Page 44 of Run
“Aint nothin to see hurrr @vixen_in_yer_dreams.”
Jesus, I hate him so much.
And then I find another photo of Sean with Ari. It’s dated several months ago. He’s sitting on a stool and she’s standing between his spread knees, her back to his chest. Her hair is pulled over her shoulder, and she’s wearing a T-shirt that says Fitz’s Bar & Pub on it, with an apron around her waist. Sean’s arms are around her middle, caging her in, with one hand right,rightunder her breast and the other on her lower stomach. She looks uncomfortable. I zoom in on her face, which is strained. She’s giving a fake, closed-mouth smile, which means she’s feeling awkward.
And I want to puke. And hit something. And fly back home.
This is exactly why I didn’t want to know anything about her. It stirs up all this shit inside me, which is pointless because I can’t do anything for her. I never could.
The thought of Ari being just another one of Sean’s side pieces, one of his conquests, makes my stomach roil.
Closing out of the app and clicking my phone off, I drop it onto the coffee table and stand, pace over to the window, and look out at the city below. For a moment I allow myself to get lost in memory. Of the times she and I, and Fonz, walked barefoot through the creek looking for crayfish. When we rode our bikes for miles and miles, not talking as our legs pumped as hard and fast as they could. And when the wind blew through our hair as we held our legs out to the sides and soared downhill.
When we were kids and I would look out the window to see her red head run past, and as we got older, waiting to make sure she made it home from school or practice, or a date. The music we listened to, and danced to, and kissed to.
Damn, that kiss … I lick my lips and close my eyes to the memory.
Then I push myself away from the window and decide to head down to the gym on the lower level of the apartment building to blow off some of this energy.
The past is dead and buried. There is no use digging it up.
***
Christmas passed and now I’m back on base, just powering through the last of my classes. In the middle of a computer graphics course, the door swings open and an officer calls my name. I snap my head up and he informs me, “You have a phone call from your mom. She says it’s important.”
CHAPTER 15
ARI
“Idon’t think the occasion calls for a candle and singing,” I say as Sophie saunters toward me, holding a slice of rainbow cake with a lit candle on it, chanting,“For she’s a jolly good fellow. For she’s a jolly good fellow. For she’s a jolly good fellowwww …”I lean my elbows on our little kitchen table as she finishes, with a quick rush of breath, “... whichnobodycandeny!”
She plops down in a chair next to me and grins, pushing the cake toward me.
“Thanks, Soph.” I blow out the candle. “But it’s really not—”
“Hush your mouth,” she interrupts me. “You just got your college degree. It absolutely calls for celebration.”
“It’s only a liberal arts degree. And it took me three years instead of two.”
“So what? You did it. You are a college grad. You think the little girl with the pigtails hiding from Axel and spearing fish in the river—”
“Picking up crayfish.”
“Whatever. You think she ever would have thought she’d go to college, let alone get a degree?”
I smile and grasp her thick forearm. “Thank you. Seriously, you’re a good friend.”
“I know.” She smiles.
“Grab a fork and help me eat this.”
“Ugh, I already had a chocolate croissantanda cheese Danish that I bought when I got you that cake.” She stands up, pulling at the waist of her tight jeans below her muffin top. “I don’t think I’ll survive some of that cake, too.”
That gets a giggle from me. I’ve noticed Sophie getting bigger since I’ve known her, and over the years we’ve lived together, but I would never say anything about her unhealthy relationship with food.
“Sorry to celebrate and run, but I’ve got to get to work.” She leans down and wraps her arms around my neck. “Seriously, Ari, I’m super proud of you.”
After finishing the cake, I get changed into my work clothes. I originally had yesterday and today off, but after being stood up by Sean last night, I picked up a shift. Sean knew I was graduating yesterday. Even though I didn’t participate in any of the pomp and circumstance, I still wanted to acknowledge the day as the completion of my college career and obtaining my degree. He was supposed to take me to dinner to celebrate, but two hours after he said he would pick me up, he texted to cancel.
