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I swallow hard, my throat dry.I can’t wait, either. And not just for the physical elements, which don’t get me wrong, I think the man is incredibly skilled.
But I just miss him. Talking to him, joking with him, sitting beside him. Breathing the same air with him.
Max: I miss you, beautiful. I can’t wait to see you after work.
Me: I miss you. Can’t wait to see you. Vanessa and I are going for a run. I’m going to trip her if she keeps tormenting me.
Max: LOL. Be careful, baby. Stay alert, okay?
Me: Promise. See you soon.
Locking my screen, I slide my phone into the pocket of my shorts. Vanessa has her arms folded over her chest and is shaking her head as she watches me. “Come on, girl. You’ll see him soon enough.” She puts an arm around me.
My smile brightens. “I know. Let’s go run.”
Heading outside, we lock the door behind us. We run slowly to warm up our bodies. As we get closer to the woods, our speed increases.
While we run, we discuss the first day of classes, Josh, her parent’s divorce, and of course, Max and me.
We come to the typical fork in the path. We’ve always chosen the trail to the right, which leads out of the woods to our apartment. But this time, I pause. My head turns, studying the path to the left. “Have you ever taken that trail?” I stop, hands on my hips, breathing heavily.
“Once. Doesn’t seem like it’s heavily traveled. The path was overgrown compared to this one. It’s a more strenuous trail and honestly, the day I did it, it was overcast. The thick brush and tall trees were spooky. I turned around and ran on our usual trail.”
“Do you know where it leads?” My eyes scan the large, thick trees and lush vegetation. It gives me a creepy vibe, but I don’t know why. Yet, I’m curious about where it leads.
“Not sure. I was only ever on it once.” Vanessa turns to the right, her feet pounding over the dirt trail. I move to follow her, but something catches my eye. My eyes narrow as I focus on a figure in the distance.
Is that William?
I close my eyes for a few beats, inhaling deeply. When I open them, I don’t see anyone.
It’s probably nothing, Irelynn.
But my gut is arguing with me, begging me not to ignore the prickly feeling beneath my skin. Even as my eyes slowly scan the woods, there is the sense that someone is watching me. Goosebumps erupt over my skin, and a feeling of dread settles heavily inside my body.
Whipping around, I sprint after Vanessa, the urge to get the hell out of these woods overwhelming.
Chapter twenty-seven
Max
August27,2018,7:30p.m.
A low, long whistle leaves my lips as Irelynn swings the door open, standing in front of me in a pair of short, cut-off jean shorts and a black t-shirt. My eyes scan every inch of her petite, toned body, lingering on her muscular legs, dropping down to the Converse sneakers on her feet, then back up to her beautiful, smiling face.
“Hey, handsome.” She leans against the door, her eyes moving slowly down my body, then back to my face.
Stepping through her door, my hands go around her waist. “Hey, beautiful.” Bending her backward, I give her a slow, long kiss.
Vanessa claps and hoots from her position on the couch. “Damn, Max. Do you have a brother?”
Slowly pulling away from Irelynn, my body tenses from Vanessa’s words. I swallow hard as an image of Matthew comes to mind.
Not anymore.
Running my hand through my hair, I give her a brief, fake smile. “Nope, sorry.” An idea forms in my head. “But I do have a best friend and boss who is a nice guy. He’s single. Let me know if you want to meet him.”
Vanessa leans forward, the textbook on her lap sliding to the floor. “Really? Is he handsome? Nice?”
