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Her glare was adorable as she stepped outside “Fine”

We set out on our run— My nu practice was laps My job was to keepdown the field for fifty-yard passes My position lived in a twenty-yard zone of coot to spend a little time with a certain baker, I’d suck it up and do so

Jules pointed out rowing up But then the pace picked up and I kept up with her pace Our talking got bu but a steady exhale and the crunch of our feet on the ground

After we aze fixed on the horizon, I was ready to crawl back to the house My legs were on fire, screa? Thirty minutes? An hour?

Jules was charging along like a cross-country runner just hitting her stride

“Mercy I’ in the center of the path “You’re worse than Coach”

She skidded to a stop a few paces in front of rassy slope beside us “I was trying to keep up with you” Her arlasses

“I’ out of one on forever”

She glanced at rass stuck to her face, and laughed It was a delirious kind of laugh that infected the air around her And I was right beside her in the soggy hillside, trying to catch my breath The rise and fall of her chestourselves Much more enjoyable ways than our torture run, and I was sure I could get her extra sweaty

“I was already leading us back to the house They’ll be starting the festivities of the day soon We’ll have to get ready”

I groaned “Only if you protect me and promise not to abandon me this time”

She wrapped her ars “I promise”

Those words reached deep down inside, likeabout myself that only she could see And her proh off was as strong as any

We walked back to the house, both a little soggy,neeen us that even the almost-kiss hadn’t created

I snagged a ged a gallon of water