LAILAH
EIGHTEEN
Ijogged down the steps of the dorm to find a big black Jeep waiting, rumbling as it idled.
I peeked up in the window and saw Jay inside, waiting.
I opened the door and had to pull myself into the Jeep since it was lifted.
I had always wanted a Jeep growing up, but that was before my mother showed me all the reports of people dying in them from rolling over.
I didn’t think that would happen with Jay, but it kept me from buying one in high school.
Jay greeted me with a nod of his head and a small twitch of his lips that was as close to a smile as I guessed he gave.
We drove in silence, but it wasn’t uncomfortable; it felt tranquil, peaceful.
There was no need to fill the car with pointless chatter, the quiet said just as much.
It took about thirty minutes to get where he was taking us.
I noticed the open fields and grazing lands faded away to tree-filled hill country.
Jay pulled into a small parking lot that looked like it didn’t see much traffic.
I saw the trail marker for the Lullwater trail, and the map of the trails carved on a large panel of wood.
I hopped out of the Jeep and walked around to look at the map.
I saw there were a few different trails we could pick from, some longer and some shorter.
“You wanna do a hard trail or a more open trail?” Jay asked.
I woke up to find no lingering issues from the mishap with Parker, so that wasn’t a problem. I shook out my body, seeing how it was feeling today. “Let’s do something more challenging. I think I need to push it to the max today.”
This time Jay really smiled at me, excitement flashing in his eyes. “I was hoping you were going to say that.”
He walked to the back of the Jeep and pulled a few things from the trunk.
He handed over a vest that had two water bottles on the front for easy access, and the backpack portion had snacks and a water refill sleeve.
Jay shouldered what looked more like a military-style pack that clipped around his waist, keeping it snug to his body.
“Wow, you are super prepared for this. What if I’d said I wanted the easy run?” I asked.
Jay looked at me with a small grin as he locked up the car. “You like a personal challenge, and this will definitely give you that.” He walked up to me and leaned in to whisper close to my ear. “Also, I think you don’t have many people who challenge you like I will.”
I stood stunned. He gave a soft chuckle and nudged me with his shoulder to shake me out of my frozen state.
“Have you done any trail running before?” he asked.
Shaking my head, unable to look at him, I messed with the straps for the backpack vest.
“Keep your strides short, you need to be able to dodge and jump at short notice. Keep your gaze a good fifteen feet ahead, so you don’t trip.
” He paused to make sure I understood. “When we run uphill, keep your knees soft, but if it’s too rough, don’t try to run it, just fall to a fast walk.
Downhills, don’t land on your heels, keep it soft; otherwise, your knees are going to be screaming tomorrow. ”
“Got it,” I said, hopping up and down a little, shaking out my legs and excited to get this run started.
“Keep up if you can,” Jay taunted as he took off down the trail.
I was quick on his heels, keeping in mind what he told me, not getting too close behind him so I could see what was coming.
The trail dimmed as we got deeper into the woods, the trees casting shadows across the path, making it harder to tell what to avoid.
I trusted my body to respond the way I needed it to and focused more on what was around me.
The forest was lush and green, full of animal activity.
We reached our first downhill portion, and the decline was steep.
A wooden plank had been placed every two feet to give traction as you made your way.
Once down, we worked our way around large trees with roots spreading out around them.
I could feel my lungs burning at the effort to keep up with Jay, but I wasn’t going to wimp out on this.
He’d been right, he laid down the challenge, and I was now going to rise to the occasion.
The feel of my blood pumping through my veins and the sweat trickling down my back made me feel so alive.
I craved the ability to push my body to use the pent-up energy I had and set it free through my muscles.
Jay led the way across a fallen log over a river that was flowing swiftly under my feet.
Jay seemed to float over these obstacles, nothing seemed to faze him.
He ran with such a fluid motion; it was like he was flying along the ground.
I could see the muscles in his arms tighten as he leaned into the uphill climb, his calves bulging as he pushed away from the rocky step.
I was so distracted I almost slid down the hill when rocks shifted under my feet, sending me careening to the right.
I caught myself with my hands, but I could feel the rocks biting into my skin.
I knew they would be scratched up along with my knee, but I managed to keep from backsliding.
