Running Forever

by Emily Camp

  The day was only getting better. Garret got another true smile out of Bree and he caught her looking at his chest. After turning on some lifting music, he picked up his hand weights and began to rep before the knock.

  He sat the weights back on the ground and turned down the radio before he opened the door. She was tiny and adorable standing there with her damp hair hanging to her shoulders. She still had on her glasses, which was rare for her to wear in front of him. She held her laptop to her chest and blinked her round brown eyes up at him. “Can you help me study?”

  “What are we studying?” he made his pecs jerk.

  She glanced at his chest, rolled her eyes, and giggled, “I have a test tomorrow.”

  “Sure.” He opened his door wider and she hesitated before stepping in.

  Even though it was technically against the rules, he eased the door shut.

  Bree scooted on the bed, folding her feet under her and setting her laptop on the mattress. She opened it and began to type. “I’m having a hard time remembering all these formulas.”

  Garrett sat beside her, leaning back and planting a hand behind her, to be close, but yet not make it obvious.

  “Didn’t I tell you to put a shirt on?” She stared at her computer screen.

  “I’m hot, why should I have to sacrifice my comfort just because you can’t control yourself?”

  “Ha,” She tilted her head back and, when she did, her hair slid off her shoulder and Garrett smelled her vanilla body wash. “You’re the one with no self-control.”

  He leaned back, propping himself on his elbow. “You’re the one staring at my body.”

  “Shut up.” She swatted at him. Her soft skin made contact with his shoulder and he grabbed her wrist and tugged her down, she fell gracefully beside him. They lay on their sides facing each other. Her breath hitched, then sped up. Her computer sat forgotten on the edge of the mattress.

  “Let’s see who doesn’t have self-control,” he spoke softly and brushed his hand over her cheek. His heart sped up. He was taking a risk, but so far today, he hadn’t pushed her away.

  “We shouldn’t be doing this.”

  “Are you saying you can’t control yourself?” Though he wasn’t sure he could.

  She grinned and glanced down at the bedspread. “I need to study.”

  “You’re afraid to lose.” He grabbed her by the waist and tugged her. Bree didn’t fight him like he thought she might. The giggle that came out of her only egged him on more.

  “It’s always been you who can’t keep your hands to yourself.” It wasn’t lost on him she had her own hands folded between them, the sides of them pressed against his heart. She slid her long leg over his and they stared into one another’s eyes, daring each other.

  “Who will stop first?” he said, sliding his hand up her side. Garret hoped she wouldn’t, he knew he wasn’t going to.

  “Is that a dare?” She slipped her hand behind his neck and he dipped his face toward her.

  Their mouths were so close he could feel her breath on his lips. “Do you want it to be a dare?”

  She glanced down and her tongue peeked out of her mouth making her dimples appear. “I should be studying.”

  “This is hands on chemistry.” He slid his hand around and braced her back, pulling her on top. Her legs fell on each side of him.

  “You’re not playing fair.” Her eyes narrowed as she straddled him.

  “How’s that?” Garrett reached up and slid her glasses off her face. He didn’t give her time to respond before he pressed his lips against hers. He was pleased when she returned the kiss, letting out a soft moan before she stopped.

  “What about Bailey?”

  “She’s sleeping.” He hurried to kiss her again, this time flipping so she was on bottom. She wrapped her legs around him.

  “What if she wakes up?” She gasped, only making him want her that much more.

  “She won’t.” He slid his hand up her shirt, she lifted her arms above her head.

  “What about self-control?” her words came out breathy as he kissed her neck and slid his palm over her navel.

  “What’s that?” he mumbled against her skin.

  “Hmmm?” she pulled his face back to hers, pressing her soft lips against his again.

  Soon, they were under the covers, out of breath, with nothing between them.

  Garrett kissed the top of her head, by now her hair had dried. “I love you.”

  “Uh huh,” she said between labored breaths.

