Page 93 of Mr. Green
“We wouldn’t miss this, honey! See you soon.” They both kiss my cheek and I get in the lineup at the starting line.
There’s a small speech from a woman who reminds me of a real-life stick figure with a hat on. All of a sudden, she says, “On your mark, get set, go!”
The horn sounds and everyone starts running. My feet hit the pavement, one after the other. The sun warms my back. I pass person after person. I’m by no means in the front, but I’m keeping my pace up. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice someone in inappropriate clothes running right behind me. I look over my shoulder at Grant running in his nice shoes, slacks, and a button-down. He lost the jacket and roses, at least.
“What are you doing?” I scream behind me.
“I need to talk to you.”
“Right now isn’t a good time.”
Someone else notices a person joining the run who isn’t supposed to be here. “Sir! You need a number!You can’t just start running.”
Grant listens and steps off to the outside of the route. “Lana, I’m so sorry!” he tells me from the sidelines, dodging people as he moves forward.
I’m supposed to be focused on running my heart out right now. Dealing with his poor decisions on the single most important day of my life is so dumb. I turn my music up and run like hell. I need to pay attention to my surroundings, not Grant fucking Green. I will not look over to him. It’s not happening.
Except I can’t avoid him. Some pull has me looking over every minute, seeing if he’s still there. He’s keeping up with me, which makes me mad and run faster.
Focus on where you are right now.
My scenery doesn’t seem real. I pass by mountains, the Hood River, the lake. My music is blaring. My heart is beating fast and my lungs are struggling to keep pumping air at this new pace.
The speed I run doesn’t matter. Grant is right there with me, his shirt wet with sweat and a clear sheen on his forehead. He’s run with me before, but he’s not dressed properly and hasn’t trained to runthislong.
I focus on my breathing. In and out with each step. My legs are on fire as I push myself. Before I know it, the finish line appears.
I pick up my pace and run through, despite my legs telling me to stop. I look at the time. Two hours and eight minutes later, I finished! It’s the best time I’ve ever had. Paige and Lana are screaming. Jason is jumping up and down. My parents are waving.
Grant is breathing hard, staring at me. His eyes pleading to talk to me.
I can’t help it. The tears rush down my face.
Chapter 61
Grant
She hugs her friends and family, who waited until she finished her run. Paige keeps holding her as her back moves up and down at a quick pace. Scarlett is holding the roses I brought for Lana and giving her a half hug.
I don’t know where my jacket ended up, but I don’t give a fuck. I’m out of breath, my lungs sting, and my feet hurt from the wrong shoes, but I’d do anything just to see Lana again.
She looks to her friends who are waiting for her reaction. Is she going to acknowledge me?
“Hey, Sunshine,” I try again once I can breathe.
“What are you doing here?” she chokes out.
I want to reach out and wipe her tears away. She didn’t start crying until she finished. I thought she was just trying to catch her breath, but it was more.
“I wouldn’t want to miss something this big for you. You did it!” I smile up at her since my hands are on my knees, trying to get my breathing back to normal. “Those roses are for you.” I point towards Scarlett and stand tall.
She looks over at them. “Umm, thanks.” She bites her lower lip. “I guess I’ll see you around.”
“See me around?” I furrow my brow.
“Yeah. You’re Matt’s friend, Scarlett’s husband. I love Scarlett, so I guess I’ll be seeing you around.” She turns to her friends. “I’ve got to get out of here. I’ll see you guys in a bit.”
They wave and she walks off, taking the roses from Scarlett. She stops and looks at them. She’s thinkingabout putting them in a trash can near her. She walks past the trash can, but is holding the flowers down facing the ground. She held onto them, so there’s a small win.