Running Forever

by Emily Camp

  Garrett reached behind him as if just now remembering Bree. He grabbed her hand and headed for the four-wheeler in long, quick strides. When Bree scrambled to keep up with him, her flip-flops slipped.

  “So you’re scared of me now?” River said, as Garrett mounted the vehicle.

  He placed his hands on the handlebars and looked up at Bree, “Get on.”

  She didn’t know if it bothered her that he was letting River get to him, or that he thought he could order her around.

  “That’s right, she’s gonna stick around for a River ride.”

  Garrett met Bree’s eyes, his jaw clenched, his biceps jerked, “Please.”

  With hesitation, because she didn’t know how else she was going to get down off the hill and she sure didn’t want to stick around for a ‘river ride,’ she climbed on.

  Garrett didn’t waste time starting up the engine and when he pushed the gas, he didn’t take it easy. Her body jolted around as they sped down the hill side. She gripped his waist tight. “Garrett, slow down,” she shrieked, but he didn’t listen, only went faster.

  “Garrett, stop.” The four-wheeler felt like it was going to flip with every jostle and jerk over the branches and rough terrain.

  “Garrett,” she screamed this time, tears flowing down her cheeks. She held on so tight she wasn’t sure how he was breathing.

  He was over the hill and climbing the next one. This time she felt like they were going to flip backwards as he sped up the hill. If she let go, she was certain she’d slide right off.

  When he pulled up to the shade tree, Bree jumped off before he was completely stopped. “Are you crazy?” The fear she’d just encountered fogged her mind, making her forget that she was surrounded by his extended family, a lot of whom she hadn’t even met before today.

  “Bree.” He dismounted the four-wheeler, blinking his blue eyes and sulking as he came toward her.

  She held her palm up. “I asked you to stop and you went faster.” She wasn’t aware of how loud she was or how that may have sounded until Garrett flinched and glanced over at their audience.

  Great, his family probably thought she was crazy. What did she care what his family thought, anyway? She didn’t even want to come to this stupid thing in the first place. Before Garrett could stop her, she hurried off, toward the mess of cars parked across yard.

  “Bree, wait.”

  She didn’t stop for him. Instead, she tried to disappear in the sea of vehicles. Through her cloudy vision, she tried to text Carly. But if she’d gone ahead to the lake, she might not have her cell phone on her. It wasn’t that she expected Carly to come all this way. They were several miles out of town. She ducked beside Garrett’s car and slid down to the ground. With Carly not answering, she texted her second best friend, Spencer.

  Hey, are you busy? Why did she feel guilty about it? It’s not like she was committed to Garrett, or Spencer for that matter.

  “Bree,” Garrett appeared between two trucks, his breathing quick, but steady.

  When Bree’s phone chimed, she glanced down at it. Spencer replied almost immediately. No, you need me?

  “I’m sorry.” Garrett sat beside her, but she didn’t look up at him. More embarrassed about the scene she’d made than she was angry anymore, she pulled her knees to her chest and buried her face.

  Garrett’s arm was comforting when he reached around her shoulders, but she couldn’t do this again. “Bree, please forgive me.”

  “You scared me.”

  “I know, I’m just … River always brings out the worst in me. I shouldn’t have let him …”

  She lifted her face toward him. The sun was hot between all the cars and no shade. “It’s not even that now.”

  “I didn’t mean to scare you, but I promise you I’d never hurt you.”

  Her phone chimed again, but she didn’t check it. Instead, she closed her eyes and sighed. “Your family probably thinks I’m crazy.”

  Laughter and chatter carried from the party, going on like nothing had happened.

  Garrett’s blue eyes crinkled when he laughed and looked toward the party. “You know, they’re all a little crazy themselves.”

  Bree groaned and held her finger tips to her forehead. “It sounded like you raped me.”

  “Actually, my uncle stopped me and asked if I used protection this time.” He chuckled and leaned close to her ear. His warm breath made her shiver. “Come back with me. Nobody will say anything to you.”

