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The sound of distant voices approaching snaps me out of whatever daze I was in. I push myself up, and stand on my two feet. Miss Stranger does the same. Now that she’s this close to me, I can see her better. She’s lithe and has to be around five foot seven. She’s tall, but still petite compared to my height and build. Everything about her screams expensive. The way her silky blonde hair is done, her shiny nails, her tight dress and her pretty heels.
What is she doing here? All alone, at night? In a dark alley, with me? Does she not realize how dangerous this is?
Footsteps grow closer and then I hear a man’s voice, rough and desperate. “She has to be somewhere around here. We’re so fucked if we don’t find her.”
She releases another oath under her breath. “Ah, hell. They’ve already caught up to me.”
Is she running away from someone?
Frantically, she flips her phone over and turns off the flashlight. We’re instantly sucked into the darkness once again. She wobbles unsteadily on her heels and leans into my body.
My muscles tense. “Excuse me?” I croak, my voice grumpy and filled with uncertainty.
She takes me by utter surprise when her hand comes up and she slaps it over my mouth. “Shh!”
The audacity, what in the world is wrong with this girl?
My gaze lingers over her face. I can’t see much in the darkness, but I know the moment our eyes meet for the first time. I feel it.
Time stands still for a mere second.
One breathless moment.
Her chest heaves, and her breathing stutters.
Her fingers twitch over my mouth, but she doesn’t remove her hand. She’s too close, I don’t like people touching me. But why can’t I fucking move? Miss Stranger scrambles away from me. Her hand flutters to her chest, and then she scratches her neck. The lines of her bodies are riddled with signs of nervousness. “I’m sorry,” she grumbles. Her head moves to the end of the alley, where those men have disappeared. Her eyes search for something and then she grimaces. “Uhm, I have to go.”
I watch as she stalks away, her heels clacking against the uneven ground. She looks back over her shoulder, and our eyes meet for a second time tonight. There’s a slight twitch of her lips, and I almost miss the tiniest smile.
Her shadow disappears and with it, the stranger who was kind to me for a minute.
I’m never going to see her again.
We belong to two opposite sides. She’s rich, probably Daddy’s little princess.
I’m the guy who will stay forgotten in foster care.
The underserved and worthless loser.
Miss Stranger and I don’t belong in the same axis. In the same damn world.
But I’ll probably never forget her one act of bold kindness.
CHAPTER SIX
Colton — 15 years old (Sophomore year)
The cheers of the crowd vibrate through my body, igniting my adrenaline, but my head is not here. My gaze keeps moving to the bleachers, where Cole is sitting in the crowd. I can’t see him from this distance, but I know exactly where he’s sitting. Second row, two seats from the left. I can feel his eyes on me, burning through my football uniform and my helmet.
He should have been here.
On the field, with us — his team.
He was our trusted wide receiver, a savage on the field and probably one of the best. Definitely better than me. I enjoy playing football, but Cole breathes life into this sport.
But he can’t play tonight.
He won’t ever play again.
