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“Holden.” Bree pulls me from my dream. My eyes shoot open and I realize my face is damp. “Are you okay? You were crying in your sleep.”
I shake my head. “I’m fine. I think I just got something in my eye.” Glancing over at my nightstand, I grab my phone and check the time. “We should get up.”
My girlfriend looks like she wants to question me further, but thankfully she accepts my lie and leaves the topic alone. After a chaste kiss, I grab my towel – excusing myself to take a shower. With everything running through my mind right now, I can’t be around her. I need some time to think.
I’M SITTING ON BRIANNA’S bed, subtly glancing over at a sleeping Kayleigh. She woke up for a few minutes when we got here, clearly suffering from a hangover. I feel bad, but at the same time, she did this to herself. This is what happens when you drink too much, especially without eating. Instead of lecturing her though, I gave her a couple Advil to help with the headache. She took them without even asking what they were. I found it both heartwarming and scary.
“So, what did you and Kayleigh talk about last night?” Bree asks quietly.
I shrug and kiss the top of her head as I think of an excuse. “She needed to ask me about finishing the project. I took her upstairs to show her the video we got.” Yeah, that’ll work.
She snuggles deeper into my side. “Well, I’m glad you two are getting along better.”
“Me too.”
WE END UP FALLING asleep while watching a movie, and I’m rather comfortable – until the sound of movement wakes me. I turn around to see Kayleigh putting her sneakers on. The only source of light in the room is the alarm clock showing its 1:50 in the morning.
“Where are you going?” I question just as she’s about to leave.
She stops and winces slightly. “For a run.”
I glance back at the clock again to make sure I read it correctly. “It’s like 2 AM.”
“Thank you, Father Time.” She sasses. I know there is no way I can stop her, so I carefully slip out of Bree’s bed and pull on my shoes. “What are you doing?”
“Coming with you.”
“Uh, come again?”
I’m way too tired to fight with her. I run my fingers through my hair to try to wake myself up more. “Well, judging by the look on your face, I’m not going to be able to convince you out of going, and I’ll be damned if I let you go running by yourself in the middle of the night. So, I’m coming with you.”
Her head shakes rapidly. “You don’t have to do that.”
“I know.” I slip past her and pat her shoulder as I slide out the door. “But I’m going to anyway.”
She doesn’t say anything else. Instead, she follows behind me as we go down the stairs and out the door. The security guard eyes us suspiciously. I give him a broad smile for reassurance. As soon as we’re outside, Kayleigh starts to run. I’m still trying to shake off the sleep I was just enjoying, but I don’t want her to get away so I start to jog with her. She glances back and notices me keeping up, so she quickens her pace. Thankfully, hockey has kept me in good shape so staying with her isn’t difficult. I speed up slightly until I’m next to her and smirk.
“That all you’ve got?” I tease.
She narrows her eyes and begins to sprint. I follow suit. The two of us race, each becoming faster than the other until I finally give in. I come to a stop and place my hands on my knees, letting deep breaths of air infiltrate my lungs.
“What’s wrong? Can’t keep up?” She asks, clearly pleased with herself.
“H-how are you not e-even tired?” I stumble through my words, still attempting to breathe.
She chuckles softly and shrugs. Seeing her smile makes the cramp in my stomach totally worth it. “Come on.” She tells me. “We’ll sit at the creek and rest for a bit.”
I follow her over to the ledge and lie down with my head resting in my hands. It’s a clear sky, so the stars are visible. Seeing how far away they are makes me feel so small.
“It’s beautiful out here at night.” I whisper, not wanting to ruin the moment with talking too loudly.
She lies down beside me and gazes up at the stars. “It is.”
My mother’s words play through my head. Be yourself with her, H. I promise, it will be the best thing you’ll ever do. I close my eyes for a minute as I consider it. Can I do that? Can I really let her in? Just the thought is terrifying but I trust my mom, even if it was only a dream. She has never steered me wrong before. Well, here goes nothing.
“I get them too, you know.” I say, breaking the silence.
She sits up and looks at me as I stay still. “Get what?”
