See You at the Finish Line (Run, Love, Repeat #1)

12. Adam

Indian Creek 67.8 mi/ 109.2 km

I’ve never been anywhere so dark in my entire life. The stars look down on us and all I can think is it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world if we somehow got stuck here overnight and had to camp out together. Logically I know that’s a bad idea—being stuck out here would mean something bad happened.

Still, a man can dream.

Paige has been awfully quiet the last hour and I’m not sure why. I’ve tried to strike up a few conversations, but her one-word answers tell me she doesn’t want to talk. Instead, I’m running beside her, making sure she doesn’t injure herself every time she trips over something. If I thought she was clumsy in the daytime, it’s nothing compared to her at night. Even though the light from the moon makes her glow like a goddess.

Who the fuck am I?

When I look over, her brows are pinched as she stares intently at the ground. She’s concentrating on not tripping, but she stumbles anyway. I catch her for the third time in thirty minutes .

“Sorry,” she mumbles.

“It’s okay,” I say with a shrug. I hesitate and then ask, “Are you alright?”

It seems like she’s not going to answer, but then she says in a small voice, “I’m scared of the dark.”

That would explain her silence and her swift mood change. Selfishly, I’m glad she’s not quiet because of me. But I don’t want her to be scared and alone.

“I’m scared of dinosaurs,” I blurt out. She looks at me in surprise and I can’t quite believe I said it either.

“I’m going to need a little more than that, Adam,” she says, a touch of humour coming back to her face.

“When I was a kid, me and all my friends loved dinosaurs. Like, loved them. It was literally Jurassic Park everywhere. When I was eight, I went to a sleepover birthday party and the parents set up Jurassic Park in the basement, turned off all the lights, and let ten eight-year-olds watch this very suspenseful movie alone.” I shudder as I remember the fear I felt that night. “To make matters worse, the kid’s older brother came down and scared us right as the T. rex made its big entrance. I peed my pants and had to call my mom to come get me.”

Paige is looking at me with sympathy, and I’m not too proud to admit that I don’t mind her pity at all.

“Ever since then, anything dinosaurs—toys, blankets, clothes, even a cartoon dinosaur—and I’m about ready to wet my pants again. In fact, this nighttime desert is the prime place for dinosaur attacks,” I say, looking over my shoulder, only half joking now. I feel the prickle on the back of my neck. Even though it’s completely impossible, my body still reacts.

“Shows how much you know. Dinosaurs love the jungle, so you’re completely safe in the desert ... Except for velociraptors, I guess. They love the desert.”

She did not just say that. “Seriously? That’s the scariest one! It beats the T. rex every time!”

Paige makes a clicking sound with her throat and I swear to God I hear it echo through the desert.

“That is not funny,” I scold.

“It’s a little funny.”

Another sound hisses in the dark and it’s so realistic that I’m mildly impressed.

“Okay, that was way more authentic but still not funny,” I tell her.

“That wasn’t me,” she says. Her tone is so serious that I look at her face. She’s not joking.

“What was it then?”

“I don’t know.” Her steps quicken, and I can practically feel the tension rolling off her.

A trickle of rocks cascades down the side of the cliff closest to us and it’s like the sound is sucked out of the world. I feel like I’m in a horror movie—something bad is about to happen and I can’t, for the life of me, think of what I should do. Paige is frozen beside me, and I follow her gaze to see two yellow, reflective pinpricks in the dark.

Holy fucking shit .

The predator slinks into view and Paige explodes, swinging her arms around and yelling at the top of her lungs. Her action spurs me into motion, and I grab rocks, throwing them in the direction of the fucking mountain lion. It backs away but is still not deterred, pacing ominously. We shout and stomp. Paige gets out her walking poles and bangs them together, the sound echoing through the hollow desert.

“Do we run?” she asks.

And here I was thinking this woman was smart. I know it’s her fight-or-flight instinct kicking in, so I don’t judge her too harshly for it. “Definitely not.”

“It’s not leaving.” She sounds scared.

Apparently, I’m not smart either because her fear drives me into action. Without thinking it through, and despite Paige’s protests, I charge at the damn lion, my hiking poles swinging in front of me. I adjust my pack to my front in case the lion gets any predator-like ideas. I may never look at Inca the same way again. Her ancestors are fucking terrifying.

At my approach, the lion moves back a step. I scream like a wild man, waving my arms and praying to God I do not die. The closer I get, the more the lion retreats. I can’t believe it’s working. That gives me the courage to keep going, throwing more rocks at it until it finally gives up, slinking off into the night. Frozen, arms still above my head, I watch for any movement, any sign that it’s coming back.

Paige stomps up behind me, placing a hand on my back, and it’s so sudden I jump ten feet in the air. Obviously not ten feet, but I jump high, scared out of my mind .

“Sorry,” she mutters. Her eyes are still wide, staring at the spot where the lion disappeared. She shakes her head and her face changes.

“What the hell was that?” She smacks my arm.

I drop my bag and my poles and let the surge of adrenaline work its way through my body.

“That,” I say, gesturing angrily to the desert with a wide swing of my arm, “was me saving our lives.”

“That,” she says, imitating my movement, “was so fucking stupid.”

I don’t even pause a second or think about it. I lunge forward and take her face in my hands, bringing it close to mine.

“I am going to kiss you,” I tell her firmly. Her eyes widen and her lips part. I slam my mouth onto hers and kiss her salty lips. God, they’re soft.

An ultra-race is not the time for making out so I make it quick and hard, pouring everything I can into the simple gesture. It doesn’t feel simple—it feels like my life is changing in an instant with one kiss. The adrenaline courses through my body, my cock swelling at the feel of her lips on mine combined with the near-death experience.

I wrench my face away before I do anything more reckless tonight. Like, I don’t know, throw this woman—who I’ve known for less than two days—on the ground and bury myself inside her in the middle of the fucking desert .

Her breathing is fast as she looks at me, eyes wild like she’s having the same thoughts I am. But she blinks, closing herself off, turning to face the night.

“Do you think it’s safe?” she asks, her voice barely a whisper.

“No, I don’t,” I tell her honestly.

The mountain lion could still be out there, could bring back friends, but that’s not why I don’t feel safe. She nods like she agrees and bends down to pick up my stuff. I take my pack from her and place it on my back.

We keep hiking into the night by the light of the moon and our headlamps, running in the flat areas and slowing down when the ground becomes uneven, awareness keen as we make our way deeper into the desert.

I’m free falling, and it’s scary as hell.

I hope she catches me.