Chapter 8 Morning Jog

• Chapter-8 Morning Jog
• It was around midnight. Danica was sleeping peacefully with the blanket covering her head. The soft knocks on the door disturbed her sleep. She was sleeping with her comfortable white tights along with an oversized light pink t-shirt. Putting on her slippers, she went to open the door.
• The familiar dark brown-haired kid was looking at his sister with his hazel eyes. Danica crossed her arms against her chest, looking at him with a small genuine smile playing on her lips. “Can’t sleep?”
• Aziel shook his head and said, “Can I sleep with you? I’m feeling weird sleeping in a big room all alone.”
• Danica motioned to get him inside the room. She asked him with a glint of teasing in her voice, “Weird or scared?”
• Hopping on the bed, Aziel rolled his eyes. “Weird.”
• She was fully aware that Aziel was actually scared, but he would never agree with it, especially now that Danica has figured it out. She even noticed how his little hands were shaking when he was standing outside the door.
• Lying next to him, Danica started to stroke her brother's hair. Aziel would always fall asleep if Danica did that whenever he was scared to sleep.
• After a few minutes, he called out, “Dani?”
• She hummed in response.
• “Do you and Troy like each other? It will be perfect if you do. I mean, you guys look so cute together. You even kissed hi—”
• “I didn't kiss him, Aziel. Trevor pushed me towards him and it was all an accident,” she said, leaving no place to argue. As much as it hurt to admit, even if the two of them liking each part was true before, now there was nothing between them. As Aziel was about to say something else, she further ordered him, “Sleep.”
• Soon, both of them went into a deep slumber, after all, it was a tiring day. Also, Danica tried her best not to dream about her kiss with Troy.
• ___
• Danica’s slumber was disturbed as soon as the sun rays managed to hit her face through the window. She was a light sleeper, so it didn’t take time for her to be fully awake. She stretched her arms and ruffled Aziel's hair with a bright smile.
• Finishing her usual morning chores, she changed into her tracksuit. It was time for her to jog. Danica loved jogging in the morning because it kept her mind fresh and her body healthy. It was probably her favorite part of the day; she could spend some alone time with her thoughts.
• She got out of the room after drinking a glass of water. Surprisingly, the mansion wasn’t quiet even at six in the morning. How could she forget that all of her friends, excluding Troy, were early morning risers? Unlike them, waking up Troy was a war.
• Danica could hear Gabrielle’s yoga playlist playing, so she knew what Gabrielle was doing. Hernan was on the couch, checking some papers along with Trevor, who was reading a fashion magazine.
• “Good morning,” said Danica and approached the two of them.
• “Good morning,” Hernan wished back while Trevor just nodded. “Are you going to jog?”
• “Yes,” she answered.
• Hernan and Trevor exchanged a look before Hernan got up from the couch. “Wait for a few minutes, Hazel.” With that, he sauntered away.
• Danica would have followed him, but Trevor cleared his throat and said, “Did you tell Aziel that you are going for a jog?”
• She shook her head in denial. “Aziel knows I go jogging every morning so he won’t worry. I will serve him breakfast once I return. What about y’all? When do you have breakfast?”
• Trevor sighed as Danica took a seat next to him, waiting for him to answer her question. “We don’t have breakfast together. Everyone has their own schedule which they like to maintain.”
• “But y’all should have breakfast together. Not only breakfast, but all the meals unless you are at work. What happened to this group?” Danica mumbled in disappointment. “Today, all of us are going to have dinner together.”
• “But I don’t eat dinner. I need to maintain my diet chart,” Trevor informed her, but when he received the familiar scary glare of Danica Waylon, he quickly added, “Fine. I guess one extra meal won't hurt.”
• “Good.” With that, Danica got up, guessing that she was wasting her jogging time now. So before nodding out of the house, she said to Trevor, “I have no idea where the blond went, but I am going to the park nearby. See ya.” She went to the nearby park and started her morning run.
• As she was jogging, a familiar person matched her pace, saying, “You should’ve waited just for two more minutes.”
• Her legs didn’t stop because she knew who it was already. She could never fail to recognize that deep voice. Although Danica tried to convince herself that her heart was beating fast due to all the running, she knew better than anyone that it was due to Troy Kingston being near her. “What brings you here?”
• “Hernan strangled me until I opened my eyes. Then he told me that I should be fit too so I decided to tag along with you. I hope you don't mind,” answered Troy before he started panting. He didn't like to run in the morning that much, but if it gave him a chance to spend some time with Danica, he would happily sacrifice his sleep. “Can we stop and talk for a while?”
• Smiling slightly at Troy, Danica halted on her track and looked at Troy, while wiping her sweat. “I don’t really need a jogging partner.” Troy fell silent upon hearing her. He wanted to dig a hole and bury himself there. Just as he was deciding to never come back to this park ever again, Danica further spoke, “But I don’t mind one, especially if it's you, Troy.”
• Troy met her sincere gaze as a grin broke out on his face. After a moment, they started running again while gossiping and laughing about many things. This was the first time they laughed so much in these last three years. Nothing probably changed all that much. They still loved each other's company the most.