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“I don’t need to shine, Slade. All I need is to get by with the least amount of resistance.”
I had a feeling the resistance she referred to was her mom.
I couldn’t imagine having my mom against me. It was bad enough knowing I’d disappointed my parents, but for them to be actively against me would kill me.
I guess I understood why Harley felt the way she did.
“If you don’t want to be seen with me, I won’t force you, but really, I wouldn’t pay too much attention to the girls here. They’re not used to new people taking their spot, but give it a couple of days, and they’ll be ignoring you.”
Lifting her head to meet my gaze, she bit her bottom lip. “I’ll believe it when I see it. I would appreciate being left on my own.”
“Can I still run with you?”
A lone brow lifted, and the corner of her mouth twitched. “If you mean follow me at a distance, then sure.”
“What if I want to run beside you?”
She went back to gnawing on her lip and then shook her head. “I’m not ready for that.”
And I knew I wouldn’t stop until I was jogging right alongside her.
“Then I’ll hang back.”
Pulling the papers closer, she read over them, and I knew she was trying to escape from my penetrating gaze. Once she was done, which took far longer than necessary, Harley propped her chin on her hand. “Are you always like this?”
I mirrored her body. “Like what?”
One shoulder popped up. “I don’t even know what to call it.”
“Is it good?”
Her mouth twisted to the side. “I’m still trying to determine that.”
I wasn’t sure if I should be honest with her, but I felt like she deserved to know. “I’ve never been this way with anyone in my life. I guess you’re special.”
“Lucky me,” she said, even though her tone implied she wasn’t lucky at all. “Seriously though, can you cool it on the intensity. Maybe find someone else to be concerned about?”
It bothered her just as much as it did me, but I’d never tell her that. Something deep inside drove me to protect her, even if I didn’t understand it myself. I wasn’t sure I could stop it if I tried.
She groaned and laid her head down on the table. “I can see my asking is futile. I think I really will get homeschooled. It has to be better than this.” She said the last part so quietly I wasn’t sure if I was meant to hear it.
“I’ll try to dial it back. Can you really say you hate someone caring for you?” I wasn’t sure caring was the right word, but it was the best I could come up with.
Shaking her head against the table, her eyes clenched closed. “I’ve grown accustomed to it,” she whispered sadly.
The bell rang before I could say anything.
Harley tried to scurry out of the room to get away from me, but even with those long legs of hers, mine were longer, and it took me no time at all to catch up with her. “Are you ready for lunch?”
She closed her eyes for a long moment before she let out a heavy breath. “Not if it means I’m going to have the entire student body staring at me.”
There was nothing I could do about that. What Harley didn’t seem to realize was that she’d receive the attention with or without me.
“I’ve got an idea. Let’s get our food, and then I’ll take you to a spot where no one will bother us.”
She was already shaking her head before I finished speaking. “That’s alright. I’m not hungry. I’ll just find a spot in the library until my next class.”
I knew she was lying, but I didn’t know why.
