AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Who’s out here this early anyway?
Not having to see people was a big appeal in getting up at five in the morning to run, and this random person was ruining it for her.
Her speed increase didn’t seem to have an effect on the person as he—she could see it was ahenow by the quick glimpses she’d caught of his shoes and wider stature—started gaining on her in a steadfast, effortless way.
No. Hecouldn’tbeat her. She was always the fastest runner, and she wasn’t going to let some random guy win.
The realization that thiswasa strange, random man needled her. There wasn’t another person who could see or hear her on this secluded beach early in the morning. The thought caused her breath to quicken and her stride to falter even more.
She literally had nothing on her person. She’d left her phone and keys in her car. She usually loved the uninhibited feeling that running empty handed gave her, but she’d kill for a can of pepper spray about now.
Just as they hit her hundred-yard mark, he started running right next to her in an obvious effort to pass her.
I don’t think so, dude.
Stretching her long legs as far as she could, she started moving in a sprint across the wet sand, leaving the mysterious creeper in her dust as her footsteps left deep impressions in the sand and the sharp pain of the impact vibrated through her shins.
Once he realized she was moving further ahead, something seemed to click inside of him. He came roaring up behind her with the force of a charging lion, meeting her pace stride for stride.
Her lungs burned as she pushed her body forward in an effort to merely keep the same pace as him. He was directly across from her, but she wouldn’t look over at him. She zeroed in her focus with intensity on the rocks and double pine trees in front of her.
Both of them were pushing their bodies forward with reckless abandon at this point. Sadie wouldn’t consider what she was doing sprinting, more like flailing her limbs and body in a forward motion like she was falling horizontally toward the pile of rocks.
To be fair to her uncharacteristically graceless movements, her running nemesis was just as sloppy. She could hear the rough sounds of his breaths coming out of his mouth over hers and the pounding of both their feet hitting the ground like they were coming out a mile a minute.
As much as she pushed and strained, though, she couldn’t get her body in front of his.
He’s going to beat me!Sadie thought as anger surged through her veins, giving her steps a slight surge of power that propelled her a couple of steps in front of him for half a second.
It wasn’t enough, though. He reached the boulders a full second before her, stopping himself abruptly as he slammed into the rock, bracing himself with his hands a beat before she followed, doing the same.
The stinging pain from her hands slamming the stone vibrated up her palms and through the veins of her arms. She felt the impact in her armpits as she leaned over the rock, pulling all the sweet, thin oxygen she could get into her hungry lungs.
Gradually, the pain started receding as she slowly caught her breath, and the stone felt cool and hard under her hands as she continued to struggle to pull air in and out.
Well, that didn’t go as planned.
If it wasn’t for this asshole, she would have just tapped the rock and turned around, heading back to her car at a predictable, steady speed. Instead, she was fighting for her breath after getting in a fucking footrace with some rando at the crack of dawn.
Finally catching enough of her breath, she pushed herself up to see said random guy sitting on the ground next to her. He had his elbows resting on his knees, his wide shoulders were slouched, and his head hung between his arms so she couldn’t see his face. Just a few dark curls that looked mildly familiar, the way they curled over the nape of his neck.
Those dark locks tripped up something inside of her, causing her to pause for a bit before the anger surged again and she turned to look at him fully.
“What the hell, dude?” She bit the words out between her deep breaths. “Do you always intimidate women on beaches this early in the morning?”
The words barely left her mouth as his head rose from his arms, and she recoiled in horror at the sight of the face she saw in front of her.
Slowly rising to his feet and looking at her with a familiar look of disgust was her boss—the principal at the school she taught at, Liam Cohen. His eyes flashed as he looked her up and down dismissively.
“I hardly think you’re one to be intimidated, Ms. Sullivan,” he said quietly as he pushed his feet forward, walking away from her without looking back.
2
Liam
Liamdistinctlyrememberedthefirst time he ever laid eyes on Sadie Sullivan.
She’d glided down the hallway of Antelope Grove High School like a princess wafting delicately through the halls of her castle. Her blond hair flowed behind her in gentle waves, and her blue eyes sparkled mischievously as she giggled with a friend walking beside her.
