Running Past Dark by Han Nolan

Author:Han Nolan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Published: 2023-09-19T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

Journal: Are true badasses always badasses, or do they have moments of unbadassery? Also, for the record, I hate the word “journaling.”

I’M SORE, EXHAUSTED, AND CHILLED to the bone. The first thing I do when I get inside is take a shower and try to thaw out. The darkness and weather spooked me so much that when I open the curtain to get out of the shower, I see my own reflection in the mirror and scream.

I head for work, and drive around to the back to park, then sit there, still trembling. The store is dark, shrouded in the gloom of rain and mist. Thunder rolls overhead. Once I unlock those doors, anybody can come in, and I’m the only one here for the first hour. I text Nico, tell him that I’m afraid to be alone at the store. So much for being a badass.

He tells me he’s on his way, and ten minutes later he pulls around back and parks beside me. I hop out of my car.

“Scottie, you okay?” Nico asks. He hurries around his car to where I’m standing, hugging myself and shivering. He gives me a hug.

I hug him hard then release him. “Thanks for coming, Nico. You didn’t have to.”

“Yes, I did. What’s got you so scared?”

“I don’t know. I really don’t. It’s the thunder, I guess, and running in the dark alone for hours.”

“Alone?” Nico’s brows disappear under his wet bangs. “Weren’t you with the group?”

I shrug. “We split up. I told them to go on ahead.”

Nico tilts his head, not understanding.

“If I get to run Hellgate, I’ll be alone in the dark, so I thought it would be good practice. I just didn’t expect so much—bad-weather scariness.”

Nico’s nodding, standing there shivering in his shorts and thin jacket.

“Oh, I messed up your run, didn’t I?”

“Nah, we were just finishing.”

“Well, thanks again. Let’s get inside and get warm.” I unlock the door, shut off the alarm system, and hurry to the front to unlock the customer doors. No one is there waiting to shop, so we buy a couple of energy bars and sit on the bench at the back of the store to eat them.

Nico chomps down half his bar in one bite. “So why didn’t the others insist on staying with you? I don’t get it. Isn’t the point to run together?”

“I can’t expect them to stay with me. They have races to prepare for. Anyway, I need to get used to it.”

“Not when there could be someone out there trying to hurt you. I’m running with you from now on. You’re not safe.”

“You can’t do that. Besides, I’m doing longer training runs than you are. And really, the trail is the one place I do feel safe—most of the time. Today just got to me.”

“I don’t care. I’m running with you. I’m going to New York this week to see a specialist about my arm, but I’ll be back by next Saturday.” He pulls out his phone. “I’ll check with Senda and make sure it’s okay with him.

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