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I hear him rinse his mouth. “Why would you do that?” His face, when he emerges from the bathroom, is suspicious.

“So I can spit in it.” I lean over to tie my shoes.

Jake disappears.

“Hey, where’d you go?”

“If you think I’m going to let him steal my only running buddy, you’ve lost your mind.”

“You don’t even like to run,” I say. “You only do it to bother me.”

“You hate it as much as I do. That’s why we run so well together.”

“Mutual hatred?” I’m shaking my head, but it feels a little like sibling bonding. “I suppose that’s better than nothing.”

“What is?” Jake’s slipping his feet into sneakers.

“Those shoes can’t be helpful if you don’t even have to tie them.”

Jake stands up. “I have such perfect feet, it doesn’t matter what I wear.”

“You’re insufferable.”

“What’s better than nothing? You never answered me. Is this a new thing, because I don’t like it.”

“Our trauma bond,” I say. “That’s what is better than nothing.”

“It’s not really trauma,” Jake says. “Running is. . .miserable, but not traumatic.”

“Misery bonding just sounds dumb.” I reach for my air pods, but then I stop. “I can’t even listen to music, can I?”

“Not when you’re going to be watching two alpha males vying for your attention.”

“Alpha males?” That makes me laugh. “Just stay home.”

“Why?” Jake puffs out his chest. “Worried Easton will act dumb and I’ll have to beat him down, ruining any admiration you had for him?”

“Hardly,” I say. “I’m worried my alpha male will make you feel even more insecure, and you’ll posture the entire run. That would be terribly sad and tiring for all of us.”

Jake’s frowning when there’s a knock at the door.

“Right on time, as usual,” I say. “Now tie your shoes tighter, or we’ll leave you here.”

The second he bends over and unties them, I jog to the door and run right through it. “You ready?”

Easton’s mouth is dangling open, but his shoes are on, and he’s wearing a water bottle on a belt.

“Great.” I start jogging and he catches up quickly.

“What are we doing?” Easton’s glancing behind me at the door I just slammed shut.

“We’re trying to ditch Jake.” I can’t help my smile.

“Are we really?” He speeds up a bit.

“It’s my favorite morning pastime.”

“I can’t tell if this is a joke or not.” Easton keeps glancing behind us.

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