Who's the real you?

Chapter Thirty- One

Belle ran across the beach as she took in the sun rising, she liked the early mornings. She liked watched the early morning risers on her morning jog, she liked enjoying the silence by herself as she let the sand kick under her shoes.

Belle felt her ponytail sway behind her head as she ran as fast as her feet allowed her to on the sand.

She watched her step as the waves of the water started to push their way onto the beach, she kept her focus in front of her.

Running was the only thing that Belle knew she could claim as her own, running alone in the morning was the only thing Belle could control. She didn't need to lie, she didn't need to sugar coat the truth, she didn't need to be a rockstar's wife or his manager, she didn't need to be a mother of two children, she didn't need to be anyone important as the rising sun reflected off the beach water.

Belle let herself drop to her knees; she felt the water push its way around her. She felt a shiver of cold run through her body as her knees started to feel like they were sinking into the sand.

"Hey? Are you okay?"

Belle shielded her eyes as she looked up, she noticed a man crouching in front of her "I guess I just ran out of breath." She wasn't sure if that was a lie or if the thoughts in pain had inflicted her morning run.

"Yeah, running along the sand does that to you. Even the experienced struggle sometimes." He tried to pass it off as a joke. "Do you want a hand up?"

Belle watched as the water pushed its way back towards her, she felt the water hit her knees again. She slowly exhaled as the water retreated.

The man stayed in front of her, letting his shoes get wet and as if the sand was sinking beneath the weight of his shoes.

"Sure." Her one simple reply felt defeated.

He reached his hand out to her, Belle took it.

He helped her too her feet as he rose up to his own feet.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

Belle nodded "You'd think after two years, I'd learn not to get close to the water."

He smiled a little as he let a hint of laughter slip through. He liked her accent "How about I help you get back to the footpath?"

Belle shifted her glance up towards the fence line of the beach, she knew she had to get back to her kids. She had always promised herself that when she felt the exhaustion of a morning run that she'd go back to them "Sure." She shifted her gaze back to him.

The man kept a short distance as he and Belle walked side by side up the beach.

"I'm Channing."

"Sorry?"

"My name. Channing."

"Oh. Sorry. I'm." It was almost as if she had to think of her name, she hadn't spoken it in so long "Hannah."

"Well, Hannah. You definitely look a little better than just a second ago."

Hannah tried to hide her smile as she felt her feet step onto the concrete "Thanks for your help, Channing."

"Anytime. I'll let you get back to running." Channing knew not to overstay his welcome even though her accent took his interest.

"Thanks." She watched as Channing walked up towards the carpark of the beach front, she wanted to watch which once was his car, but she didn't, instead she made her way back towards her home.