  Garrett settled beside her, pulling her bare body close. It’d been way too long since this happened, and maybe they weren’t thinking clearly. Maybe it happened fast, but he knew this was meant to be.

  In the quiet of the house, he kissed her again, this time on the cheek, trying not to be disappointed she didn’t return the ‘I love you.’ The air conditioner made a gentle hum as it kicked on and Garrett could easily fall asleep, until the loud whine of the garage door joined the white noise.

  Bree’s eyes widened and met Garrett’s.

  His heart sped up now for an entirely different reason.

  Bree shot out of bed, grabbing her clothes. “Your parents.”

  He tried not to show his fear either as his heart pounded and he grabbed for his own clothes.

  She was completely dressed, including glasses and laptop, and out the door before he had his shorts on. Just in time, too, because his mom’s voice echoed through the house right after Bree disappeared. “Zeke, for the last time, you’re not playing that game tonight.”

  And just after that Bailey cried.

  Garrett waited a minute before walking out of his room. “What’s going on?” He scratched the back of his head, hoping to give the illusion he’d just been sleeping and not that he’d just had sex.

  Bree already had Bailey against her when she walked out of her room.

  “Daddy,” Bailey reached for him.

  Bree wouldn’t look him in the eyes when she passed Bailey over.

  His heart plummeted. He thought, even though they weren’t supposed to be doing that, that it meant they were getting back together.

  He patted Bailey on the back as he walked her to the kitchen.

  “Garrett, why’s she still filthy?” His mom asked setting the empty casserole dish in the sink.

  “She’s been sleeping since we got home.”

  His mom held out her hands, “Give her here. I’ll get her bathed. You and Isaac go help your father unload the car.”

  “I can bathe her, Robin.” Bree pulled a bottle of water out of the fridge, and this time didn’t look at any of them.

  Garrett needed to talk to her now.

  But he couldn’t with everyone around.

  “I can do it. Don’t you have to study?”

  Bree’s face turned red when his mom mentioned studying and she stared down at her water bottle. Garrett needed to know what she was thinking.

  Chapter 5

  It wasn’t until Bree was in her room, behind her closed door, that she allowed herself to breathe. The entire time she was in the kitchen she wondered if Robin could tell. She sat on the edge of her bed and buried her face in her hands.

  Before Garrett’s parents, no other adult had ever believed in her. After not meeting her until she was already pregnant with Bailey at fifteen, they took her in and let her be part of their family, even though sex before marriage was a big sin. This once, someone thought she could be more than where she came from, and she let them down.

  Bree hadn’t known better before. They taught her how to live right, to hold on to her faith. At least that’s what she thought, that she could hold onto her faith, but that only took a couple minutes of weakness to ruin it. Her mom constantly made fun of her for being a Christian. Having a baby so young and confessing a faith that teaches against premarital sex, it seemed like people were waiting on her to fall.

  When her phone buzzed beside her, for some reason she knew exactly who it was. The last person she wa
nted to talk to.

  She looked down at Garrett’s smiling face on the screen.

  How could they be that careless? What was it about him that she couldn’t control herself? She knew she was pushing it when he started the game, but it was that determination to prove him wrong that got her in the end.

  It was her that was proven wrong, not him.

  A few minutes passed before there was a knock on her door. Her heart fell to her stomach. She didn’t want to see Garrett, didn’t want to be reminded of the failure she was. The truth was, she did love him, even if she didn’t say it back. Because he wasn’t going to go away and it wasn’t like she could avoid him forever when her bedroom was only a few feet away from his, she opened her door, but kept half her body behind it.

  “Bree,” he whispered.

  Despite his mom’s efforts to keep his brother off the video games, Bree heard the theme song of Isaac’s game floating down the hallway. She stared at the grey carpet under her toes.

  “Can … can we talk?” He dipped down to her level, his voice quiet.

  She pulled her arm across her stomach, and held the door knob with her other hand. “Not now.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Understand that this isn’t the time, okay?”

