Day 3 - Then

"Hello, gorgeous."

Hearing Cole's voice always made me smile and after the night I had, I needed it more than my next breath.

"Hey," I giggled into my phone. I took a quick look at the time and winced. It was a little after six my time and I figured he was getting ready for bed back in Angel Grove. He was an early sleeper. "Did I wake you?"

He yawned on the other end, "Nah, I was just resting my eyes."

"Liar," I smiled in return. "I forgot about the time difference."

"You can call me anytime. What are you guys up to today?"

"I'm not sure," I sighed, "I think Jason wanted to go out to his family's restaurant but I think we're going to wait a few more days. I'm about to get a morning run in and then I was thinking about going into town and just exploring a little bit, see what the culture is like."

"That sounds like fun. Don't spend all your savings in one place," he teased.

"Might be a little too late for that, remember?" I smiled in return

"I'll be sure to bring an extra bag so that we can take all your stuff back."

Just a few more days until he was right beside me.

"I can't wait for you to get here!" I told him. "It's beautiful. You're going to love it."

"I bet! You can take me on a private tour once I get there."

I told myself that there was nothing more exciting than having him all to myself, but somehow I didn't believe that.

The conversation didn't last much longer than that. We hung up and I was able to concentrate on stretching before my morning run. I was used to doing them early in the morning to get my day started out right, but I hadn't been able to do that since being in Greece. It was the time when I was able to decompress and just be with my own thoughts.

They say shower thoughts are a real thing, and they are, but I love to extend that by including them in my run. Cole preferred to get his workout in the gym, but nothing beats fresh air and the sounds of nature. You can't find that in a gym with grunting men and judgmental women.

Besides, who has time to wait for a treadmill to open up?

Trini and Aisha said they were going to join me this morning, but as the hand ticked on my watch, I still didn't see them. Figures they would bail. I couldn't wait for them much longer or the sun would be right in my face.

I was feeling a little bit more energized with my new outfit. I had picked up a few items before I had left for Greece and I was wearing them now. There's something about new pieces that just gives you this unspeakable energy. It wasn't anything too exciting, just a simple sports bra and black leggings, but something about the way my body fit into it made me feel like I was back in the pink ranger suit.

I shook my legs to my sides as I began to warm my body up. This was something I always had to do before my runs. I wasn't as flexible as I used to be when compared to my gymnastic days, but I think that just comes with inching closer to thirty.

The heat was creeping up my legs, little by little, until I felt the familiar burn on my thighs. This was going to be a good run, I just knew it was. Although I was mostly doing cardio, I still needed to warm-up my arms. I swung them around a little, stretching the muscles that were still in deep sleep. One of these days it wasn't going to feel like a chore.

"You're up early," I heard the familiar voice come behind me.

It wasn't Trini. It was my savior from last night.

Joy.

It was too early in the morning to pretend I was happy to see him. I remained silent.

"Does my presence make you speechless?" Tommy grinned at me and I had the sudden urge to slap it off. "I didn't realize I still had that affect on you."

"It doesn't," I scowled. "I guess you just can't take a hint that someone might just not want to talk to you."

He placed a hand over his heart, feigning emotion, "I am hurt. I am extremely approachable."

I'm not sure what to respond to that. He can keep the conversation going by himself because I don't plan on entertaining him. Not after what he pulled last night.

I was a little surprised when I saw him joining me in the stretching. I'm not sure what his plan is here. Doing my best to focus on my stretching, I move to touch my feet, pulling my hamstrings. I steal a quick glance back to my watch, seeing the minutes tick by. I was already behind ten minutes.

Where the hell were they?

I caught Tommy looking at me from the corner of my eye and I tried to not let that affect me.

"They aren't coming," he said and he sounded too cheery for it being six in the morning.

I knew it!

"Did they tell you that?" I nearly growled at the fact that I had to break my vow of silence.

"Nah," he shook his head. "but I did see them drag themselves in a few hours ago. They were in no condition to run… unless you count the toilet. I think their hangover might run the entire trip."

Damn it!

I cursed under my breath but shook the frustration off. No big deal, I guess. It'll be like I had originally planned. More time for myself and my thoughts. I only wish that I hadn't waited for them to not show up.

With a quick exhale, I began my run with a light jog. It was like my warm up as I was exercising. It did all of the things I needed it to do. It would wake me up, get my heart pumping, and get me into a good rhythm.

I wasn't expecting Tommy to join me.

He jogged beside me in silence and it continued like that while I picked up my pace.

What the fuck?

This was my me time! How could I enjoy my run that was meant to be used to forget him while he ran right next to me? It doesn't work that way.

"I hope you don't mind if I join you," he said to me.

I do!

"Whatever," I mumbled and forced myself to focus on how my feet hit the pavement.

It worked… for about two seconds.

"You're a better runner than I remember."

Was my attempt of brushing him off not obvious?

