I definitely don't love you...

Chapter 6, When they both just talk

Ben waited quietly in sports gear. He had just run for an hour. He felt better, his head less full of thoughts. He saw Ninon arriving in the distance, he felt a little pang in his heart. He tries not to pay attention to it. Ninon looked at her feet, she waved at him and sat down next to him.

Ben: Thanks for coming, I hope I didn't seem too intrusive to you.

Ninon: Oh, don't worry, I know how to say no...

Ben: I think I thought I understood...

He tried to smile to relax a little.

Ben: Do you come here often?

Ninon: I grew up there, I ran there all the time

Ben: Are you running?

Ninon: All the time. I don't know how to walk. So I walk around, running. It's my way of walking. This is my office.

Ben: Oh yeah? I ran there every day for years. There, I have a little less time but I spent a large part of my life there.

Ninon: It's funny that we never crossed paths.

Ben: We definitely crossed paths. We just shouldn't have seen each other, it happens.

Ninon looks at him.

Ben: Shall we run?

Ninon: I'm in jeans and city sneakers...

Ben: And?

He starts to run. Ninon groans but follows him.

Ben: Come on, I'll take you to a nice viewpoint!

Ninon: At the top of the little mound at the foot of the dead tree? I know!

They turn.

Ben: And there at the end?

Ninon: The avenue of oaks? I know too.

Ben: You don't know that, that's for sure!

Ninon: I'm sure it is!

They left, laughing like two children.

*

The days of filming continued. Ninon, faithful to her first words, did not return to the set. Ben remained focused. Whenever he wasn't filming, he joined Ninon to run.
they surveyed the surroundings of the Vincennes's wood. On this morning, Ninon, in running gear, finished tying up her sneakers in front of the Vincennes's castle. Her phone had just displayed a message from Ben. " I leave! Are you ready? »

Ninon recorded a voice message: "Looser...I'm already running! Catch me if you can"
Ben burst out laughing and ran off at full speed to catch up with her. Along the way, he felt a few drops of rain bounce off his face. He arrived in front of Ninon, annoyed:

Ben: What do we do, we go back?

Ninon: You're not going to tell me that you're afraid of three drops of water?

Ben: No, it's not that, but I don't really like storms!

Ninon: But no! It's not raining at all there!

A few minutes later, they were soaked to the skin. Ninon wanted to take refuge under a tree.

Ben: No, you're crazy, you don't go under a tree when there's a storm!

Ninon: You're smart! So what do we do?

Ben: We're running! It's just rain! That doesn't stop real runners!

They run in the rain, slaloming and laughing.

*

Ben and Ninon met at the beginning of the afternoon in front of the equestrian center. Ben had finished his day, he would have time to pick up his daughers after school. He was delighted to be able to spend the end of the day with his children. Waiting for the time, they were looking at the horses.