Stay

14

"If you wanted to hold my hand you could have just asked. I know I'm great," I sarcastically remark, not bothering to pull my hand away. It's not like I would be able to pull it out of his tight hold... even if I tried.

We walk down the steps slowly, his hand still grasping my own. His skin feels warm against my skin, our fingers so easily intertwined. I glance down at our hands, taking note on how easily they seem to fit together. It was scary to see and even more frightening when I realized a guy wanted to freely hold my hand. Regardless of it being a sarcastic jab at my inability to walk down flights of stairs without falling down.

His grip on my hand loosens the moment we take the last step. I quickly slip my hand away, suddenly feeling shy. I had no feelings when it came to Niall. He was a sweet guy with a fun personality. We got along well and he held his own quite well when it came to a battle of the wits. I enjoyed his company but I had no romantic feelings towards him. However, I began to wonder if maybe Niall was feeling something for me. The way he acted towards me and his flirtatious subtleties made me question his feelings. I always thought we had a platonic understanding when it came to one another, however his recent actions were beginning to make me rethink everything.

"I like to run along twenty-fifth avenue and towards Highlander Park. There's a decent path along the ridge of the park that I like to run around. It's a solid mile there and back. Are you up for it?" I explain to him, while stretching my legs. I bring my foot up, holding it to my bum allowing it to stretch for a few seconds.

His eyes travel down to my leg, his forehead furrowing just a tad. "Uh - yeah, that sounds good," he answers.

"Okay... let's go!"

We start down the steps of our apartment building, our feet hitting the pavement in quick motions. I keep a steady pace, not wanting to run too quick this early. I liked to start off slow to let my body get used to it, giving my muscles a few moments to warm up and adjust. Niall follows close beside me as he keeps up the pace.

We silently jog along the road as we make our way to the park. "I don't usually have a running partner. Just to warn you, I'm basically the next Usain Bolt so watch out."

He lets out a loud laugh, "I better step up my speed then. Don't want you bolting too quick," he winks, smiling proudly at his pun.

"Usain-ing you can't keep up?" I reply back, smiling smugly at my own retort as Niall bows his head, laughing lightly.

"Well played."

"Thank you."

We continue to jog down the road, the park coming closer to view. I nudge my head to the side, silently communicating which way to go next. Niall follows closely, our feet keeping rhythm as we run side by side. He elbows my arm lightly. I look over at him, to see that he's looking back.

"Do you run everyday?" He asks.

"Pretty much, yeah."

"That's commitment," he says in awe.

I shrug, "I have a soccer scholarship. I have to make sure I stay in shape or else I won't be able to perform my best."

"A full scholarship? That's pretty impressive."

"Thank you," I reply with a sheepish smile. I always felt a bit embarrassed whenever people would compliment my full ride to Portland State. I never really thought about it or how impressive it looked.

"Your parents must be pretty proud of you."

"They are. The whole scholarship thing was a massive blessing. My parents have money but my last year of high school, my dad came into some complications at work. We were hit with a massive setback and university tuition wasn't in the cards. I didn't find out about the scholarship until a few days before my graduation. It was a very happy day in the Jones household. We still have cake from the celebration party," I explain. Even to this day, I've been amazed by how everything turned out. But of course, it only added to the pressure I've put on myself to do my best.