I scrambled the rest of the way up the hill—even though it was more like a rock face—and managed to make it to the top without further incident.
Jay was waiting for me at the top, gulping down water as his chest heaved.
Good to know I wasn’t the only one who was winded from that last part.
I brushed the rock from my hands, and some of the cuts started to well up with blood, but I had expected that.
I poured some water over them to wash away the last bit of dirt, and they stung, but I would live.
Jay walked over and grabbed my wrist, turning over my hand to inspect it himself.
When he touched me, I felt a current of energy wash over me, causing me to jerk my hand away from him.
He looked at me with a questioning gaze, unsure of my reaction.
“You didn’t feel that?” I asked.
“Feel what?” said he asked, taking my hand once again, but this time there was no energy. “Hold still. I’ve got a first aid kit.”
He dropped his pack and started searching through it.
Had I been the only one who felt that energy when we touched?
Granted, it didn’t happen the second time, but it couldn’t have been just me.
Jay deftly bandaged up my hands and my knee, and we were off again.
I assured him I was fine, and we didn’t need to head back just because I’d gotten scraped up.
The farther in the woods we went, the more breathtaking it became.
Never before had I seen such an old forest untouched by human hands.
After we ran for another hour or so, I was dripping sweat, and my legs started to tremble.
“Jay, I don’t know that I can keep going if we don’t take a break soon. We’ve been running for almost two hours,” I said in between gulping breaths.
“Do you think you can make it just a little farther if we take it easy?” Jay asked.
“How far is a little father?” I asked, not trusting him to be honest.
He grinned at me as if he was pleased that I was challenging him. “Just down this hill and to the left a little. It will be worth it.”
I groaned, knowing that he was going to win this. “Fine, but if I don’t think it’s worth it, then you owe me a foot massage.”
“What do I get if it is?” Jay asked.
I paused, unsure of what he would want. “What do you want?”
“You, running with me every morning for a week,” Jay answered.
“Really? That’s what you want? Sure, I’m fine with that,” I said, surprised that was his choice.
“Let’s get a move on then,” Jay said as he disappeared down the hill.
“Come on, Lailah. You can do this,” I said, trying to get a little pep in my step.
I made my way down the hill, which was steeper than any we had managed to this point.
I was glad there were rocks embedded into the trail, so I didn’t end up sliding down it on my butt.
When I got to the bottom, I hung a left where the trail split, like Jay had said, and followed along a small stream.
The going was rough, like animals, and not people, used this path.
I had to manage every step carefully, so I didn’t twist my ankle and end up not making it back to school at all.
Just when I was about to give up and just sit right there on the path, I turned another corner around a stand of trees and gasped.
The grove of trees opened up to show a waterfall that was shooting out of a rock wall ahead of me.
The water splashed into a pool of water that fed the stream that I had seen as we’d been running.
The cool mist of the waterfall felt like heaven on my sweaty skin, refreshing me.
I felt a breeze weaving through the trees, sweeping up the mist, causing the sun to reflect in it, creating a giant rainbow.
The wind swirled around me, wrapping me in the prism of colors before it dissipated.
“So, I guess we’re going to see each other a lot this week,” Jay said, appearing behind me, making me jump.
“Ah, don’t do that, stomp your feet or something, will you,” I said, clutching my chest.
Jay just grinned and made his way over to an open area with a fallen tree. He slipped off his backpack and sat down and began pulling out food.
“You thought of everything, didn’t you,” I said, joining him.
“It’s always smart to be prepared,” Jay said, handing me a white paper bag.
“How could you possibly know to bring these?” I said, looking into the bag, confirming that they were indeed my favorite sugar cookies.
“You forget, I live with Parker,” Jay said, shrugging. “He felt bad and gave me these for you, said it would make you forgive him.”
I laughed so hard I almost knocked myself off the log into the dirt. Parker knew just how much I loved these cookies.
“I’m going to assume from your reaction that his guess was correct.”
“These cookies could get anyone back in my good graces,” I said, pulling one out and breaking it in half. “Wanna try some?”
Jay tentatively reached out and took the chunk of cookie. “Normally, I don’t indulge in sugar.”
