Page 102 of Walking Red Flag

Milena hung up with a “I will, Cutter. L…uhhh…later.”

My heart skipped a beat when the phone hung up.

Was she about to say what I thought she was about to say?

“Milena made it?” Nastya asked.

“She did,” I confirmed. “Though she’s waiting for that dick of a friend to show up, and now she’s having to call her.”

“Hazel is a dick,” Nastya agreed. “I’ve never liked her. Why, if your friend hates trail runs so freakin’ much because of her condition, would you ask her to run a marathon trail run with you? Why not find a regular marathon to run?”

“Tell me again about this condition?” Haze asked.

“She has amblyopia,” she said. “It’s a pretty common condition among younger children, and usually if you’re treating it at an early age, you can correct it before it becomes a problem. But Milena and her sensory issues made it nearly impossible to keep an eye mask on her eye when she was younger, so she never got hers corrected. One of the main issues with this condition is a depth perception problem. Shadows, trees, stumps, roots. They all cause the ground to appear uneven, and it makes Milena hyper focused on the ground, and not the surroundings. That’s why she’s been so bad the last few long run days. She’s just overstimulated and needs a break.”

I rubbed at my neck. “You’re sure that Hazel knew about this?”

“Oh, positive,” Nastya confirmed. “Milena isn’t afraid to tell anyone about her issues. Hazel knew straight up. But Milena’s a good friend, and Hazel wanted to do it, so she agreed.”

I didn’t think I could hate the woman any more, yet there I was, hating her more.

Luckily, a text came in from Milena about two minutes later.

Milena:

Headed to the cabin.

Me:

Good. Let me know when you arrive. Love you, too.

Milena:

I almost threw up when I said that. It’s too soon, isn’t it?

Me:

I don’t think anything we’ve done so far has been normal.

Milena:

No, I guess you’re right. Have a good day. Love you.

I shoved the phone in my pocket and looked at Nastya and Haze. “See you later.”

Yes, I would definitely have a good day.

Getting rid of this motherfucker would be my pleasure.

I don’t like to be in public too long. I start to get irritated.

—Milena to Cutter

MILENA

“Hey,” Hazel said distractedly.

“Hey, where are you?” I asked.

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