TUESDAY, March 12, 2019
- You are late.
- Serious? I drove 2 and a half hours and you, - Micah looked at his wristwatch. - are you telling me I'm 10 minutes late?
- Hm... - Jamie did the same analyzing the pointers of her watch. - It's actually 14 minutes.
His face became impassive and Jamie started laughing.
- If I were you I would start running.
- Why should I?
Micah looked at his watch again and pressed a button on the side.
- You're losing your advantage.
Jamie studied Micah for a moment, his features and attitude. He was standing still - apparently relaxed, still with his eyes on his black watch. The two were standing on the North Haven St. Bridge in front of one of the state park entrances.
- Jamie... - Like a whistle, he called her.
- What?
- Run. - Micah stamped his foot on the ground, causing Jamie to startle and let out a small scream before starting to run.
Jamie's small scream echoed through the trees of the empty forest, sending some birds flying. She could hear the flapping of wings contrasting with the pebbles that were crushed by her sneakers. She concentrated but couldn't hear any noise behind her.
With a glance behind, she saw that Micah was nowhere in sight.
Jamie went through three turns and on the mostly straight part of the trail, she looked back a few times.
- You should pay attention in front of you. - Micah shouted.
- And you should stop chasing me.
- Why don't you stop running, then?
- You told me to run.
- So you do everything I say?
Trying to regulate her breathing, Jamie took a few deep breaths. She was running faster than usual.
- What? No! - She screamed.
Jamie looked back once more and saw Micah running a little behind. He seemed distracted so she slowed to her usual speed and until they reached the open area of the waterfall, they remained silent.
- Were you listening to music? - She asked when she saw Micah take off black headphones.
- Yes. Don't you listen to music when you run?
- I don't bring my phone.
- Never?
Jamie approached the water and wet her fingertips before pressing them gently to the back of her neck. A drop of ice-cold water ran down her back, making her skin crawl.
- Never.
When she turned around, she saw Micah sitting on the large rock. He held out his hand and Jamie took it. She sat next to him.
- Your watch?
- My watch is analog. - She stretched out her wrist and showed him her watch. The rose leather strap was already worn out, but she loved it.
Micah silently studied it for a few moments.
- What if something happens? - A tone of concern laced her voice.
- Nothing will happen, it's a trail without obstacles, close to my house.
His narrowed eyes remained on her for a few more moments before he laid down on the stone. Micah was wearing Palm Angels' black track pants and jacket. Despite it being before 7 am, his hair was perfectly done like every other time and Jamie thought about what a vain man Micah must be, and how she had barely combed her hair that morning.
Maybe taking off the beanie is out of the question today.
Jamie lay down next to him watching the white clouds in the sky. She was thankful it wasn't a rainy day.
They had agreed to meet up first thing in the morning to run a few days before and Jamie was looking forward to that moment. After all the text messages, she got to know him more and that changed the thoughts she had about him every day. Knowing him, even if it was crumb by crumb, made Jamie long for the direction that relationship would take. She felt happy talking to him, and the butterflies in her stomach only grew when she saw him.
- My sister wants to meet you.
- Does she know about me?
- The books were delivered to her apartment.
- But I asked them to put your name on the box.
- They put it, but she's curious and opened it.
- And...?
- And I don't read.
- Oh.
- She didn't want to give me the box if I didn't tell her who the books were for.
- So, she has a certain power over you? - Jamie smiled and turned to see him.
- Certainly not.
- But you told her about me.
- Yes.
- Why?
Jamie saw Micah's chest fill and then deflate before he looked at her.
- Because I wanted to.
- Okay, - His answer caught Jamie by surprise and she looked away. - I'm sorry.
- No. - Micah's hand reached for hers. - I told her because I really wanted her to know about you.
Kate's words came back to Jasmine and she found herself caught in his gray eyes. She believed in him, there was no reason for distrust. And she really wanted to believe that all this wouldn't be a one-night stand.
- Think of something and I'll be there.
- We can have lunch sometime.
- It's perfect. Tell me about her.
- Irina is the complete opposite of me.
- Oh, so she's like me?
Jamie laughed at her own question, and for the first time, she saw Micah's lips curve into a smile. In his cloudy eyes, there was a different shine.
But just as the small smile appeared on Micah's face, it went away.
Micah sat upright on the rock and took his phone out of his pants pocket. Jamie hadn't heard, probably because it was on silent mode. With the phone close to his ear, Micah climbed down and started to walk away. He didn't appear to be angry but his face was impassive just like when she teased him earlier that day.
Almost 10 minutes had passed when Micah approached her again and something didn't feel right, Jamie felt it.