2:14! Only had to use bathroom once
July 20
13 miles
July 27
15 miles
August 3
14 miles
August 10
11 miles
August 17
16 miles
August 24
20 miles
August 31
14 miles
September 7
22 miles
September 14
20 miles
September 21
The Bluegrass Half Marathon
September 28
12 miles
October 5
10 miles
October 12
Country Music Marathon in Nashville
IT’S ON
I knew I was in trouble when he brought his own bowling ball.
Who has their own bowling ball?!
Until tonight, I hadn’t seen Jeremiah in a week and a half. Against my advice, he ran on his injured ankle and managed to come in sixth place overall, which is just crazy, and based on how he’s bowling now, you’d never know he had a sprained ankle. He’s beating me 138 to 72. I guess he and Matt somehow knew it would be okay for him to run.
I step up to the lane and eye the pins. I bring the ball to my chest, step forward to roll, and Jere blurts, “Focus, Annie!”