I held my breath, waiting to see what he thought of it. He chewed for what seemed like an eternity and swallowed, but didn’t say anything right away. I couldn’t hold it any longer. “Well?”
“They are quite good.”
“Quite good? Seriously, that’s all you have to say about the small piece of heaven you just ate?” I said, exasperated.
“You’ll come to find that I don’t give compliments easily or often. Take it or leave it.”
This caused me to start laughing again. I should have known better than to expect him to react like a normal person would. “What else did you pack in your bag of tricks?”
“The normal things: a map, compass, satellite phone, Leatherman multitool, first aid kit, flashlight, binoculars, and food,” Jay said, pulling out each item to show me.
“You have a satellite phone? Who has a satellite phone?” I said, snatching it out of his hands and looking it over.
“My dad owns one of the biggest private security companies in the eastern hemisphere. I work with him a lot and end up in places that phones don’t work, like here,” Jay explained.
“Wow! You do that and go to school? You must be crazy busy.”
“I don’t attend classes at Ryevick. I do online classes.”
“Is that why I never see you on campus? I was wondering if you did all night classes or something.”
“Yes, my father doesn’t feel that Ryevick has much to offer me that he can’t give me through experience. I have been working with him since I could shoot a gun.”
I balked at that; I’d never been around guns, my family was very much against it. “How old was that?”
“I think it was about ten when I passed my qualifications, but I prefer a bow to a gun. Personally, I think it takes more skill to use than a gun.”
“Holy shit, are you a ninja or something?”
Jay laughed and coughed, choking on his trail mix at that comment. “Is it because I’m Asian?”
“What? No, I mean you can shoot a gun and a bow, you run like the wind, and you snuck up on me like a ghost,” I said, scowling at him.
He looked at me with contemplative eyes before he answered. “My father taught me to be a force to be reckoned with. I am skilled in many ways of fighting, infiltration tactics, and strategic planning.”
“Remind me never to piss you off, but if I get in a tough spot, I’ll know who to call,” I said, bumping into him with my shoulder.
Jay stilled at my words and turned to look at me, holding my gaze intently. “I know you’re joking, but I truly hope that you know that I would come to your aid in an instant.”
Under his intense gaze, I felt a trickle of fear at his words.
It was the first time I truly got a glimpse of the person under the stoic expression.
It would be terrifying if you found yourself his enemy.
I hadn’t a clue what caused Jay to consider me a friend, but I was thankful for it, knowing how dangerous he could be.
“Here, eat this. We still have to make it back to the car,” Jay said, his mask back in place, handing me an energy bar.
“How far is it back to the car?” I asked, letting the topic change.
“About thirty minutes, but it’s the toughest part of the trail.”
“I should have known, by how wild the path was. How did you find this place anyway?”
“I like to go camping when things get crazy back at the house. It’s more peaceful out here in the woods when Micah and Parker get into it.”
“They’re that bad, huh?”
Jay shook his head, “It’s like two wild dogs fighting over the same bone. It’s messy and loud, even Beth can’t break them up sometimes.”
“Who’s Beth?” I asked, feeling irritated to hear a woman’s name.
“She’s the one who looks after us while we’re here at school. Come on, let's get going.”
I was already groaning as I stood, feeling my legs crying out to rest just a little longer.
Jay wasn’t kidding that the way back was rough.
It was uphill the whole time, and the path was rocky with lots of shifting dirt to manage.
When we reached the Jeep, I almost couldn’t pull myself back into the seat, Jay had to give me a boost.
“Please tell me we aren't going to be doing this the rest of the week, I don’t think I could survive that.”
“No. I only go trail running once or twice a week. The track we did today I normally can only manage once a week, it’s the hardest one I do.”
“What the fuck, Jay! You took a beginner on a trail you can only manage to do once a week?”
“I told you I would challenge you. If I had told you, then you would never even have tried. Now look, you managed to do the whole thing. You’re stronger than you give yourself credit for,” Jay said looking at me out of the corner of his eye as he drove.
I stuck my tongue out at him and huddled in the seat, not looking at him but smiling to myself. I’d managed to do something like this on the first try. I should get a gold star and another cookie for that.