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“Riley?”
“Yes?”
My grin widens at the look on her face. She seems a little bit bedazzled and I can’t help but think it’s cute. “Do you mind? Waiting for two minutes?”
“Uhm, yes! Yes, sorry. I don’t mind. You—yeah, I can wait. Sure,” she sputters quickly and then promptly snaps her mouth closed.
Like I said…cute.
I stride back into the coffee shop and place an order for a Caramel Brulé latte with extra caramel. I keep a watch on Riley out of the corner of my eye, making sure she doesn’t somehow decide to make a run for it.
Once the barista hands me my order, I rush back outside to Riley. She’s standing there, fidgeting with her long braid. “Here. You can have this.”
She eyes the cup, her expression full of confusion. “You went to buy me coffee?”
“Yes.”
“Why?” She slowly takes it from me, bringing the cup closer to her face and inhaling the scent. I’ve seen her do this before.
“Because the other got spilled?”
Riley takes a sip, eyeing me over her cup of coffee. Her cheeks are flushed and I like the color on her. It makes her look more alive than weary and jaded. “How did you know exactly which drink I prefer?”
Ah, busted. Fuck.
She’s giving me that suspicious look that I’m familiar with. I rub my chin, sheepishly. “If I tell you the truth, you’ll think I’m a creep. So let’s just say…It was a lucky guess?”
“A lucky guess, huh?” A smile graces her pink lips and I swear, my heart stutters in my chest at the sight of it. God, she’s pretty. And so fucking cute.
She takes a sip of her drink and I see her hand drifting back to her knee – the ons that are still bleeding. I heft her backpack over my shoulder, and point toward the main building of Berkshire Academy. “Let’s get you to the infirmary.”
“You’re a little bossy today,” she mumbles, but follows after me nonetheless.
Oh, am I? I’m just trying to—
Wait…
What exactly am I trying to do?
Why am I buying her coffee and taking her to the infirmary…?
I pause, running my fingers through my hair. Shit, Riley definitely thinks I’m a wack-head now. Earlier, I was just following my instincts, not really thinking anything else through. Now that she mentions it, maybe I am being a little bossy.
We silently get to the infirmary, only to find that the nurse is not there.
“You can go,” Riley offers, limping over to the bed in the corner. “You’ll be late to class if you stay here with me. The nurse should be coming back soon. She’s probably doesn’t expect anyone so early in the morning.” There’s a sheepish look on her face, as she plomps down onto the squeaky cot.
And leave her alone?
Like I said, trouble follows her everywhere she goes. Not of any fault of her own. But because she’s surrounded by insensitive jerks and shallow assholes. Berkshire Academy is full of them.
I drop my backpack on the floor and start to rummage through the cabinets. “What are you doing?” she questions slowly.
“Neither of us is going to be late to class,” I tell her confidently. Once I locate the antiseptic wipes and band-aids, I go back to where Riley is sitting.
Her eyes widen when I kneel down in front of her. Gasping, she pushes at my shoulder. “What are you doing, Grayson? Get up!”
“I’m just helping you.” I frown. Is that bad?
