It Started With A Book

Chapter 15

The question she couldn't figure out was why.

"As interesting as this conversation is," Brin rolled her eyes in Elliott's direction, "I have to get back to the book somebody ruined."

"What's the matter with you? Are you on your--"

"Don't even go there. Just because I'm upset does not mean that I'm on my period. How dare you."

"I'm sorry okay...it just slipped out. What do you want from me?"

"Honestly?"

"Honestly."

"Honesty. Plain and simple."

"And I've been doing that. I just don't get this--what's happening to us? We were fine a couple hours ago."

"Can we not talk about this anymore Elliott. I'm just...just tired."

"We can pull over."

"No," Brin stated adamantly, "we have to keep going. Your aunt is depending on us."

"And how do you know that?"

Did she?

No, that wasn't possible. It was--but she wouldn't do that. Would she?

"From day one literally that was and still is our endgame. You said it yourself," Brin replied.

And also I looked through your texts when you were sleeping! Don't be mad!

Was what she wanted to say, but didn't.

The worry lines on Elliott's forehead subsided. His breathing slowed.

"For a second there I thought--" he shook his head, "Never mind. You're not that type of person."

"The type of person to..."

"Nothing," he rubbed his temple, a nervous chuckle seeping from his lips. "It's stupid. Whatever I did--even though I don't know what that is-- I'm sorry."

"That's stupid. You're apologizing for something that you didn't know you did?"

"Give me a break Brin I'm trying here."

Brin swallowed the jagged rock in her throat. Frustration and anger radiated off of the two, with one person fading into a lull of sadness.

"I know," she sighed, "maybe being cramped in this tiny space is getting to me."

 Her head throbbed in irritation--from everything. From the heat, from deception, from getting worked up, from arguing, from lying to herself.

"It's starting to get to me too," he reached towards the midpoint of his neck, rotating over a spot. "My neck is killing me. I need to stretch."

"Maybe some fresh air might do some good," Brin peeled out of the car following Elliott's footsteps.

___

Soreness painfully ached in her chest. Her breathing mangled itself out into the atmosphere, cough by cough. Lungs hung deflatedly, burning with exhaustion.

"This is what you do for fun?"

"Yup," Elliott stood at the other side of the hill, hands on hips. "Don't you just love running, feeling the air in your lungs?"

"I'm feeling a lot of things right now, none of them pleasant."

"Have you never ran before?"

"I have but not like that," Brin collapsed in the dirt, lifting her head up moments later amongst dandelion fluff. "What are you, training for a marathon?"

"Yes. How'd you know?"

"You're not serious, right? You like this? We are so two different people."

"What are you interested in?"

"Besides books, Netflix,  and rock climbing."

"Rock climbing? This type of athleticism should be perfect for you."

"Let me rephrase that Elliott. I like indoor rock climbing. The ones with the little colourful rocks. The ones with air conditioning, not whatever weather this is," she ripped a dandelion from the grass blowing tufts.

"We have got to get you in shape."

"And why would we do that?"

"Because I'm eyeing my next marathon and I want you to be with me."

"Funny."

"Run my next marathon with me, come on," he lightly tapped her sneakers with his foot. "You know you want to."

"Have you met me! Hello my name is Brin Henderson and you are?"

"Charmed," Elliott shook Brin's extended arm. "Now what do you say, are you in?"

"That's the last thing I want to do. Do you even know me?"

"Technically you didn't deny it," Elliott knelt beside her, picking up his own flower, "you just said it was the last thing you wanted to do. So I'll take that as a yes."

"No," she groaned.

"Yes."

"Not in this lifetime."

"Too late. So should I put you down for 9 am next week?" He pulled out his phone, tapping the screen.

"For...?"

"Training silly. For a second there I thought you were really slow."

"That's my line!"

"Not anymore. I like it. I'm keeping it."

"Not gonna happen."

"Already thinking about trademarking it."

"You're a jerk."

This time Elliott didn't flinch. He softened similar to butter left out at room temperature when Brin laughed with a smile that reached her eyes.

"So...what's your answer?"

"No."

"Fine, I guess the puppies won't find their forever homes," he walked away counting to the number three in his head.

"Wait!"

"No no you said--"

"I know what I said. I changed my mind."

"Did you now?"

"Yes. What's this about puppies?" she sat up, hands pressed out in front of her.

"It's a charity run to raise money for the local Rescue that's being threatened to shut down. The city wants to use the land to build more condos."

"That's no good."

"Exactly," Elliot responded.

Brin mulled it over, holding her chin. A long pause passed til she finally answered. "I'll do it."

"Great."

"Not for you."

"That hurt."

"I'm doing it for the dogs and a good cause."

"You could've softened the blow a little." Elliot pinched his index finger and his thumb together.

"That wouldn't be much fun."

___

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