“Don’t get cocky or anything.” She laughed.
I ignored her. “But it’s up to you by how much. And after this, we’re done. We’re not rivals anymore. We’re teammates. All the petty, catty bullshit is over. Got it?”
She paused, her eyes narrowing, and then her head bobbed up and down. “Got it.”
After we finished stretching and started off, I said, “I should probably tell you something.”
“What?” She grew wary again.
“I haven’t run for two weeks.” I smirked at her.
She groaned. “You’re such a bitch.”
I didn’t care, and I laughed as I pushed forward. It wasn’t even thirty yards before I couldn’t see her anymore, and when I got to campus, I did another bitchy thing.
I had time to go and pick up some breakfast—for one. I went back to finish it, and I ate the last crumb when she showed.
“You’re such a bitch.”
I handed her some water. “I have to rub it in. This is my last time, remember?”
She groaned, but took the water.
It wouldn’t have been correct to say that Faith and I stopped being rivals after that race, but it was close. We weren’t friends, but there was respect for each other. And no matter how much she wanted to beat me, she never could. I always loved rubbing it in her face.
I’d run for years, but I never realized until this year how fast I was, how unique a runner I had become. I don’t know if it was family genetics—Garrett was athletic, but he told me he never enjoyed running. That made me think of Analise. Had she been the one to give me this gift? Or was it more complicated? Genetics mixed with practice? Maybe I was blessed, but I’d honed it into this ability to run longer and faster than anyone else I knew.
At least until I qualified for the Olympics.
After that, I was no longer the fastest person I knew.
But I was among them.
A year later.
I ran through the back hills near Fallen Crest, feeling the burn in my legs. I loved it, just like I always had, and I picked up my pace.
So much had happened over the last year.
Mason graduated and was drafted to the New England Patriots. His first year with them had been good, and he was happy to start a second, but he’d been restless. Logan and I had remained in California to finish school while he went to Massachusetts, and I knew it hurt. He was clear across the nation. The winter was hard, but every free moment we had, Logan and I flew out to see him. Then when it was off-season for him, he came back to live with us. But all that was done now.
Logan and I graduated last week.
I got a degree in health and wellness—yes, I’d finally picked a major. Logan was on to law school next, but for now we were back home for a couple weeks until Mason had to fly out for summer training. I was going to go with him this time. I could train wherever I was, and the Olympics were always on my mind.
Logan would join us at the end of August. He’d gotten in to University of Massachusetts School of Law in Dartmouth. We bought a huge house where all five of us could live: Mason, Logan, Nate, Taylor, and me.
Matteo had been drafted to the Los Angeles Raiders right out of school, and he was glad to stay in California, as it put him closer to his family, and closer to Grace. Those two were still together.
As for Courtney, she was headed back to Ohio for a teaching job. She’d only been there a couple weeks, but already life was boring. She wanted another dancing night with the girls.
I was all for that, and I pumped my arms harder at the thought. I kicked off with a bit more speed.
Mason and I had plans to hang out with Heather and Channing tonight. Heather wanted me to scope out a location for a second Manny’s with her tomorrow, but she said tonight we’d all get fucked up, laugh till our sides split, and take our men home to have hot and heavy sex.
Sounded good to me.
I still had ten miles to go, and I approached the clearing at the top of the hill where Mason first proposed to me. We hadn’t really discussed marriage since Mason had announced our engagement at his press conference—not at length anyway.
We had an understanding. Mason would wait until I felt more comfortable with the idea. As much as I tried, old scars from Analise and David’s marriage ran deep in me. Or they had.
Now I was ready. More than ready.
I wanted to talk to Mason about it this summer, but I wasn’t sure yet how to have the conversation. Uh, honey? You can propose to me any day you want. Yeah. It felt weird. Maybe I could slip him a note. I smiled to myself at how foolish that seemed as I crested the hill. The clearing opened to me, and I stopped in my tracks.
Mason stood in front of me.
He wasn’t alone.
Logan, Taylor, Nate, Heather, Channing, Malinda—I scanned the group quickly. There were so many. Mark. David. Even Garrett. Sharon was there, holding my little sister, who waved, her cheeks and lips covered in chocolate. Helen was there too, looking like it was the last place she wanted to be, but she folded her hands in front of her and even managed a small smile.