I was feeling bummed, knowing I wouldn’t see Jace until next weekend and after the closeness of last night, I was going to miss him.
I came downstairs and saw that only Drake, Will, and Remy were up. Drake was manning the griddle, making chocolate chip pancakes. Will was making coffee and Remy was cutting up some fresh fruit.
“Oooh chocolate chip pancakes!” Ella skipped into the room. “Drake makes the best pancakes!” Ella gushed to Nadia.
The girls scrambled up to the island and I poured them each a glass of milk.
“Eat light,” Remy warned me with a teasing smile. “You can eat when we get back from our run.”
I groaned good naturedly, trying to snap out of my funk. “Sure, sick the drill sergeant on me.”
Drake laughed, “He’s our best runner and he knows the best trails to go on.”
I looked at Remy dubiously. Sure, he was fit, but he was built as tall and as wide as a brick house. I would never think running was his forte.
Remy saw my look and chuckled. “Big boys can run too!”
I playfully punched him in the arm. “I never said you were a big boy, more like a…Mack truck.”
“A Mack truck, huh?” he started to advance towards me with menacing steps.
“Stop!” I giggled backing up, my hands extended to ward him off.
It didn’t stop him, and he picked me up and threw me over his shoulder.
“Remy!” I squealed. “I didn’t mean it. I promise. Isn’t taking me running on a Saturday, torture enough?!”
He chuckled. “It will be,” he wagged his eyebrows at me menacingly.
I liked this playful side of him.
I groaned. “I should have shut my big mouth.”
I grabbed a banana as I helped the girls put butter and syrup on their pancakes. “Can you save me some pancakes,” I smiled sweetly up at Drake.
He smiled down at me. “I can save some batter and make them when you get back.”
I shook my head, “No, I can nuke them, thanks though.”
He reached out and tugged my pony tail. “If you’re sure.”
“I am,” I smiled and placed a kiss on his cheek.
“Let’s go,” Remy clapped his hands with an evil smile. “The sooner we leave, the sooner we get back.”
“Slave driver,” I muttered as we left the house.
I don’t know when running became less torturous and more enjoyable. Maybe it was because of the trail Remy chose to take us on. We never even left the property as we ran out past the lake and up into the trees onto a trail that went up the mountains. My breathing was still slightly labored, especially up the inclines, but I was too busy looking at the beautiful fall foliage and nature around me to notice too much.
Of course, Remy wasn’t even out of breath as he jogged beside me. Somehow, I knew he was holding back to accommodate for me, but he didn’t seem to mind. He was even able to hold a conversation with me as he pointed out different things along the trail. We even passed a dilapidated building that he said had been their attempt at building a tree house when they first got there.
He talked more than I ever heard him talk. He regaled me with stories about them as they grew up. It didn’t sound like they had changed much in all their years together. Jace had always been the leader. The voice of reason. Remy had always been the protective one. He was the one willing to beat up any guys that dared picked on the younger members of their ‘family’. Troy had always been the Casanova bringing girls by the house trying to impress them, by any means. Drake had always been the one trying to see the best in others and had been quiet and reserved. Noah was the follower. Anything Troy did, he wanted to do, especially if it involved girls. I found out they had dated quite a few of the same girls; which didn’t surprise me at all. Jaxson was the class clown of the group. Always wanting to be the peace keeper and make people laugh.
Before I knew it, we were at the top of a mountain look out and Remy stopped. I gasped in awe at the beauty surrounding us. I twirled around amazed and I felt so small in this vast world. In the distance, I could see the lake by the mansion and on the opposite side another lake surrounded by more trees.
Remy handed me his camel back and I gratefully took a deep drink from it. I was trying to catch my breath as I braced my hands on my hips. “Holy crap, this is beautiful,” I breathed.
Remy smiled one of his crooked smiles. “This is my spot. Sometimes I like to pack up a tent and sleeping bag and just come out here for a few days. Unplug, where I can’t be reached.” He sat down on a large rock that sat near the edge of the look out.