But did he feel lost like I do? I haven’t seen Kyle in eight months and it’s like looking into a black hole.

“Your sister told me your mom asked you to move out,” I say.

He nods. “When you were in the bathroom, Kate told me what Jennifer told you. I don’t mind that you know…I mean, my brother told me what’s going on with you.”

I guess it’s only fair. “I don’t mind that you know about me either.”

Our eyes meet for a moment. I briefly wonder what he’s thinking, but then I find out. He jumps me twice, ending the game. He pumps his fist, gives me a wicked smile, and I let out a low groan.

“I should be getting home,” I say, sliding out from the picnic table.

“Stay.” Again, his wicked smile. “Want to play some hide and seek?”

I laugh. “I have to run tomorrow morning ’cause I’m working the night shift.”

“Trying to beat the heat by going early?”

“You got it.”

“Well,” he says, running a hand through his hair. “Maybe I’ll call you sometime?”

“For real this time?” I say with a laugh.

“For real.”

When I drive away from his house with a plate of leftovers Kate wrapped up for me, he waves good-bye with one of his crutches. It’s like a robot arm.

I plan out tomorrow’s running schedule and meals in my head on my way home. I think about which of my running clothes are clean and which are dirty. I have one sports bra that fits really well and one pair of underwear that never ride up. I hope they’re both clean, because I’m running five miles in the morning. My goal is to finish in less than an hour.

But soon I’m out of running-related stuff to obsess about. So I think of Jeremiah. Will he call this time? Do I want him to? At a stoplight, I look over at the empty passenger seat. When it was my turn to drive, Kyle would massage my thigh, kiss my neck at stop signs, and suffer listening to the country music station, just because he knew I loved it.

Spending time with Jeremiah was good—great even, but the risk of caring is too high.

A friend. He can be a friend, but nothing more.

When I pull into my driveway at home, I check my cell and get my answer about whether he’d call. He texted: You really think you can beat me at bowling? Name time and place.

Marathon Training Schedule~Brown’s Race Co.

Name Annie Winters

Saturday

Distance

Notes

April 20

3 miles

I’m really doing this! Finish time 34:00

April 27

5 miles

Stupid Running Backwords Boy!!

May 4

6 miles

Blister from HELL

May 11

5 miles

Ran downtown Nashville

May 18

7 miles

Tripped on rock. Fell on my butt

May 25

8 miles

Came in 5 min. quicker than usual!

June 1

10 miles

Let’s just pretend this day never happened…

June 8

9 miles

Evil suicide sprint things. Ran w/ Liza. Got sick.

June 15

7 miles

Skipped Saturday’s run…had to make it up Sunday.

June 22

8 miles

Stomach hurt again. Matt said eat granola instead of oatmeal.

June 29

9 miles

Matt says it’s time for new tennis shoes.

July 6

10 miles

Jere got hurt.

July 13

12 miles

Finished in 2:14! Only had to use bathroom once

July 20

13 miles

July 27

15 miles

August 3

14 miles

August 10

11 miles

August 17

16 miles

August 24

20 miles

August 31

14 miles

September 7

22 miles

September 14

20 miles

September 21

The Bluegrass Half Marathon

September 28

12 miles

October 5

10 miles

October 12

Country Music Marathon in Nashville

IT’S ON

I knew I was in trouble when he brought his own bowling ball.

Who has their own bowling ball?!

Until tonight, I hadn’t seen Jeremiah in a week and a half. Against my advice, he ran on his injured ankle and managed to come in sixth place overall, which is just crazy, and based on how he’s bowling now, you’d never know he had a sprained ankle. He’s beating me 138 to 72. I guess he and Matt somehow knew it would be okay for him to run.

I step up to the lane and eye the pins. I bring the ball to my chest, step forward to roll, and Jere blurts, “Focus, Annie!”