  “Will you talk to me later?”

  She shrugged, her heart broke. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to talk, but she wanted to make sure things would last with them and being this young, their chances weren’t great. She wanted to finish college, have a career, and be established before she settled down.

  “Look,” she took a deep breath and knew when she looked up and saw his watery blue eyes, that it was a mistake to look at him. “I’m not saying I don’t ever want to be with you.”

  “So what are you saying?”

  “Someday,” she bit her bottom lip.

  His shoulders slumped. She was glad that he’d put a shirt on even though it was sleeveless and his arms still showed. “What was …,” he pointed to his room.

  “That was a mistake.”

  It wasn’t lost on her when he took in a sharp breath. “Are you serious?”

  “Garrett, you know it was wrong.”

  “The only thing that made it wrong were a couple rings and vows.”

  “And I want people to know that I can do this, that I’m not just some hopeless cause.” Her voice cracked as she spoke.

  “You aren’t. We belong together. That right there should have proved it.”

  The volume on Isaac’s game rose.

  “The only thing it proved was neither one of us has any self-control,” she said a little louder than she’d been speaking.

  “Turn the game down,” Randy shouted from the other room.

  Bree met Garrett’s eyes. “I need some time. Please, don’t push it.”

  He started to open his mouth to say something when Robin walked out of the bathroom with a chattering, clean Bailey on her hip, her damp hair pulled back in a ponytail.

  “Daddy, mommy,” Bailey reached for Garrett.

  “Did you get your studying done?” When Robin looked her way, she had to glance down at the carpet again.

  “Not yet.” Bree hadn’t noticed until now how badly her toes needed repainted.

  “We brought leftovers home when you guys get hungry.”

  “Bailey hungee,” Bailey’s eyes were wide, like she was up now and ready to take on the rest of the day and half the night.

  “You’re always hungry,” Garrett said with a chuckle, poking Bailey in the belly. She giggled.

  “She’s a growing girl, Gare.” Robin leaned in and pinched Bailey’s cheek.

  Bree’s heart sped up.

  She knew.

  She had to know.

  Robin could sense things. When Robin pulled away, Bree’s heart plummeted.

  “Though she doesn’t eat nearly as much as you boys did. Well, still do.” Robin winked at Bree.

  Bree swallowed the lump in her throat before saying, “I should get back to work.”

  “Yes, you do. Garrett, stop bothering her and feed your child.” Robin walked away, shouting, “Isaac, I told you no video games tonight.”

  Garrett didn’t listen to his mom right away. The way he stared at Bree, with sad eyes, almost broke her heart as she shut the door.

  She leaned against it and let out a long breath.

  ****

  The alarm went off just about the time Garrett finally fell asleep. He didn’t have to be at the school for practice as early as Bree had to be there for classes, but he’d find something to do. If they rode the hour commute together, she’d have to talk to him.

  It didn’t surprise him any that Bree was already walking out of her room with Bailey, all sleepy eyes and dressed on her hip, her backpack and diaper bag slung on the opposite shoulder. “Are you leaving already?”

  “Yeah, I have to meet with a professor.” Bree rooted through her bag. “And you know how hard it is to leave Bailey at daycare.”

  “Daddy.” Bailey reached for him and Bree seemed relieved when he pulled the weight off her. Bree pulled a hairband out of her backpack and pulled her hair back, twisting it around her tiny ponytail.

  “I don’t have to be at practice until this afternoon, but I planned to ride with you.”

  Bree sighed and her hand rested on her bag. “My classes are done a couple hours before you’ll be.”

  Garrett couldn’t help but think about how she didn’t have a problem with it last week.

  “I’m going to be late if I don’t get going.” She motioned toward the door, and had not looked at him since he walked out of his room.

  “Why can’t Bailey stay with me, I’ll drop her off at daycare when I go to practice. You can pick her up.”

