AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I shake out my head and push myself to my limits, concentrating solely on my footfalls against the pavement. A runner ahead catches my eye, and I move to the side to allow room for the person to pass. As the person comes nearer, it becomes startlingly obvious who it is. “You’ve got to be shitting me,” I groan to myself as I continue on.
Cassandra grows closer, her head down and earphones in, completely oblivious to me coming her way. Anger takes over me. Does she have any idea how dangerous it is for a woman to be out here at this time of the morning alone, especially with the way she looks in those little shorts?
No matter how furious I am with her, I can’t help the protective nature that comes over me whenever she’s around.
I try my best to zone it out and concentrate on my run, but I can’t take my eyes off her, watching as she notices my movements, her head snapping up. Her eyes widen as she recognizes me and quickly drops her gaze back to the ground, doing her best to ignore me, but I know my presence affects her when she nearly fumbles and eats dirt.
I eye her as she passes, and I get smacked in the face with that damn fruity shampoo again. Even with her chin tilted down, I can still see her red, swollen eyes and the dark, sleepless bags lingering beneath them. I want to be happy knowing that she’s suffering just as much as I am, but the thought kills me.
My eyes close for a moment as I try to continue, but I know there’s no point. I can’t bear to leave her knowing she’s out in the dark running by herself. “Shit,” I mutter to myself as I turn on my heel and begin running behind her, looking like a fucking dirty stalker.
Her back stiffens, clearly knowing I’ve turned around, but I stay a few feet behind, making sure she’s okay while keeping my eyes firmly focused on her glorious ass that I’ve missed so damn much. We must be another ten minutes in when she comes to a screeching halt, doubling over with her hands on her knees, struggling for breath as sobs come tearing from her chest.
My heart aches as I stop behind her, completely unsure of what to do. The girl I used to know would want me to swoop in and save the day, be her knight in shining armor and tell her I forgive her, but I’m not the same guy I used to be. I slowly begin to walk her way, trying to give myself time to think of what the hell to say while getting my emotions in check, but she pulls herself together and takes off again.
I follow behind for a little while longer when she turns down a familiar street, then down a very familiar driveway. What the hell? Pieces of the puzzle begin falling into place. “You’re Bri’s new roommate?” I scoff, feeling like an absolute idiot as she reaches for the door handle.
She turns back to me, her eyes roaming all over my face and body before they focus on my eyes. She gives me the smallest nod before pushing through the door and closing it behind her. “Fucking Bobby,” I grunt as a new wave of betrayal comes over me.
Needing to get this shit sorted, I take off in his direction and find myself at his door, my fist pounding against the hardwood. “Open the fucking door, Bobby.”
The moment the door opens, my fist slams into his face, nailing him in the jaw. He falls back a few steps before catching himself, his hand clutching his face. “What the fuck?” he growls, rubbing his jaw.
I push past him and make my way into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water from the fridge. “Cass is Bri’s new roommate,” I state.
Anger grows behind his eyes as he gets in my face. “Tell me you weren’t just stalking my sister’s house in the middle of the fucking night?” he growls. “What the fuck were you doing there?”
“Calm down. I was out running. Cass was too. I followed her home to make sure she was safe. How the hell was I supposed to know I was following her to your sister’s place?”
“I told you Bri had a new roommate,” he argues.
“You failed to mention who the fuck it was.”
“She asked me not to. I assumed she was some chick you fucked, and when I asked if she was, she just said something like that. How the hell was I supposed to know she’s the chick you’ve been in love with since you were a fucking kid?” he growls, his hands flying up in frustration.
“I’m not in love with her,” I throw back, slamming the bottle down on the kitchen counter.