"Do you remember when we would do laps around the park to see who would get the fastest time?"

Oh, I remember. It was one of our favorite things to do. If there was ever something that Tommy and I had in common, it was our mutual love for competition. We would run laps around the park when we wanted a quick work out and when we wanted a challenge we would go to the lake.

"That wasn't a fair race and you know it," I told him as I tried to drive my focus back towards my feet and the pavement.

"It wasn't?" I heard his smirk in there.

"No!" I squeaked, "Your legs are way longer than mine, meaning longer steps, meaning you would cheat."

"I'd just call it an advantage," he shrugged.

"An unfair one!"

He laughed beside me as we continued our run in silence. I didn't want to have this meaningless conversation based on something in our past. That's what friends did. They reminisced. We were the opposite of that. Now and forever.

I steered myself towards the edge of the walkway. Tourists were still in their hotel rooms either sleeping off a hangover from the night before or fighting themselves to adjust to the time difference. I was used to being up at odd hours of the day working on the next project to present to the board members, so it really didn't take me too long to adjust. The perks of office life, I suppose. Anyway, that left the pathways nearly empty aside from a few locals setting up shop for when the tourists woke up. I don't think i'd ever see Santorini like this at any other time. The water was thrashing against the shore down below and somehow it brought peace to me. The wonders of mother nature. The sky was clear and I could make out a few islands off in the distance that I hadn't been able to see before.

This is what I would show Cole once he was here.

I was a little too lost in my thoughts to remember that I wasn't alone. I still had company. He had fallen behind a little, but I don't think it had anything to do with his ability to keep up. Tommy was in great shape… in better shape if I seem to recall the shirtless midnight swim session correctly.

I took a quick look back and found him no more than five feet behind me. He smiled when my eyes met his and I turned ahead with a scowl. Damn it.

I stopped at a lookout point a little ways ahead to catch my breath and just take in the view. I'd traveled a bit but this was nothing like I had ever seen before.

Tommy joined me a few moments later but the smile he had before was now gone, replaced with a seriousness.

"I think you should reconsider my offer of being friends," he said as he approached me.

"Friends?"

"Why not?" He shrugged.

"You really think we could be friends?" I asked and I waited for a response from him. He gave me nothing. "After everything we've been through together? Friends shouldn't know each other the way we do."

"That makes the best of friends, don't you think? We don't have to put up any pretenses. We know who we are."

Yes, they do, but what I meant was something entirely different. We know each other on an intimate level. I may know Jason like the back of my hand, but there's a side to him I have never met… nor do I want to! I can't erase that side of Tommy from my mind. I can't ever look at him the same way.

I shook my head and moved past him, "I think it only adds to the confusion."

He didn't let me leave, instead he grabbed onto my forearm, forcing me to stay put.

"What confusion? We had a past, sure, but it's over and done with. I'm not asking for your hand in marriage, I'm asking for your friendship. Something you have no problem giving to anyone else."

"It's not that simple."

"Not that simple? Really?" He looked at me, incredulously, "I get it. I was an asshole for doing what I did and I'm sorry, but is that a reason to pretend that I don't exist? I miss you, okay? I miss my friend Kimberly that would run alongside me in a race she knew she couldn't win, but still would. I miss the friend that would call me out on my bullshit when no one else would speak up. I miss the girl that invited me to join her group of friends after I moved into town and had no one."

"Then you have a sick way of throwing a friendship away!" I growled back, yanking my arm from his grasp.

"Have I made mistakes? Yes! Jesus, Kim! I'm not fucking perfect. You've been in my shoes before. You broke up with me first, remember?"

I do.

I didn't have the words to speak, so I nodded instead.

"Then why do you deserve a second chance but I don't?

I had no answer to give him that didn't make me sound like a brat. I didn't want a friendship with the man that broke my heart. Was that so bad? I've never kept a friendship with any of my ex-boyfriends and Tommy was no different. It wasn't fair that I was being forced into this situation because we had mutual friends. Any other person would simply move on and forget, but something always leads me back to Tommy.

But I can't pretend that I don't miss him too. I miss the friendship that we had before we messed things up by being in a relationship. I miss having someone to talk to that wouldn't lecture me like Jason, try to find logical reasoning like Billy, or tried to numb the situation by partying like Zack. Tommy would listen to me, sometimes he didn't have the answers, but that was okay too. I didn't always need the answers, sometimes I just needed to vent.

"Being out there taught me a lot, but the one thing that I always hold on to is the idea that the next day isn't guaranteed… I don't want to waste it by not knowing you."

His words swept inside me until there was no speck of bitterness left. If he could do it then I could do it too.

"Okay. Friends." I gave him my first genuine smile and his returned.

I could do this. I could be his friend. I could make that choice… and I meant it. I meant it with every fiber in my being, but the truce between us only lasted one day.

Author note: More to come soon. I hope you guys are enjoying it. Let me know what you all think :)