Chapter 25

—Tristan—

As promised, I picked Ellie up at seven so she could run with me. Usually I preferred to do my morning run alone, but I couldn’t resist her presence. Ellie had put on shorts, a T-shirt, and sneakers. She followed me quietly through the house but stopped when I led her toward the driveway.

“Where are we going?”

“We’re going running, like I said. Did you think I do my laps in the garden?”

I opened the door to my Bugatti SUV for her, and she got in without another word. I got behind the wheel and pulled down the driveway, feeling her eyes on me. I enjoyed her confusion. I took us to a trail in a nearby canyon where I’d run before. Soon it would be too warm, but this early in the morning the temperature was perfect for running.

Ellie followed me out of the car and looked around the gravel parking lot. We were the only people around. Her eyes were assessing and attentive. She’d try something, and I had to admit I couldn’t wai