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As I suck in the air though, I can’t relax like the boy is telling me to because I’m too aware of the precarious situation we’re still both in. Unfortunately, I can’t see much from down here on the ground, only Tristan’s legs.
And he’s too close, too fucking close… until suddenly he’s not.
The footsteps hitting the pavement behind us grow louder and louder.
And then suddenly Tristan’s legs are pumping as he takes off, running away from us.
It seems like only seconds later car doors are slamming and tires are squealing as someone peels out of the parking lot.
“Fuck you, you pussy! Get your ass back here and face me like a man!” the newcomer roars even louder than before.
The last word is so forceful and guttural it lingers like an echo in my head, repeating over and over again.
“Are you okay now?” the boy asks, his face appearing in front of my face.
There’s so much fear and worry in his expression, it makes him look young. So young a cold chill flows through me.
Goddammit, this boy, this child, tried to go up against Tristan to protect me.
“Yeah,” I croak out and try not to grimace as he continues to peer at me like he’s afraid I’m going to suddenly drop dead at any second. “I’m fine,” I force my lungs to add with a gasp. “Thank you for saving me.”
I try to will my lips to curve into a smile too, but they don’t quite manage it.
The boy’s brows scrunch together as if he doesn’t believe me, but he gives me a nod of his head.
Dammit, I don’t want him to worry about me. Yeah, my head is starting to throb with the beginning of a killer migraine, and my lungs ache like I breathed in a bunch of water… But fuck, I don’t want him to be traumatized by this shit.
Especially because it’s my shit.
As a wave of guilt washes over me, I strain my throbbing brain for a way to somehow fix this whole mess.
Is there even a way to fix it, though? I let everything spiral out of control for so long, it’s come to this…
“You’re my hero,” I decide to say before finally forcing my lips to obey me. “And yet I don’t even know your name…”
The boy begins to smile back at me until a shadow slides over us.
“Casey,” someone says from above.
Someone with a deep voice that’s a little hoarse from roaring.
I watch Casey’s smile slide off his face as he glances up.
I peer up too, my eyes squinting against the sunlight. It takes me a moment to make out the face silhouetted against the bright light, but when I do my stomach drops to my damn feet.
“Are you okay?” Emmett asks, his features tight with concern.
“Yeah… I’m fine,” Casey answers and then glances to me.
“Bree,” Emmett practically breathes as he turns that concerned look to me.
Our
eyes meet and it feels like the air just got knocked out of me all over again.
Of course, out of all the big, strong guys in the gym who could have come to our rescue, it had to be him…
It had to be him to witness the worst of me.
