Split Love

CHAPTER 22

THURSDAY, April 25, 2019

A group of students who had gone to the library to do some school work left a little over 40 minutes ago and Jasmine Davenport was organizing the books left on the tables in their respective places.

On one of the sofas downstairs, Micah was sitting waiting. When Jamie came down from the mezzanine, she noticed that the book, previously in his hands, was left aside. He had rested his head on the back of the sofa, had his arms crossed and his eyes closed.

Even though some Willow Creek neighbors were aware of the datings between Jasmine and Micah - which until then had been limited to dinners, meetings at the library, and morning runs - the two had still not walked around the city together. The conversation with her grandma encouraged her to invite him to the town's annual spring fair, but Micah couldn't go because it was a Saturday.

And that day the dating would be a little different - a walk to the waterfall in the late afternoon.

Jamie had run in the afternoon at the state park before but had never been there at night. And for her, it became a little adventure.

The running time started when Jamie was studying for the SAT, she was anxious and found that running helped her. At first, she ran in the afternoon but when she started working she changed her schedule to the morning.

- You gave up on the book. - Jamie stopped next to Micah and picked up the book he had chosen to read until the library closed.

- It's boring. - His voice was lazy.

Micah opened his eyes and got up. Jamie didn't know if he had dozed off, but there was a tiredness in his eyes.

- Stephen King isn't boring at all, you are the tired one.

- Let's go. - He picked up the book and dropped it on the sofa. Holding her hands, the two walked out of the library.

When Jamie locked the door, the sun was already low and a cold wind coming from the mountains ran through the streets of the small town.

- You're not a bad wolf disguised, are you?

- Well, maybe I'll huff and puff, and blow your door down your door, and take you with me.

A smug smile was on Micah's face as he grabbed Jasmine by the waist and threw her over his shoulder. She laughed as he tickled her.

- Stop! - Jamie managed to say. But just two or three steps later, Micah set Jamie down.

For the first time, Jamie saw a smile on Micah's face. A big smile that made her happy. Finally, he was happy. Micah was happy and Jamie was sure of it.

Jasmine Davenport, a simple small-town girl could make the bad boy smile.

They walked quietly, chatting, to the park entrance on North Haven St, and on. Some parts of the trail were a little dark from the tall pine trees, and Jamie could see some birds roosting in the branches to sleep.

The noise of the waterfall was loud as they went down the few steps before the clearing.

Like before, Micah climbed the big rock first but Jamie started walking from one side to the other, scanning the place.

- you seem tense.

- I've never been here this late.

- is there any danger?

- my grandmother always said yes, but I don't believe it.

- coming from the person who goes on a trail, alone, every morning, you really don't believe it.