Page 20 of Fire of the Fox

My heart stopped, and my eyes went wide. There was one new text from an unknown number. I shot up straight from where I’d been lounging, and I thought my heart was going to break free from my chest as I opened the message.

Hey Bria. It’s Rune. How are you feeling today? Sorry for not texting sooner. I wanted to give you time to rest and recoup from last night. I was wondering if you were busy tomorrow?

Warmth flooded my veins. I reread his message a dozen times while Dallas fought to see what it said.

He texted. He wants to meet up!

My whole being sang with excitement at the thought of seeing him again. It felt so good to be, dare I say, pursued after being the pursuer with Dax.

Hi! I’m doing better, thanks. :) It’s good to hear from you. I’d love to hang out tomorrow. What did you have in mind?

“Holy crap on a cracker,” I said, meeting Dallas’ green eyes. “He wants to hang out.”

Dallas and I squealed together and bounced on the bed as we waited to see what he replied. My insides bubbled with nervous sparks of anticipation. It was a new feeling for me, one that felt like golden rays of sunlight dancing around my insides.

How about noon? We can meet at the mall downtown?

Sounds great. See you then. :)

“Oh my God,” I said, gripping Dallas’ arm. “I can’t believe it. I’m going out with Cinnamon Roll!”

“I’m so happy for you! You’d better give me every detail tomorrow!”

A knock came at the door, which paused our giggle fest. Dallas jumped up to get the door, and Rance came in with his ever-bright attitude and a stack of delicious-smelling pizzas. After much insisting from Dallas and me, he finally agreed to stay and hang with us.

We spent the remainder of the evening dining on cheesy, greasy goodness and binging movies. I took that time to also pull out my sketchbook and start planning different paintings I could sell. I easily got lost in the lines of my rough drafts, the planning of the colors, and the different images I wanted to create. Before I knew it, Rance and Dallas were asleep on her bed, and the clock read 11:30 p.m. I had three solid ideas for paintings, including one of a silver fox after my inspirational meeting with one, so with a big day ahead of me, I decided to call it a night.

Except I couldn’t stop fidgeting and smiling to myself as I wondered what tomorrow held in store. What would Rune and I say? What would we do? The possibilities were endless, and I fell asleep in high spirits.

The next morning, I woke just as eager for the day. I hadn’t been able to stop replaying the moments I’d shared with Rune at the club and the chemistry between us up until the moment I fell asleep. I hoped that same fire still lingered today.

I quietly climbed out of bed and found that Dallas and Rance were still asleep. She was lying in his arms with a look of contentment on her face. If our RA did a random room check, she’d flip out, but it wouldn’t be the first time someone snuck a guy into the girls’ dorm. I decided not to bother them and instead grabbed Dallas’ phone to take a quick picture. She was the type to love stuff like that, and she’d most definitely thank me later.

After getting ready for the day, I barreled to my car. The drive to the mall seemed to take longer than normal, and the parking lot was more packed than I’d prefer. The amount of people already here on a Sunday forced me to park on the side, away from the entrance. It was bustling inside, and I realized I had no idea where I was supposed to meet Rune.

I pulled out my phone and dialed Rune’s number. The ringing chimed in my ear as I reached the middle of the mall. The coffee shop was stationed in the center, and at one of the tables sat Rune. He was sipping a cup of coffee as he glanced at his phone.

I cut off the call as I approached his table with my heart in my throat. “Rune. Hey.”

He looked up at the sound of my voice, and his golden eyes brightened a fraction when they met mine. “Bria. I’m glad you made it.” He gestured to the beverage shop and asked, “Do you want a coffee or anything?”

I took the seat across from him with a warm smile plastered to my lips. It seemed to have gotten stuck there ever since I saw him sitting here. Shaking my head, I said, “I’m okay for right now.”

“How are you feeling today? Is your head still sore?”

I felt the color rise to my cheeks. Glancing away, I gave a nervous laugh and ran a hand over the bump on the back of my skull. “I’m feeling good. The swelling has gone down some.”

“Good. I’m glad to hear that.”

He took another drink of his coffee before setting the cup aside. His eyes found mine again, and this time, the air suddenly changed. The spark that had been in his eye was gone and replaced by something colder. The atmosphere took on a note of seriousness, like that of a business meeting. I found myself suddenly on edge and confused by this swift change as Rune leaned forward in his chair with his hands folded on the table.

“I’m glad you agreed to meet me. There’s something I wanted to talk to you about.”

I hesitated as I tried to get a grasp on that look he was giving me. It was devoid of any warmth, comradery, or emotion. His gaze was … empty.

“O-okay. What is it?”

“I need you to pretend to be my girlfriend.”

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