Bear with Me (#2, Completed)

36. Curveball

SCARLETT

Sunday morning. Finally!

The week had been exhausting and emotional, not only with everything happening in the sleuth but also with Riley's beautiful ceremony that left us- well, me- recovering for days. We danced, and we laughed, and we celebrated the beauty of their triad and their proud new tribe, but Riley should have known that all those shots were not a good idea. The woman had even set up a table with welcome shots, kindly inviting guests to down a Tequila before they took their seat- talk about evil!

Yeah, my body was getting way too old for this crap. Hangovers were, easily, the bane of my life by now. Not only was I not able to cope with even the mildest queasiness and headache anymore but, on top of that, those cruel hangovers would only start creeping in later on in the morning or the early afternoon, leaving me with a false sense of security every time I woke up that maybe I got lucky and got away with it. Wrong!

But today was not one of those days. Today was a day to enjoy some quiet time with Callum and to drink my morning coffee in peace. A lazy Sunday at home, just the two of us. Breakfast in bed, board games, movie marathon, sex by the fireplace, petting Mahon and making pizza together. That's what I had been looking forward to for days now.

Except, when I rolled over in bed, the side next to me was cold and empty. There was no muscly body to lean on, no warm arms to embrace me. My eyes snapped open, and my mate was nowhere to be seen.

Instead, there was a single red rose on the pillow next to me, a handwritten note tucked underneath it.

I would much rather be in bed with you and watch you smile as you wake up,
but duty calls. Will do my best to be back soon.
Love you, C

This was not the best start to the day, yet I knew how hard Callum worked to keep the sleuth happy and safe while also making every second we had for the two of us count, so I couldn't hold this against him. And honestly, waking up to a rose and a sweet note from him was pretty damn cute.

Maybe this isn't such a bad turn of events after all. It had been a while since I had time just for myself and some me-time was way overdue.

One thing that I always enjoyed back in London was going for a jog in my local park, and the beautiful morning outside was practically an invitation for me to steal a pair of Callum's shorts and head for a run in the forest.

Fifteen minutes later, I was already sprinting down the unbeaten trail that led away from the sleuth, relishing the tranquillity that surrounded me as I jogged through a new part of the forest.

Weathered trees rose out of the earth to brush against the sky, while the sun-dappled leaves created flickering shadows along my path. Moss climbed up the tree trunks, turning the forest into a beautiful green and brown, with shades of grey. The gentle wind sent a shudder of movement through the branches high above me, leaving pinecones scattered over the ground and a leaf landing in my hair. Unlike in London, the sound of the chirping birds and chattering squirrels surrounded me here, with only the crunching of twigs underneath my feet interfering with it.

The more I ran, the more sweat trailed down my back, leaving my tank-top sticky, even if far off from my old pace after weeks of no exercise whatsoever. Wet dew still hung in the air, but I loved the freshness of it, taking as much of it as I could to fill up my lungs.

I had never been to this part of the forest before, but I certainly liked exploring new areas neighbouring the sleuth. And the fact that there was no one else in sight was a bonus because I could take the time to be just me, myself, and I, and clear my thoughts while I enjoyed the nature around me. It was so serene and scenic here in Scotland that I quickly developed an addiction to the magnificent landscapes and spending time outdoors in general. The idea of being back in the city made my chest tighten, leaving me needy for more of the magical Scottish air.