  ****

  Garrett didn’t care how they got here, but he was holding her and she was letting him. It’d been almost two years since they’d sat like this. Bree was probably the most stubborn girl he knew. When she made up her mind, there was no stopping her. That only made him love her that much more. Which was another reason he was surprised when she took in a deep breath and said, “Okay.”

  “Really?” He was sure it would take more convincing.

  “Do we have to stay much longer? You know how cranky Bailey gets when she’s over stimulated and then she’ll get a late nap and …”

  “We’ll leave right after we eat.”

  She hesitated for a minute before nodding.

  He stood and straightened his athletic shorts out, kind of bummed he was going to miss some of the tournaments they’d have after dinner: free throw, corn hole, volley ball, and, most importantly, flag football. His family was competitive when it came to sports and that was one way he felt validated here.

  Starting slowly, he held out his hand for her and she didn’t make her usual comment about how she could do it herself, but put her hand in his and let him guide her up.

  Miley and Declan still sat under the shade tree with Great-Grandma, the twins now with them, Landon in his daddy’s arms and Logan in Great-Grandma’s. To Garrett, it was weird how small they were. Even though Bailey was that size once and unable to hold up her own head, he couldn’t remember being scared she would break like he was when he held one of his brother’s babies.

  With his hand on Bree’s back, he guided her toward the shade tree. He figured it might be the safest place to start, knowing Bree was comfortable enough with Miley and Declan she wouldn’t feel awkward and the chances of Great-Grandma remembering it were unlikely.

  When they approached, his Great-Grandma looked up from the baby cradled in her arms. “You settle your lover’s spat?”

  Bree’s arms were across her middle when she looked up at Garrett, who wondered how his Great-Grandma could remember that, but couldn’t remember that they weren’t married.

  “Yeah,” he smiled down at Bree.

  “It’s tough those first few years of marriage, but let me tell you,” she leaned forward and so did Miley, lifting her hands under the baby. Garrett thought the same thing: it wouldn’t take much for Logan to slip out of those frail arms. “They were tough, but the one good thing about a fight like that was how much passion we had in the bedroom after.”

  Declan coughed as Miley’s eyes widened and Bree’s face turned bright red.

  “Okay, thanks for that bit of wisdom, Gran.” Garrett motioned to the seat for Bree.

  Logan began to squall and Miley reached for her, but Great-Grandma tugged her back. “She’s okay, don’t hurt ‘em to cry any. It’ll develop their lungs. Parents these days. Back when mine were babies, we gave ‘em whiskey. You mention that now a days and look out.” Great-Grandma rocked back and forth. Her chair creaked and Garrett worried she would tip.

  Declan must have felt the same because he stood and bounced Landon as he walked behind her, acting more like he was just changing positions than blocking Great-Grandma from tipping back. “Things have changed a lot since you had babies, Gran.”

  “That’s what’s wrong with the world now. Kids are spoilt.” She craned around at Declan as she patted Logan’s diaper.

  Chapter 3

  Even though Garrett’s family seemed polite after that, Bree still felt like everyone judged her. She was relieved when she didn’t have to remind G
arrett to leave. Sticky with sweat and watermelon, Bailey reached the point of exhaustion where she cried over every little thing. Like when her shoe fell off or when Garrett’s Uncle looked at her. It was even worse when Great-Grandma tried to talk to her, which set Great Grandma into her rant about spoiled children again.

  Even though Bailey was obviously ready to go, she fought getting in her car seat, crying for the ‘ride’ that her daddy forgot to take her on. Of course, Bailey remembered, even after playing ball with cousins and being coddled by great aunts and grandmas.

  When Bailey reared up, stiffening her back so that Garrett couldn’t buckle her in, that was when he finally got stern with her. Bree could only imagine what Great-Grandma would say about that one.

