My Brother's Best Friend

four

Beep. "Hey, this is the Walker and Adam residence. Sorry, we're not available, try again later or leave a voicemail." Beep.

I waited for the phone to stop ringing and walked away. There was no way I was ever answering that phone call.

The phone beeped once again alerting that they had left a voicemail. I played it back. "Hello, Matthew. A little birdy, well, actually your father, told me that Jessica has upped and moved to California. Could you please get her to call me? She has something of mine I want back. Goodbye."

Sorry, Mommy, but you'll have to cut this credit card off before you get it back!

It took her three weeks to call and find out where I went. It pains me knowing she didn't care about me but instead wanted to know where her money was. I immediately deleted the message not letting anyone know that she called. If she wanted to talk to Matt, she would call him on his cell phone, not our house phone where I could pick it up.

She frustrates me so badly. I need to go for a run. Running tends to help me get my anxiety under control.

I threw on a pair of running shorts with a sports bra and grabbed my running shoes. It's ninety-five degrees out, so there was no need for a shirt.

I grab my armband that my phone can fit in, and plug my phone into the slot, turning the music in my headphones up. I slid my shoes on and made my way over to the door so I could leave.

I turn the corner to start my route to the beach, only to hit somebody's shoulder on the way out of the front door. "Shit," I mumbled, rubbing the edge of my forehead. Why can't I just go for a simple run without something interrupting me? I feel so unlucky.

I jinxed myself.

"Where do you think you're going?" Garrett curiously asks, roaming his eyes all over my body.

"On a run. Goodbye." I grumbled, trying to push past him.

He chuckled, "You know you shouldn't go running by yourself. Do you even know where to go?"

"What's your point?" By now my adrenaline was building up and my frustration was increasing. He was blocking the whole sidewalk with his huge frame, so I couldn't go around him.

"Give me one minute I'll go run with you. Just need to find my shoes."

"Fine, I don't think I need a running buddy-. Just hurry." I groaned peeking into the house where he had disappeared.

Garrett finally came out, without a shirt on and with some nice-looking running shoes. I grumbled "Let's go" and started running to wherever my feet led me.

I don't know how long we have been running, but my playlist of twenty songs has started over. It was about eighty minutes of songs which is just under an hour and a half of running.

I stopped at the light waiting for the crosswalk to turn to walk. I turn around and Garrett is still with me. "Holy shit girl you got a ton of energy," Garrett stated resting his hands on his knees and looking at the ground. I was breathing a little hard, but I still had energy left in me for more.

I don't reply.

"Hey, can we take a rest for a minute? I don't think I've ever run ten miles without stopping holy shit." I nodded. "Follow me." He insisted.

He led me into a park that was nearby. He passed all of the playground seats and just kept walking into the forest. Seems cliché, right?

"Um, if you randomly pull out a gun, I will scream." I was half joking, half serious. I wasn't sure what this guy could do. I barely know him.

"Chill Jess. Just a few more minutes." I walked beside him, and now I slowed a little. We were getting way back in here. He grabbed my hand and started pulling me to come faster. When I wouldn't he started running; still pulling me. I'm pretty sure my arm was going to be out of its socket in a second.

I ignored the nice feeling of our hands being together. There was no need to care about it. It isn't like I could date him anyway. Matt would hate the idea.

We stopped at a pond, overlooking the mountains and scenery. "This is beautiful." I gushed.

"What are you waiting on? Come on!" I looked at where he was standing confused. But he wasn't there. "Jess, come on!"

I looked at the pond and there he was, in it. "That's so gross! No!" All I could think of was bacteria.

"Oh, come on, live a little princess."

I furrow my eyebrows, "Oh, I'm living the life alright, and don't call me princess."

"Don't make me get out," he said sternly and placed his hands on his hips.

"I'm so threatened." I put my hand over my heart and gasped. All I wanted to do is go on a run to feel better, yet here I am with the sexiest guy on the planet trying to get me into a nasty pond filled with duck poop. Sexy? Oh God, the heat is so getting to you, Jessica.

I turned around and was going to start my journey back home. I was stopped when I was thrown over someone's shoulder. "What? Garrett!" I pounded on his back, "Wait!"

He laughed, "What?"

"At least let me leave my phone and stuff over here so it doesn't get wet. I know what you are fixing to do." I think back to the other day at the beach where he and Matt picked me up and threw me into the ocean.

He dropped me on the ground, making me land with a 'plump!' I took off my shoes, armband, and headphones. Once I stood back up, I was swept off my feet, once again. My back broke the surface of the water, making a cool blast on my sweaty body.

I groaned, "Ugh." It was so slimy; I couldn't stand it. I had to get out. "I swear if I get out and I'm all bones because this is acid then-" I started rambling on.

"Hey now, I'm in it too." Garrett interrupted. "They have a natural filtration system."

"Yeah, can we go back?" I felt as if my anxiety was going through the roof from being in this water. What if something tries to bite me? I can't even see in the water it is too dirty.

"In a minute, just relax."

I took a deep breath and floated letting life take its course for a minute, "Is this where you take all the girls you go running with?"

"You're the first person I've ever shown this to."

"Wow. I feel special!" My heart fluttered. Do guys have emotions? I thought that was a theory!

He ran his fingers through his blonde hair and sighed, "You sure are." He then started getting out of the water and walked over to our stuff. I was frozen. What did he mean by, you sure are? I shook the thought out of my head and then got out too and followed him back to our belongings.

"I can't believe we didn't even bring a towel. I feel so gross, ugh!"

"Well, I didn't know we were going to be running ten miles or I would have." He chuckled from beside me and shook out his hair, letting water droplets fly everywhere.

Eventually, we then walked back in silence to the house too exhausted to go at a faster pace. It also could have been that I just wanted to spend more time with him.

"Hey, Jess?" Garrett broke the silence from beside me.

"Yeah?" I breathed back.

"Don't tell anyone about this place, this is our spot." Our spot. That had a nice ring to it.

I smiled, "Our secret is safe with me." I crossed my fingers as if I was promising him to not tell his mom he stole twenty dollars from her purse.

I looked to my right at Garrett, he even had a sexy walk. He walked with confidence as if he was Tom Brady.

I look at his hand placed beside him, just dangling in the air. I was so tempted to hold it, I wanted to see how it felt.

But we never got close enough.