Page 41 of Dating After the End of the World
I narrow my eyes. “Some of us worked for a living, you meathead.”
He ignores my quip and focuses on stretching his legs, pulling one foot up behind him and holding it there. I cross my arms over my chest and watch him do his little stretches.
Blake grins. “I’m going to run two miles, and you’re going to follow and enjoy the view. In the beginning, you’re gonna fall way behind, but if we do this twice a day, soon enough you’ll be able to at least watch me cross the finish line.”
I scoff and roll my eyes. He’s an arrogant ass, but he’s not entirely wrong. I haven’t really exercised since I started med school. There was never time for it, but now I’ve got all the time in the world, and unfortunately, I get to spend it with Blake.
“I think you might be underestimating me,” I say, taking a couple of slow steps toward him.
“I don’t think so.”
Before I can jab back, he’s already darting away from me.
I take off in a dead sprint, trying to catch up, and it’s not long before we’re neck and neck. Maybe Mr. G.I. Joe isn’t as fast as he thinks he is, and it’s him who’s in need of training.
He swivels his head to look at me as I run alongside him, a casual look on his face that shows no signs of exertion. It quickly changes to amusement. “Oof, big mistake, Pearson. I said two miles, not a hundred meters,” Blake says with a chuckle.
I used all my energy just to catch up to him, and now I’m already sucking wind, and my side is starting to hurt. The taste of iron buildsup in my saliva, and my legs start to feel heavy, slowing me from a sprint to a jog, and then to a regular walk as I attempt to catch my breath.
“At that pace, I’ll see ya in about twenty-four to twenty-eight minutes, Doomsday,” Blake calls over his shoulder as he continues on, his speed never changing.
I force myself to take off in a run again but it doesn’t last long, and then I’m back to walking. Ugh. This is so embarrassing. Blake is completely out of sight now, having disappeared into the woods through the trails. I pick up my pace again, holding it for a few minutes, and then I’m right back to dragging ass.
When I finally emerge from the trails, I know quite a bit of time has passed, but I’m not sure how long. The sun is a ball of fire situated above the horizon now. The birds are awake, chirping and singing in nearby trees. I press my hand against the side of my abdomen, staving off the continuous pain from a running cramp. It’s a reminder of how poor my cardiovascular endurance is. That and my inability to breathe.
Rounding the side of the house, I find Blake staring at his watch, monitoring the time with a full glass of water in one hand. I’m sucking air, practically hunched over as I reach him, and he’s not even sweating. How annoying.
He thrusts the water toward me. “Nice work.”
I assume he’s being sarcastic, but I don’t have the energy to think of a clever remark right now, so I take the glass and chug it down in between breaths. I keep a close eye on him over the rim, waiting for an insult to leave those smooth lips of his.
“Twenty-four minutes, just as I predicted,” he says, tapping the face of his watch.There it is.“It’s slow, but that’s okay.” Blake gives me a strong pat on the shoulder. “The point is to grow into tomorrow, not dwell on today.”
“Thanks,” is all I can manage. I’m still trying to fill my lungs with enough air to breathe. When I finish my water, I turn and sluggishly start up the porch steps.
“Where are you going?” he asks.
“Back to bed.”
Just as I reach the top of the stairs, the front door opens and out walk Tessa, Aunt Julie, Elaine, Meredith, Greg, and Molly, all dressed in athletic attire. Tessa stretches her arms over her head and yawns so wide, her eyes tear. Most of the rest of them are rubbing at their faces, trying to wake themselves up, but Elaine is the only one who looks lively and ready to go.
“That was just a warm-up, Doomsday. Time for group training,” Blake says in a cheerful voice, relishing in my anguish, not even bothering to hide it.
I groan and let my head fall back in frustration.
“You’re up early.” Elaine smiles at me.
“Not by choice.” I shoot a glare at Blake. “My roommate wouldn’t let me sleep.”
He gives me a confused expression. “I could’ve sworn you were awake, Casey. My mistake.”
I shake my head and reluctantly walk back down the steps. The rest of the group gathers around, waiting for Blake to tell us what we’re doing.
“Why am I the only guy in this group training sesh?” Greg glances at each of us, wrinkling his forehead.
“You know why,” Blake says.
Molly holds on to Greg’s arm and stands on her tippy-toes to kiss his cheek. “I can’t wait to wrestle with you, Pookie.”
