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A thunderous cheer erupted through the gym. Luke finally released Lydia and looked up to see Marcus’s team celebrating.
“Cheaters!” some of the kids shouted. “We want a redo.”
Lydia plucked the whistle from where it rested on Luke’s chest and blew it so loud his ears rang. “Everybody versus Luke!” she announced.
The kids cheered, scrambling back into their lines.
By the end of the night, Luke was exhausted from chasing kids all over the gym. “You had fun?” he asked as Lydia helped him clean up the equipment.
She rolled a Hula-Hoop in his direction. “So much fun,” she said. “But why do I feel like these kids could run the marathon better than I could with no training?”
Luke laughed. “Because they have boundless energy.”
“You’re really good at it, you know.”
“What?”
“Encouraging them. Making things fun. Maybe if I’d had an influence in my life like that I wouldn’t have to learn how to run at almost thirty.”
“Then we never would have met.” And what a tragedy that would have been. Silence eclipsed them, and Luke cleared his throat. “Hey, so our last big training session is coming up.”
“Wait, already?” she said, frowning and staring off at the wall like she was doing mental math.
“In a couple weeks,” he clarified. “Twenty miles. After that, every run will be shorter, building up to a series of rest days before the marathon.”
She looked perplexed. “So twenty miles and then—”
“I’ll have taught you everything I know. If you can run twenty miles, then you have the endurance and stamina and skills to get you through twenty-six.”
“Oh, right,” she said, her brows drawing together. “Wow. Who’d have thought I’d get here, huh?”
“I did,” he said.
“Yeah, sure.”
“No, really,” he said. “You were so determined during that first meeting. I could tell you had the work ethic, you just needed the encouragement, the push to take the running seriously, to build up your confidence.”
Standing there in this place he’d grown up, watching the flush in her cheeks and the soft, pleased twist of her lips, his heart pounding like a fourteen-year-old who’d newly discovered hormones, Luke realized how far gone he was for Lydia. He knew he had to tell her how he felt. Not now. Not yet. The marathon was close, but until her last training session, until he’d given her all the tools she needed to cross the finish line, Luke knew he’d have to wait. He’d have to be satisfied with returning her brilliant smiles, with assuming they were moving in the same direction. But the moment she crossed that finish line, he would tell her. And if she wanted him the way he wanted her... He couldn’t even find the words.
And if she didn’t... He’d shove his feelings aside, knowing that he’d at least carried her through to the end of her training without completely screwing this up.
Twenty-One
Lydia
Waking up with the knowledge that she had to run twenty miles on a Sunday would’ve made old Lydia want to puke. But soon-to-be marathoner Lydia got out of bed and immediately started hydrating. Wouldn’t Luke just be so proud of her? Part of her couldn’t actually believe she’d made it this far. This was the longest run she would have to do until the marathon. Everything in terms of training was, metaphorically and practically, downhill from here.
She couldn’t stop smiling as she texted Ashley.Twenty miles today! Wish me luck.
That’s a massive number. Kind of amazing.
I know! Luke said we’ll taper off until the race, so this is my last big training milestone.
Sorta like the day you become a Jedi!
I should totally get a lightsaber out of this!
Lydia laughed to herself. It wasn’t like she’d run the marathon yet, but she was still a little proud of herself. Okay,veryproud.