  Bailey clung to him like a baby monkey, her arms around his neck and her head resting on his shoulder. She was obviously still tired, and he knew she’d more than likely fall back to sleep in the car, but she would be better rested if she was at home.

  Bree looked at Bailey, obviously thinking the same thing as Garrett. “Okay, but remember it takes her a little bit to warm up there, so don’t try to drop her off last minute.”

  “I know how to parent, been one as long as you have.” He kissed Bailey on the top of her head.

  Bree unwound the diaper back strap from her backpack. “I already gave her a cup of juice this morning, so only water or milk from now on.”

  “I got it.” He took the diaper bag from Bree and sat it on the ground.

  Bree stood up straighter and turned toward Bailey. She hesitated before leaning in and kissing her on the cheek.

  Garrett’s heart sped up when he got a whiff of her sweet vanilla scent.

  “Mommy will see you in a little bit,” Bree said before backing up.

  “Where’s my goodbye kiss?” He knew he was risking it after what happened last night and how skittish she was afterward.

  “Funny,” she was back to rooting through her bag. “Where are my keys?”

  Garrett saw them yesterday, her bright, glittery key chain almost blinded him when the sun shone through the window.

  “They were hanging on the key rack by the door.”

  She looked at him with her mouth open. “Right, because where else would they be?” her bracelets dangled on her wrist when she lifted her hand in the air. “Okay, you drop her off and I’ll pick her up when I’m done, then?”

  “That’s the plan.”

  “See you later.” Bree hurried out the door, her backpack swung behind her and she swiped the keys off the rack before she disappeared.

  Garrett looked down at Bailey. She blinked up at him with her tired eyes. First thing he was going to do was put her to back to sleep. After practice tonight, he’d try to figure out a way to get Bree back. He knew it was only a matter of time after what happened last night.

  Chapter 6

  Today was one of those days Bree wished for air conditioning in her car. Sweat beaded under the bandan
na wrapped around her forehead. Bailey, obviously as miserably hot as her, cried from the backseat.

  Again, she regretted taking summer classes, the hour-long commute in the heat wasn’t ideal with Bailey anyway, and she could’ve used the break. Seeing as she was also doing the work-study program to help pay for what little bit financial aid and scholarships weren’t picking up, not to mention this beat up 90’s Neon she was able to scrounge up enough money for.

  When the car sputtered and whined, then steam hissed from the hood, Bree’s heart hammered.

  “Bailey hot, mommy,” Bailey cried in her sad little voice. Why didn’t she take Robin up on the offer to watch her and not put her in the school’s daycare?

  “I know,” Bree wanted to cry right along with her as she pulled her car off the side of the road.

  Vehicles whizzed by, feeling like the wind was going to take her rust bucket with them.

  “Want Daddy.” Bailey writhed in her car seat.

  “Daddy’s at football practice,” Bree leaned her head on the steering wheel as she turned off the engine. The weight that was already resting on her chest grew heavier.

  Bailey cried louder.

  Bree reached into the diaper bag on the passenger seat and found the baby wipes. Not caring what kind of mess Bailey might make with them she handed them back to her, hoping that would appease her for the minute.

  Garrett was at practice. That meant it’d be at least two hours before he headed this way, and she wasn’t even sure she wanted to be stuck in a car with him. She couldn’t sit by the side of the road with Bailey, especially not in this heat.

  Bailey’s cries died down, but didn’t stop completely as she pulled the wipes out one by one. At least that would help cool her off.

  If she called Garrett’s dad, it wouldn’t be much quicker, considering it’d take him an hour to get here, too. Her older brother, Parker, was as far away as Randy was.

  She lifted her cell phone from the cluttered cup holder, which had become a home for spare change, hair ties, and melted lipstick.

  She could call Spencer.

  When Bailey kicked her feet the entire car bounced. “Hot.”

  “I know, baby.” Bree reached into the diaper bag again, this time she pulled out the sippy cup full of water and handed it back to her.