“Apparently I haven’t given you all nearly enough work to occupy your time. As of today, that changes.” He turned and pointed down the deserted road. “Run.”
He wanted us to run all the way to the gym? The sun was nowhere near rising; we’d be running in the dark.
“Are you serious?” Lexi asked with a laugh. “I don’t even know how to get there. We’ll get lost in the middle of the woods or something.”
He swept his arm back around and pointed at the road. “Run.”
Fuck him. He wanted to punish us for ruining his booty call the night before? Fine. This wasn’t punishment anyway; this was a morning stroll.
I walked ahead of the group and stopped a few feet in front of him. I could smell his body wash as I stretched out my calves, making a real show of it. “Do we need to get there it in a certain amount of time or—”
His blue eyes pierced mine. “Don’t test me right now.”
I offered a shaky smirk that I hoped looked more confident than it felt.
“Yes, sir. I just want to make sure I run fast enough for you.”
He leaned forward, invading my space. He’d taken the time to shave and I found myself wishing he hadn’t. His jaw was a weakness of mine, so sharp I preferred when it was softened with stubble. Without facial hair, his face was too handsome, too smooth and inviting. His jaw sat in perfect complement to his high cheekbones and though I knew he’d slap my hand away, I was tempted to run my finger along the edge and feel its smoothness in the moonlight.
I was pissing him off; I knew it and I couldn’t stop. He had been right the night before—I did like his attention on me, even if he was about to rip my head off. I thought he’d say something—he looked like he was on the verge—but instead, he shook his head and brushed past me like I meant nothing, less than nothing.
My skin was on fire and my heart was pounding against my chest so hard it hurt, but I straightened my back and set off down the gravel drive. The girls could join me if they wanted. I had a vague understanding of how to get to the gym and a whole hell of a lot of energy to burn.
I ran for the first ten minutes before I heard footsteps behind me on the dark road. The sun was creeping up enough over the horizon and once our eyes adjusted, it wasn’t so hard to see. I followed the road, took deep breaths, and ran.
No one said a word the first few miles; I think we were all too stunned by the change in Erik. We’d pushed him too far, but he deserved it. Or so I kept telling myself.
“What the hell did you guys do last night?” June shouted from behind me.
I was setting the pace for the group and I didn’t have to turn around to feel her glaring at the back of my head.
“Nothing,” Molly answered.
June snorted. “So then why am I running down a dark road at 5 in the morning? This is bullshit.”
“You know what’s bullshit,” I said, whipping around so quickly Molly ran straight into my chest. We gripped onto each other’s shoulders to steady one another and then I turned to June. “It’s bullshit that you think you’re too good for this team.”
Her eyes widened in shock, but it didn’t last long. She stepped up until the toes of our tennis shoes hit. “I’m sorry I don’t want to help you get into our coach’s pants! I have more important shit to do than hang out with any of you.”
I groaned. “You don’t eat with us. You don’t talk to us. When we get to Rio it’s supposed to be us against the world.”
She shook her head, eyes glossing over with fury. “No. It’s me against the world. Now get out of my way.”
With a burst of speed, she pushed through me so hard I fell back against the pavement. Loose gravel ripped into my palms as I caught myself and I hissed at the sharp sting of pain.
“Oh hell no,” Lexi said, reaching for June, but she was too fast. She’d already started sprinting away, heading for the gym without us.
Rosie rushed forward to help me to my feet. “Are you okay?”
I nodded and brushed my hands against my tank top. My palms stung and when I flipped them over, there were a few drops of blood, but it wasn’t anything I hadn’t dealt with before.
“She’s the worst,” Molly said, reaching back to wipe the loose gravel from my shorts.
“I actually feel sorry for her,” I said, staring off toward where she was running in the distance. “These next couple weeks are going to be nearly impossible and if she wants to go it alone, I’m not going to stop her.”
By the time we arrived at the gym, I was exhausted, bloody, and sweating through my clothes. I wanted to go back home, shower, and go back to sleep, but I knew that wasn’t going to happen. Erik stood outside the gym doors, waiting for us to arrive, further proving how far I was from the safety of my bed.
“June beat you all by five minutes.”
“Because she attacked Brie,” Lexi muttered under her breath as she brushed past him and pulled open the gym door. I moved to follow after her, but Erik reached out and gripped my arm to stop me. I glanced down, shocked to find that his hand nearly eclipsed my bicep, so powerful he could have ripped me apart if he wanted to. Hell, it feels like he’s already started.
The girls went inside, but he wouldn’t let me budge. I stared past his shoulder, ignoring his gaze and the feel of his hand on my arm. I knew he could feel my pulse jumping against his palm, but at least he’d assume the heavy rhythm was from my run and not from his proximity.