Page 51 of See You at the Finish Line

“You chose some chick you knew for three hours over me!”

I gape at him. “Do you still feel justified in what you did?”

“You ditched me to go after her. And look at you now—you’re not with her. I did you a favour.”

I see it in his eyes. He believes the shit that’s coming out of his mouth.

“You expected me to leave her lost in the desert? I asked if you’d be okay going solo. And even before the race, we talked about what would happen if one of us needed to slow down or wanted to speed up. We agreed it would be okay.”

“You asked me knowing regardless of my answer, you’d go back for her anyway, just so you could stick your dick—”

“That’s enough,” I say, cutting him off and standing up. Julien, who has remained a quiet observer during our exchange, stands with me, placing some bills down on the table. “I’m not going to sit hereand pretend you aren’t an asshole who’d rather I leave someone I care about behind just to spare your feelings.”

“What, are you breaking up with me?” he retorts. I see the pain in his eyes, but I also see that he’s not sorry at all.

“Caleb, we haven’t spoken in a year, we’re already broken up.” I sigh. “Take care.”

Julien and I leave the bar, and he hesitates before clapping a broad hand on my shoulder and taking off. He knows me well. If I don’t want to talk about it, he won’t push.

As I make my way to my car, I’m itching to get out of the city. I love Vancouver, but I love living right outside Vancouver even more. My phone dings and I take it out, scrolling through the notifications. I received a bunch during drinks but didn’t check them because I was trying to be respectful and leave my phone away.

An email catches my eye.

To:

From:

RE: MANDATORY STAFF RACE

Please see attached doctor’s note excusing me from the race.

That’s it. No opening, no small talk, no signature, just one line. How many times do I read it looking for more? I open the attachment to find a scanned note on letterhead from the University of Utah’s science department.

Dear Mr. Ashford,

Paige Harrison suffers froman enlarged cardiac disorder as well as a pertinacious cerebral defect. Though we suspect she has suffered from both her entire life, these conditions have only recently been officially diagnosed.

She is unable to compete in any running race, road or trail, lest she suffer from eudaimonia and die.

Thank you,

Dr. Leah Harrison

PhD, Biomedical Engineer

University of Utah

I can’t help it—I burst out laughing at the absurdity of it, especially none of the medical jargon making any sense. I begin typing my response immediately, not caring that I’m standing in the middle of the sidewalk.

To:

From:

Paige,

I’m very sorry to hear that you have, what I gather, a big heart and a stubborn brain. It must make it difficult to navigate life, especially when the result of a flare-up is dying of happiness.

Please note that a MEDICAL doctor’s note is required. As impressive as your sister’s PhD is, it does not qualify her to exempt you from the race.

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