Page 63 of See You at the Finish Line

Mateo has to take off and Shay makes a lame-ass excuse to leave as well, even though she was my ride. That leaves me and Adam standing on the sidewalk.

Alone.

He rubs the back of his neck, tugging at the hem of his drenched shirt.

“So . . .” he says.

I raise a brow at him. “So?”

“You want to go for a run?”

“What?” I was not expecting that.

“The yoga was great. I feel loose and limber. Want to run with me?”

I don’t know how to process those words. I don’t want to go for a run with him. I also very much do want to.

Then the word falls from my mouth before I can think to stop it: “Okay.”

Adam’s round blue eyes light up and damn if my heart doesn’t lurch at the sight. He drops off his mat in his car—Shay took mine with her—and we awkwardly begin to run down the sidewalk.

“Do you mind if we switch to a path? I don’t like running on the streets,” I ask quietly.

“Sure,” he says and abruptly switches directions. My arm grazes his and I shiver. I blame the chilly air for my flushed skin. It is not him.

We’re pretty quiet as we find a slow, steady pace. Adam runs a little in front of me, leading the way until the path widens and we’re in a dense forest.

His form is good, and as bulky as he is, he’s light on his feet. I try to focus on the nature but quickly give up. His calves are defined and his quads flex with each stride.

Damn, I love running.

I feel my strength building, my muscles limber and straining pleasantly as our pace picks up. A small smile tugs at the corner of my mouth. There is only a niggling feeling in the back of my mind that something bad could be happening while I’m enjoying this run.

And I am enjoying it.

The trees filter the sunlight, and I think that maybe the universe is on my side for once.

She’s a cruel bitch.

I’m concentrating on Paige’ssoft footfalls behind me. Neither of us is winded, and the pace is easy and pleasant on the paved path.

There is absolutely no reason for me to twist anything, but of course, I do. My bad knee buckles and the pavement breaks my fall as I feel the sting of scrapes up and down my arms.

I curse under my breath, feeling the heat of embarrassment creeping up the sides of my neck. It appears that falling in front of this woman is inevitable.

“Oh my god, are you alright?”

I’m on my side but feel her come to kneel behind me. When I turn to look at her, her brows are pinched, and her hands hover over me like she doesn’t know where to put them. She can put them wherever she likes.

“It’s my knee,” I say through clenched teeth. It really does hurt, and I can already feel it starting to swell. Shit.

“Can you stand on it?”

Bracing my hands on the pavement, I push myself up to a seated position, my knees bent in front of me. Sure enough, my left knee is ballooning.

“ACL surgery?” Paige whispers, dragging a finger down the scar on my knee.

I feel her touch everywhere, and images of her in that yoga class flash through my mind. I had a hard-on the whole class and was grateful the instructor didn’t feel the need to correct my posture—he would’ve seen it all.

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