500 Miles

Six

Song for this Chapter: 

Brother- Madds Buckley

"And I left you alone in a house, not a home
And I watched the burning grow as my hair filled with grey
From the ashes that fell
The mountains I knew so well
Burned with hellfire in the blue light of midnight"

**Ophelia** 

When I wake, the sun hasn't risen, and Blake is still sound asleep next to me. His lips are parted obnoxiously, and his chest rises and falls with his even, deep breaths. A lock of hair falls over his forehead, the rest falling against the pillow. He has a spray of freckles across his nose and shoulders. I never noticed.

Rising silently, I stand and stretch, noticing the clothes basket of our clothes at the foot of the bed. There are clean towels too, an invitation I regretfully pass on for the time being. I pull out my well worn boots and quietly grab a pair of sweatpants from the closet. I needed to run, it was my stress relief, and this seemed as safe a place as any.

I manage to dress without waking Blake, tiptoeing down the hall, my boots in hand. Rod and Reyes are up already, looking at a map, when I try to sneak by.

"Up awfully early Scarlatti." Reyes says. I look at my watch. Sh-t, she's right. It's barely four.

"Couldn't sleep, thought I'd pop out for a quick run." I say, grabbing a bottle of water. I can't remember where my camelbak is. Reyes looks at me pointedly.

"Your hip." Is all she says. I sigh, and turn to go back upstairs.
"A mile. End of the road and back. But take something with you should you need to defend yourself."
She slides a knife across the table to me. I stop it with ease, tucking it into the waistband of the sweatpants.
"Yes ma'am. That I can do." I tie my hair up with a hair tie, and quietly slip outside. A quick stretch and I'm jogging up the driveway, my hip feeling better than ever.

I'm lost in thought as I run, stopping occasionally to rinse my mouth out and take sips of water. I'm further than a mile out, but there's no movement around. It's clear. I turn back once I hit the highway, doubling my pace to a sprint. The rough pavement under my feet feels incredible, the sun slowly lighting the sky behind me.

I'm almost sad when I reach the driveway again, but my head is clear, thoughts are free, and my hip isn't hurting. I step back inside and slide the knife back to Reyes. "Coast is clear."

I can tell by the look she gives me she knows I went farther than a mile, but she doesn't say anything regarding it. "You look happy, O." She smiles. "It's a nice change."

I return the smile before taking my boots off and heading upstairs, stripping and going straight for a shower. This time I allow myself to use hot water, checking on Blake while it gets steamy. He's still asleep, holding a pillow to his side. He stirs, groaning. I quickly slip back into the bathroom, stepping under the scalding water. I take my time, shampooing and conditioning my hair before shaving again. I missed the normal things. I'm lathering up the loofah when I hear quiet footsteps by the door.

"O?" Bellamy asks. I poke my head out from behind the curtain. I must look awful, my hair up in a messy bun, soaking in the conditioner.
"Morning." I say cheerfully, flashing him a grin. He nods, and looks at me with sad eyes.

"I didn't get to shower last night. Can I maybe..." his voice trails off, but the question is there. 

I weigh my options. What's the worst that could happen, right? He's already seen me in a sports bra, and my lower half and hip too. He could turn you down, the voice in my head whispers.