𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐃, jeremiah fisher

six. sunrise boulevard

IT'S STILL DARK out when I get out of bed. I stumble into my bathroom, brushing my teeth and washing my face, before I rummage through my dresser to find suitable running clothes.

Most of my shorts are in the laundry, but I find an old pair of Nike Pros at the bottom of the drawer along with a cross country championship meet shirt from last season. After I put on my clothes and running watch, I apply chafing balm on the insides of my thighs (the struggles of being a runner).

Once I forgot to put on chafing balm before a race, and afterward, my thighs were so red and scraped that I couldn't walk without squatting awkwardly.

Good times.

Once I'm ready, I head downstairs and walk into the kitchen to get some water. Dad sits at the kitchen counter reading a book. He looks up when he hears my footsteps and smiles.

"Good morning, sweetheart. Going out for a run?"

I nod. "Yup. I need to get at least seven miles in today."

He shudders at the mileage as if he didn't play soccer when he was in high school. I grin at him.

"You should come with me."

He fakes a heart attack. I roll my eyes at him.

"My old limbs won't be able to handle even one mile. You have fun suffering though."

I chuckle and shove his shoulder before going to grab some water.

"Can't sleep?" I ask.

He shakes his head. "All these late nights at the hospital have made me nocturnal. I can only sleep during the day."

I hum. "At least you've become a morning person like me. Rey is going to be asleep until three at the earliest."

He snorts. "That boy needs to get a life that doesn't include sleeping or stalking his sister and her best friend."

I laugh, nodding in agreement. "True." I grab my airpods and phone before saying, "Okay, I'm out. See you, Dad."

"Have fun."

I pat his bald head, resulting in him sending me a glare. Chuckling, I wave and then head toward the front door.

The first forty-five minutes of my run pass by smoothly. I get almost six miles done when the sun starts peeking out from beneath the clouds. Stopping my watch, I slow down to a jog as I run along the path leading to the beach.

I prefer morning runs before the sun is up because I love being able to watch the sunrise over the beach. It's beautiful and perfect and so very underappreciated. Everyone loves sunsets, but not many people wake up early enough to take in a sunrise. The sun rising over the rippling waves of the ocean is especially alluring because the colors reflect onto the water.

I'm so focused on the ocean that I don't realize the figure in front of me until it's too late.

I hear a low grunt as I crash into a hard body. Cursing under my breath, I step back but stumble, causing the person to grab my arms to steady me. Warmth seeps into me as I look up into cerulean irises.

Eyes widening, I shove him away before I realize what I'm doing. He blinks, letting his arms fall to his sides.

"Autumn."

I hate that he's the only one who calls me by my first name almost as much as I love it.

His eyes drag down my body and then back up to my eyes.

"Are you on a run?"

I nod, subconsciously leaning toward him.

"You do cross country, right?" he says, crossing his arms and leaning against the railing that separates the sidewalk and the trail down to the beach.