Page 72 of Stand: Part One
The Chase
The cool ocean breeze blew through my hair as I stretched out on the blanket I’d laid out on the grass. Hiding away from the hot sun, I stayed in the safety of the shade provided by the trees near the “forbidden” tree line.
I sat comfortably in a front split, waiting for Camaro to return with the Frisbee in her mouth that I’d been throwing for the past ten minutes. She was so damn good at catching it, so I made a point of trying to throw it as hard as I could to see how far it would make it before she caught it.
“Good girl,” I praised, rubbing the top of her head and tousling her ears. “Go get it,” I teased and whipped the Frisbee back into the air, smiling as Camaro barked and raced after it.
Switching positions, I shifted into a middle split and leaned forward until my forehead was resting on the blanket. I was happy to find that my flexibility had returned so much faster than anticipated, and my muscle atrophy improved steadily each week.
Taking in a deep breath, I lifted my head and reached my arms out to fold them under my chin, stretching my back as I watched Camaro race back with the Frisbee between her teeth.
She was maybe fifty feet in front of me when a sharp whistle sounded from behind, changing her trajectory entirely with a muffled bark.
Frowning, I turned my head to watch my dog race toward the direction of the whistle, my frown deepening when I saw her present the Frisbee to Darren’s open and waiting hand.
Taking the Frisbee in stride, he continued to head my way as he smiled down at Camaro, wearing noticeably casual clothes this afternoon.
With a grey form-fitting T-shirt and dark jeans, Darren’s laid-back vibes were deliciously noticeable but so damn misleading. I knew better than to trust them. Still, I couldn’t help but desire the comfort of that kind of disposition, even if it was just an illusion.
When he was a few feet away from the blanket, he taunted Camaro with the Frisbee, making her jump up and down with an excited bark. He then flicked the Frisbee into the air so swiftly, I nearly lost track of it before I saw it disappear from my visual completely.
I grumbled under my breath at how far he was able to throw the damn thing, wincing as Camaro took off after it. She was going to be gone for a while.
Darren then turned his gaze down at me, taking in my unmoved split position, a warm grin on his face.
I cocked a brow at him. “I hope my dog doesn’t get lost,” I commented.
He released an easy sigh as he lowered his body to the blanket, laying on his side with his elbow propped up. “I’m sure she’ll find it eventually.”
Yeah, in a tree, maybe.
Darren then reached out and lazily dragged his finger down the length of my bare leg, sending shivers up my spine that I had to fight to keep from revealing.
“How are you feeling today?” he asked, his eyes following the trail of his fingertip.
I hummed a little in consideration. “I don’t know, you tell me.”
On a whim, I sat up, placed my weight on my hands, and carefully lifted my hips into the air. My arms strained under my weight as I shifted my legs all the way up until I was balancing entirely on my hands.
It had taken me another two weeks since the Stairway Challenge to master it again, but now it was as easy as breathing.
Bending my knees, I held the zig-zag handstand for a good ten seconds before easing myself back down onto the blanket in a sitting position. I then turned back to Darren for his appraisal, raising my brow expectantly.
He nodded with approval, then rolled onto the flat of his back, linking his fingers behind his head. “Let me know when you can hold it for sixty seconds.”
I huffed a breath of annoyance, then noticed Camaro finally running back with the Frisbee in her mouth.
“And what happens when I can? Will you consider me recovered then?”
Darren snorted. “No.”
Scoffing, I stood and practically yanked the Frisbee from Camaro’s teeth before whipping it back into the air. It didn’t go as far as Darren had thrown it, but it went farther than my last throw had.
“Then what the hell is it going to take, huh?” I griped, plopping back down on the blanket. “I haven’t left the house in six months, and it’s making me crazy.”
“Yes, you mentioned that before.”
“Yeah, well, it hasn’t improved.”
