Page 108 of Summertime Friends

There’s a mile left to my apartment.

“So—” Liam says. “We need to talk.”

“About what? Not sure there is anything left for us to talk about.”

We haven’t spoken since Friday. After I didn’t hear from him over the weekend, I assumed he viewed our encounter as a mistake and was retracting the words that Chloe overheard.

“There is.”

The light turns. We receive the little white man to cross. We take off running, moving to the outside of the pack that is crossing the street.

“And you choose right now during my morning run as the time to talk.”

“No.”

I give him a confused look.

“I wanted to spend time with you,” he says.

“Do we need to talk or hang out?” I ask bewilderedly.

“Both?” he answerswith a question.

“Okay?” I respond in the same tone.

“Why did you keep up with running?” Liam asks again.

I don’t think now is the appropriate time to blurt out because ‘I missed you’.

“Someone once told me I was good at running, figured I could at least get good at the actual sport,” I say instead.

“I never meant it like that.” Running beside him, I don’t need to turn my head to know what expression he’s wearing. It’s remorseful. Liam promised me once he wouldn’t hurt me. His words did, and three years later, we both haven’t forgotten them.

“Then why say it?” I don’t look at him, not because I don’t want to; I can’t. The closer we get to my apartment, the more people there are on the street. Weaving around them takes my full attention, and right now, it barely has half.

“We all say stupid things in the moment when we are hurt.”

“I’m well aware of that.” Earth to Liam, the whole reason we aren’t together?

“I’m sorry for saying that about you. There isn’t a second that goes by that I don’t wish I could take back everything I said. Being hurt wasn’t an excuse to exploit your insecurities and use them against you. I’m sorry, Emerson. Please forgive me.”

Is there an expiration date on apologies, especially on ones that you’ve waited to hear for years? I don’t think so.

“I appreciate your apology.” I turn my head over my shoulder in his direction and smile. “Is that what you wanted to talk about?”

“Not entirely. Natalie and I are no longer.” He grins like the Cheshire Cat.

“And?”

“It’s you and me now, States. I want to be yours.”

My heart stops, but my legs speed up.

Running in front of him, Liam trails after me.

I look back at him and say, “How about this time if I run, you catch me?”

We made it to the block where my apartment is. I slow my run down. Liam was still behind me the last time I checked. I figured I may have dodged or lost him in the sea of Chicagoans.

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