  With Bailey now whimpering and buckled in after her daddy’s reprimand, Garrett climbed into the driver’s seat. He let out a long breath of air. Bree glanced at his arms, noticing how much sun he got today on his sculpted biceps.

  Heat rose to her face when she thought of Great-Grandma’s comment about passion in the bedroom. She closed her eyes tight. That shouldn’t be going through her mind. They needed to keep things like they were now. Sure, they had a rocky break up, but they still got along. What if they got back together and things were worse if it didn’t work out? Bree had to live through parents that hated each other, she didn’t want Bailey to go through that as well.

  In order to try to change the direction of her mind from Garrett’s biceps and passionate bedrooms, she pulled her phone out of her pocket. Garrett’s car was loud when he revved it up, drowning out Bailey’s sniffles.

  Bree forgot about texting Spencer earlier until she noticed several text messages and missed calls asking if she was okay. She was horrible for making him worry, but also felt good that he cared enough to be worried.

  As Garrett pulled out of the drive, Bailey spoke in her little voice, just loud enough to hear over the engine. “Bailey sorry, Daddy.”

  Garrett’s eyes met Bree’s and they smiled at each other before Bree turned around in her seat. Bailey’s hair was matted to her face with sweat and her hands in her mouth.

  “I’m sorry too, Bailers,” Garrett said. “I love you. Do you still love me?”

  Bailey smiled and her little nose crinkled when she did. “Yesh.” She kicked her feet; the soles were filthy from where her shoes had come off very early in the day.

  Bree cringed, not wanting Bailey to sleep without a good wash down, but she knew the drive home would knock her out.

  “I love you, too, Bails,” Bree said, taking one of those swinging feet in her hand.

  Bailey giggled like Bree was tickling her. “Bailey love mommy.”

  Bree turned back toward Garrett, his shoulders straight and a smile on his face. Her phone buzzed, bringing her back to reality with another message from Spencer. Do I need to kick Garrett’s butt? You know I’d be happy to.

  He definitely didn’t need to kick Garrett’s butt. Other than on the four-wheeler, Garrett had been perfect today.

  She sent a back a reply before he could message her again. Sorry I worried you, things are fine now.

  They were more than fine.

  Bailey continued to jabber as they drove down the gravel road and, once on the smooth highway, she finally went silent. It took longer for her to fall asleep than Bree thought.

  Garrett reached over with a grin still on his face, and slid his hand through Bree’s.

  ****

  Bree’s palm was soft against Garrett’s. When they left the house that morning, he thought it would be a normal day. He’d push Bree and she’d pull, but it was always worth trying and now he was thankful he had tried.

  Though they lived with his parent’s, it wasn’t like they actually ‘lived’ together in a relationship sense. Bree and Bailey slept in Declan’s old room and Garrett was in his own room across the hall. When his mom and dad agreed to take her in when she had nowhere else to go, he hoped she’d come around.

  There were ground rules set when she moved in, of course, one of them being he was never to be in her room when no one was home. Or without the door wide open, if they were home, or without Bailey. No one would be home for hours today. His dad didn’t even make a comment when they left for home. His parents were still engrossed in conversations about work and church.

  His mind went to places it shouldn’t when he glanced over at her. The bow was still tied behind her neck from her bathing suit underneath her tank top. He didn’t want the car ride to end, at the same time couldn’t wait for it to.

  He glanced over when her phone chimed. With her hand still in his, she replied to the text with the other. This made him feel even better, knowing she could’ve easily used that excuse to pull away, but didn’t.

  The ride home from his grandparent’s house was the fastest it’d ever seemed to go. His hand was warm against Bree’s and he hated when he finally had to move from her to steer into the driveway. “I’ll get Bailey.”

  A small smile flittered across her face and she tucked her hair behind her ear, “Okay.”

  Garrett thought a quick prayer for Bailey to stay asleep. He leaned in, unbuckled her from her seat, and lifted her to his shoulder. She made a squeaky noise, then a sigh before her head fell against him. With care, he carried her into the house, down the hall, and into the room she shared with her mommy. Bree held the door open for him, clothes balled under her arm.

