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I didn’t care how fit someone was. If you didn’t run, if you didn’t get in regular cardio sessions, it would have been impossible to go the distance Wyatt and I had just gone without feeling it.
Wyatt wasn’t feeling it.
“So, I’ve got a question I’d like to ask you now that the run is over,” he declared.
Here it was.
I inhaled deeply in an attempt to prepare myself for the question I knew I was going to get. Sadly, I didn’t think there was any amount of preparation that would have me feeling ready for the conversation ahead of me. “Okay. What’s your question?”
“Do your knees bother you?”
My brows pulled together as I allowed his words to sink in. Wyatt had thrown me off balance completely with his question. Not only did I not understand why he wasn’t asking me to reconsider, but I couldn’t comprehend how he knew I had occasional problems with my knees.
“What?” I asked, too shocked to confirm or deny his suspicions.
“Your knees. Do they bother you from running?”
I shrugged. “Sometimes. What… why are you asking me that?”
His eyes roamed over my face in a way I hadn’t been expecting. There seemed to be a hint of concern lingering there, and it surprised me.
“I’m not surprised you’re feeling that pain. I mean, you’re sticking to one surface, and pounding the pavement, like you are, is jarring on your joints, especially your knees,” he shared.
“It’s better than running on a treadmill,” I reasoned.
He shot me a look that indicated he didn’t necessarily agree with me. “Not by much, though. But at least I now know why you’ve never noticed me here before.”
“Why is that?”
“Because I’m a trail runner,” he explained. Lifting his hand out to the side, he pointed toward the entrance to the hiking trails and continued, “The terrain on the trails isn’t as level as the bike path we just ran on, obviously, but it’s much easier on the joints. You really should consider trying it out sometime.”
Who did this guy think he was?
I was perfectly happy running the way I always did, even if it meant I wound up icing my knees several times a month.
“I think I’ll stick to the bike path,” I muttered, shooting him an angry glare.
Wyatt shot back a look of indifference and said, “Suit yourself. I was just trying to be helpful. But I get it. You probably wouldn’t be able to keep up on the hiking trails anyway.”
My brows shot up. “Excuse me?”
He let out a laugh. “It’s okay, Rhea. I understand you’re probably worried you wouldn’t be able to keep up with me on the hiking trail. Really, I understand.”
Oh no.
There was no way I was going to allow this guy to think he was better than me at running and could do something I wasn’t capable of doing, too.
At that moment, if looks could kill, Wyatt would have been dead. “Oh, I’m not afraid, Wyatt. I’m more than prepared to prove you wrong.”
“So, I’m no longer Mr. Westwood to you now?” he asked in a teasing tone. “I kind of like the way you say Wyatt.”
Damn it.
The last thing I needed was for him to recognize the effect he was having on me. “I don’t know what you think it means that I called you by your first name, but I’m more than happy to share the truth. Calling you Mr. Westwood indicated there was a level of respect there. I’ve decided that’s no longer necessary, so that’s why I called you Wyatt instead.”
He let out another laugh and nod. “Sure. Okay. Whatever you say.”
“I’m telling you the truth.”
