“I barely touched him!” Cameron protested, his face going from parchment white to flushed. I could only imagine how he must be panicking, and I had a momentary pang of sympathy.
A hand landed on my shoulder and I looked up to find Sherri standing there. “Do you need anything? Should I call the paramedics?”
“Thanks, but I’m good,” I said. Was I good? I guessed I’d find out soon enough.
“You poor thing, Finn.” Sherri glared at Cameron, lips pursed, and he shrank under her gaze.
“It was an accident,” he said again, casting me a pleading look.
“It’s true,” I said. “I stepped in front of his car like an idiot.”
Sherri turned her attention back to me. “Are you sure?”
“Cameron would never try to run someone down,” I said. “That’s far too dramatic for someone as sensible as him.”
Cameron’s lips pressed together in a thin line, but Sherri nodded and said, “You know, you have a point.” She tilted her head, observing me, and asked, “Are you sure you’re not hurt, hon? You’re mighty pale, and you passed out there for a minute.”
“I don’t think it’s serious.” I dragged myself to a sitting position and ran a hand over the back of my head, wincing at the sharp pain. When I pulled my fingers away, they were wet and sticky, and my stomach sank when I saw they were stained with blood.
“Oh, you’re going to the hospital,” Sherri said firmly.
“I’m sure it’s fine,” I said faintly.
She arched an unimpressed brow. “I’ll get my car.”
“But the sale.” I gestured around me at the scattered cookies. I was finding it hard to think straight, but it suddenly seemed vitally important that the bake sale went ahead. The animal shelter was depending on it!
“I’ll take you to the ER,” Cameron said quickly. I guessed he was trying to kill the rumors that we were rivals, and seeing some of the hard looks he was getting, I didn’t blame him.
When he offered me a hand, I grabbed it and tried to stand. It didn’t go well. A wave of dizziness washed over me and I found myself collapsing against Cameron, clinging to him the same way a little kid learning to ice skate might cling to their mom—scared and a little desperate.
Cameron’s arms curled around my waist, supporting me, and I let out a shuddery breath, my face resting against his shoulder.
“Finn? What is it?” Cameron asked, his voice close to my ear.
“Just dizzy,” I said. I could feel the blood draining from my face as my stomach lurched worryingly.
Cameron tightened his grip, and then he was steering me carefully toward the passenger side of his RAV4. Sherri darted to the car and opened the door, and I leaned forward with one hand on the frame and paused. “Um…” Cameron’s passenger seat was loaded with cookies, and so was the back seat. “Should someone take those inside?”
Cameron ran a hand through his hair. “Shit. Yeah. And someone else will have to man my table.”
“I’ll find someone,” Sherri said, retrieving the box from the front so I could finally sit down. “You take Finn to the ER.”
I eased into the seat, and the ache in my ass as I sat told me I was going to have a hell of a bruise back there.
It didn’t take long to unload the rest of Cameron’s baking, and while we waited I closed my eyes, taking slow, deep breaths. The next thing I knew someone was tapping my cheek. WhenI opened my eyes Cameron was watching me, a worried crease between his brows. “Finn? Did you pass out again?”
“No,” I said, “I was just resting my eyes.”
The furrow grew deeper. “Are yousure?”
“I promise,” I said. “To be honest, I don’t even think I blacked out when you hit me.”
His face fell, and I was struck with a pang of sympathy.
“When I stepped out in front of a moving vehicle, I mean,” I amended.
The crease in Cameron’s brow smoothed out. “Right? Who does that?” The corners of his mouth quirked up uncertainly, like he wasn’t sure if he was allowed to joke about this.
