Cross

Alicia’s POV:

Damn it.

My breathing was heavy and I leaned against the tree to steady it. Sweat rolled down my face as I took in deep breaths and exhaled them slowly as best as I could until my racing heart began to slow down.

“This is so damn hard,” I mumbled to myself, right in the cusp of dawn.

The trail I was in was close to my apartment and I had taken to jogging on it every day. Though I enjoyed it sometimes, there were times like this that reminded me of how long I spent being totally unfit.

There was a chill in the air and I shivered as a breeze washed over me.

Making a mental note to bring my jacket from now on, I began the slow walk back to my apartment.

Though the sun had risen by then, there weren’t a lot of people on the streets, so I plugged in my headphones and Enjoyed a bit of music. I was going to make mental notes for today, thinking of the one college class I had to go to as well as a volunteering gig I got the previous day.

My deal is looking up. I paid no attentio