  “Don’t wake her,” she whispered.

  “I’m not going to,” he whispered back and hoped that was true. He eased Bailey into her crib, holding his breath as she stretched and let out a noise before flipping over and sticking her bottom in the air, her hands curled under her cheek.

  “I’m just going to get a shower,” Bree pointed down the hall after seeing Bailey wasn’t waking up.

  Garrett nodded, trying not to think of the fact that he was standing in her bedroom without chaperones. Thinking of bedrooms, his Great-Grandma’s shaky voice saying ‘passion in the bedroom’ went through his mind. He shuttered and should never have thought of his Great-Grandma and passion at the same time.

  When Bree disappeared in the bathroom, he headed for his own room.

  What could he say or do that would make everything he’d accomplished today stay?

  She had kissed him.

  She let him hold her when she was upset at the reunion, even though he was the reason for it.

  She held his hand on the way home.

  Things were going the way he wanted.

  Chapter 4

  As Bree sat in the middle of her bed, her laptop open, she wished she wouldn’t have taken summer classes. With Bailey still asleep from the reunion, she needed to get homework done. Just after logging into the campus website, she heard the bathroom door click open. She didn’t know why she looked up or even why she hadn’t shut her bedroom door. Garrett walked out of the bathroom, his short, dark hair damp, wearing only athletic shorts and no shirt. When he caught her staring, his bicep twitched and he lifted his eyebrows.

  She laughed and shook her head, “You’re a dork.”

  A soft noise came from Bailey’s crib and Bree glanced over, holding her breath, because she wasn’t ready for Bailey to wake up. She needed to finish the paper.

  Instead of going back to his room, Garrett strode toward her.

  Even though he’d seen her in them a million times before, Bree still slipped her thick-framed glasses off her face. She hated the way they looked on her.

  He stopped and leaned against the door jamb, staring at Bailey’s crib. “Working on school?”

  “Trying, don’t wake her up.”

  He crossed his arms, which only made them look bigger, and tilted his head. If his mom was worried about a bikini making him lust, Bree was sure she wouldn’t approve of him walking around shirtless.

  “I got her if she wakes up.”

  Bree glanced at his chest, then looked down at her computer. “Go put a shirt on.”

  “Why?”

>   Bree shook her head and turned to Bailey’s crib, then back at him. “Because.”

  “Think I’m sexy?” He popped his pecks and flexed.

  “Gare,” Bree smirked and focused on her computer.

  “Ahh, you do,” He said then let out a quiet, “Yes.”

  “Go away, I’m trying to do homework.” Concentrating on her assignment while he was standing in her room was difficult.

  He didn’t move and she could feel his eyes on her.

  She had to squint to see the computer screen then glanced back up at him.

  “I’m going. Put your glasses back on.”

  “I …”

  “I don’t know why you think you can’t wear them around me. I think they make you look sexy-smart.”

  Her lips twitched as she resisted the smile trying to form on her face. His eyes met hers, a deep sea blue that got her in trouble before.

  This made him smirk, “You better get back to work.” Then he left the room, leaving her dizzy and a little bit giddy.

  When Bree slipped her glasses back on, she glanced up to make sure he wasn’t in the hallway, then went back to her work. She needed to work on her comp paper, but she could do that in between classes tomorrow. The main thing was studying for her chemistry test in the morning.

  When she opened the notes on her laptop, they felt jumbled and confusing even with her glasses on. With her hand behind her ear and her elbow on her knee, she looked down the hall to Garrett’s room. He took college level chemistry and where she struggled in science and math, he excelled. If she could stay focused with him she’d ask for help. It wasn’t like she was staying focused without him, so what would it hurt?

  If Bailey slept uninterrupted, she could be down for at least another hour or two. Bree picked up her laptop and made her way to Garrett’s room. She wasn’t sure he heard her knock over the hip hop music on the other side of the door.

  ****