Free Run: Beginnings by Michaela Adams Page A

outside, her arms wrapped around herself, as she watched Eric lock the doors of the shop. Closing time. He looked over his shoulder at her shivering form. “What are you doing? Little rabbit, I told you to get your butt into that truck and warm yourself!” he said, giving her a gentle shove towards her truck.
                  “Well I thought I’d wait for you but I didn’t know you had so many locks on your door,” she said, sniffling her cold running nose.
                  “You can never be too careful,” he said, locking the third lock.
                  Natalie smiled to herself as she opened her truck door. In a town of less than 10,000, she was sure one could be a little lax in their precaution towards strangers. A gust of wind blew against her, knocking her back a step, as she tried to get into her truck. “God, it’s getting cold,” she murmured to herself.
                  Eric, finally done securing his closed shop, turned around. He opened his mouth as if to say something when another gust of wind blew, this time bringing with it the eerie howl of an animal.
                  Natalie shivered. Even the animals were crying out at how cold it had become. She was surprised more of them weren’t hold up for the winter already. “Eric!” she called out, her teeth chattering.
                  But Eric was frozen solid, his mouth slightly open in surprise. Natalie wondered if he had maybe forgotten something inside. But before she could ask, he quickly came up to her side, taking the car door from her. “You should head on home, little rabbit. It’s cold,” he said, his voice unusually low.
                  Natalie looked up at him searchingly. “But you’re coming over tonight, aren’t you?” she asked. She knew he had his own truck parked behind the street. Eric looked down the road in the direction of her house. His face seemed suddenly distracted.
                  “No,” he said. “Not tonight. But get home safe and I’ll see you tomorrow.” Before she could say anything else, he bent down to give her a quick kiss and then ran off towards his truck.
                  Perplexed and more than a little disappointed, Natalie got into her car. Shivering, she drove home, wondering what had so suddenly distracted Eric.
    ***
                  But it wasn’t just that day Eric was distracted. For the following two days, Eric became more and more remote. He hadn’t come over to her house or come to her bed at all. Although he still spoke with her and welcomed her when she visited the store, he wasn’t as present as he used to be.
                  Natalie wondered what was going on.
                  She knew that sometimes when she had a problem or a concern, she sometimes preferred thinking it through first before sharing it with others. Perhaps that was the case with Eric as well. And if it indeed was, Natalie didn’t want to crowd him while he gathered his thoughts in order. She would give him the space he clearly needed. For now.
                  As Natalie was putting away some of the week’s groceries, she heard a knock at the door. She recognized that knock. Running with absurd eagerness, she yanked open the door. Eric stood on her porch with a coat and hat on, and completely out of breath.
                  “Little rabbit,” he said, coming closer but not entering the house, “I want you to promise me something.”
                  Natalie nodded, wide eyed in curiosity. “Eric, what’s wr—”
                  He shook his head, cutting her off. “Promise me that until I say so, you won’t go wandering into the woods like you did that one night.”
                  Natalie was brought up short. Of all things she thought he’d ask of her, this was the last thing she expected. “Oh, um, okay. I