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Helpless and gasping for air, I listen to the unmistakable sounds of fighting; the slap of skin on skin, the crunch of boots on gravel, the guttural grunts, and the cracks of fists landing on bone.
My tear-blurred eyes fly open when a large figure lands on the packed dirt next to me and smacks against it, hard. I focus through the tears and hair and see Callum on the ground a foot away, blood pouring from his nose and in rivulets down his cheek. A set of legs stands next to him, kicking his side repeatedly. Too weak to lift my head, I watch the stranger’s heavy soles as they make contact with Callum over and over.
“Don’t ever fucking touch her again!” the stranger shouts as his boots make contact with Callum’s ribs one final time, eliciting a pathetic whimper from the boy on the ground.
The scuffed black boots circle the injured Callum and stop next to my head, the frayed knees of his jeans coming into view as my savior squats beside me. “Hey, you alright?” He gently scrapes the hair off of my face so he can see me.
Still struggling to breathe, I wipe the tears and snot from my cheeks and have a go at sitting up. “Ow!” The pain in my stomach makes me wince as I shift sideways and look up at my rescuer. “You,” I whisper.
It’s the boy from my school, the one with the beautiful face and exquisite drawings.
“Adam, let’s go before the coppers show up,” his friend says.
Adam, that’s his name. Adam Reynolds. He was in several of my classes today.
Adam looks towards the voice and frowns before turning back to me on the ground. “Here.” Adam extends a shaky hand to help me up. “We need to go.”
I take his hand and he gently pulls me to my feet, making sure I’m steady before releasing me. I get a good look at him and stifle a gasp. He looks upset, murderously upset actually. I’m about to ask him why when a large figure appears behind him and I instinctively take a step back, cowering in fear.
“Don’t worry,” Adam says, recognizing the anxiety I’m projecting. “That’s just Dax, my mate. He took out Mason while I dealt with this asshole.” He jerks his thumb toward Callum, who is still writhing and bleeding on the ground. “Lucky for me I surprised him. He’s a huge bastard and I’m not one for fighting,” Adam attempts a grin, but it’s weak considering the situation. “Not like Dax here.”
“Sorry to frighten you, but we really do need to get out of here,” Dax says, wiping his hands casually on his jacket, as if this is nothing new for him. I notice that his knuckles are scraped and bleeding and there are drops of blood on his clothes. He moves gracefully around the two of us and disappears through the hole in the fence. I blink and look at Adam’s shaky hands. His are bloodied, the same as Dax’s, but one is also swollen and red.
“Your hand.” I swallow down the nausea that threatens to surface.
“Never mind that.” Adam reaches down and grabs my bag, taking my hand in his good one. “C’mon, we’re leaving.” Tugging gently, he leads me over to the opening in the fence, holding back the twisted metal until I’m safely out of the abandoned yard.
I hear a scuffling sound and another moan and I look over my shoulder nervously, my heart leaping into my throat.
Adam glances back at the two boys on the ground, then turns to me and smirks. “No worries, they’re not coming after us.” He ducks through the fence and straightens up on the path.
Dax walks over and points at Adam’s swollen hand. “I guess practice is out today.”
Adam frowns and looks at his distended fingers, “Yeah, guess so. Sorry mate, I’ll catch up with you later.”
Dax smiles brightly, as if he just left a theme park, not a bloody fight in an abandoned yard. “Right. Thanks for the good time.” He laughs, then his eyes focus on me and the smile vanishes. “Stay away from them,” he insists, walking away without waiting for a response.
“Which way to your place?” Adam asks, raking his uninjured hand through his sweaty, disheveled hair.
Too upset to move or form an answer, I start to tremble violently and tumble forward, right into Adam’s arms.
“Steady on. Are you alright to walk?” He watches me carefully with his bright hazel eyes, concern etched clearly into his handsome features, which are now just a few centimeters from mine.
“I-I ... I don’t know.” I grip my stomach. “I feel queasy.”
Adam laughs and helps me stand up straight. “Yeah, I can see how you would, almost becoming another one of Callum’s victims,” he spits out venomously. Adam wraps his arm around my waist when he realizes I’m too weak to manage myself, and holds me up against his side. “Let’s go then, which way?”
I point in the direction of my flat and we walk the mile in silence. Even though I was just traumatized beyond belief, all I can think about as we head to my place is how Adam’s lean, muscular body is pressed against mine and how beautiful his face is when he smiles at me. I must be completely mental to be having those thoughts after what just happened in that yard, but I am. Just by touching a part of Adam, even through heavy winter clothes, makes me feel safe.
By the time we reach the front of the dilapidated building that I now call home, I get the courage to speak. “This is it.” I look away, embarrassed by my shoddy council housing.
Adam doesn’t seem to care or even notice where I live. He stops and turns to face me, not saying a word about my crumbling building. “Here you go.” He holds out my bag and I hoist it over one shoulder, watching his eyes probe my face for something. Answers, maybe? To find out why I would do something so stupid with someone as dangerous as Callum?
I don’t want to hear him scold me for the obvious, and I don’t want to lose the delicious lightheaded feeling I have when I’m next to him, so before he can say anything else or walk away, I take his outstretched hand and hold it gently, running my thumb over his bruised and swollen knuckles. “Thank you.”
Adam’s eyes widen a fraction, and he looks from our hands back up to my face. His mouth parts and his warm breath hits the cold air when he gasps. I have no idea what possesses me or what makes me think a near death experience is the proper time for this, but I don’t hesitate as I bravely lean in and press a small kiss to the corner of his exquisite mouth.
The moment over, I reluctantly release his hand and walk towards the door, afraid that once I’m inside, Adam will vanish like a dream, taking this wonderful warm feeling with it. He doesn’t speak as I retreat, but watches me curiously with those intriguing eyes of his until I shut the battered door behind me. The swirling emotions I had been holding in release from me all at once. Sliding down the wall to the floor, I simultaneously cry and smile at the same time.
