Coming Back to You ✔

30. June

It was just a run. Just a run. With plenty of people around. Everything would be okay.

It was just a run.

Sophia kept repeating those words to herself as she tied up her running shoes, trying to keep herself calm. Jamie had assured her that plenty of people would be running in Central Park on a Saturday in the late morning, which is the only reason why Sophia could bring herself to even think about going out to exercise. People meant nothing could happen to her. Nothing Graham related, anyway.

The full heat and humidity of summer hadn't hit New York City yet, for which Sophia was eternally grateful for. She desperately hoped that the F.B.I. would get her out of this whole mess before that. Forget serial killers, for someone who grew up in the California Bay Area, humidity was the real monster.

Jamie had been right. As Sophia powerwalked to the park, everyone and their mother was out, walking their dogs, walking with each other, or just walking. And when she arrived at the paved loop that went circled within Central Park, she relaxed just the tiniest bit.

It almost looked like a race was going on, that's how many people were out for their weekend run. She spotted anyone ranging in age from fourteen to eighty, moving at barely faster than a walk to seemingly trying to emulate The Flash.

People. People would keep her safe.

Keep her safe from attack. Nothing could save her from the fact that she hadn't regularly worked out since college.

Sure, working as an E.D. nurse meant that she walked over ten thousand steps a day, and she tried to mostly eat healthy, although she had definitely lost weight over the last month. But after five minutes at a healthy jog, Sophia was about ready to pass out.

But she didn't. And she didn't stop. She kept going and going, not caring about everyone who passed her because at least she was here, doing something, instead of wallowing in her apartment.

She was too focused on her breathing to think about Dean. Too focused on her screaming leg muscles to think about Graham. Too focused on the way sweat streamed down her face and neck to think about how much she missed working as a nurse.

Three miles in, she finally stopped, heaving in her breaths, leaning her hands on her knees. Okay, maybe she needed to do that more often.

Sophia made her way back to Central Park West and faced north. Damn it. Now she had to walk back.

She grabbed a bottle of water from a street cart, and once her body gained some of its energy back, it was actually an enjoyable walk. Trees lined the sidewalk and she got a close-up look at the multitude of dogs, ranging from giant Great Danes to tiny chihuahuas. Bicyclists whizzed by, most of whom were taking food from restaurant to consumer, and ambulances and firetrucks raced by, sirens blaring. As a city, the vibe was completely different from L.A., and Sophia didn't completely hate it. Everyone minded their own business as they went about trying to get to where they wanted to go, not overly rude but not overly friendly, either.

The hairs on the back of Sophia's neck rose, her skin prickling. An uneasy feeling drifted through and settled in her stomach. Without trying to be completely obvious, Sophia glanced behind her, her blood freezing in her veins when she saw the car.

It wasn't in a lane, in fact, it was in the bike lane, moving at about five miles an hour with its hazard lights on. Altogether, not the strangest sight ever in New York. But as Sophia moved block after block, the car still trailing obviously behind her, her terror grew.