AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Kylewhat?”
He glares at me. “Kyle. That’s it.”
He wipes the sweat from his forehead and as he does, I notice a long red line along his left temple and a bump on the side of his head. The red line is dried blood but it looks like the cut is starting to break open, blood bubbling along the seam.
“Did you get in a fight?”
“Seriously, do the questions ever end? Are you the town gossip or what?”
“Your head. It looks like it hurts. I just…” I reach my hand up to touch his temple and he grabs my wrist.
“Stop.” His tone is softer now, and unexpected. When he grabbed my wrist, I thought he’d yell at me to go away. But instead he shuts his eyes a moment and takes a breath. He’s still holding my wrist but his grip is gentler.
“Please.” He opens his eyes and looks at me, but instead of that intense stare he gave me before, his gaze is softer, kinder, and suddenly, any fear I had of him is gone. He’s not a killer. Or a criminal. I know because my gut is telling me so. And after what I’ve been through with my dad, I trust my gut more than my head.
From the moment my dad showed up at my dorm room, I knew there was something not right with him. All those months when he was trying to reestablish a relationship with my mom and me, he smiled a lot and said the right things, but his words never felt sincere and he never looked us in the eye. Those should’ve been clues he was lying to us, along with the gut feeling I always had that told me something was up with him. But my head convinced me I could trust him. I guess because I so desperately wanted to.
But this guy? Kyle? He’s not bad. He may be angry and have bad manners and act like a complete ass, but he’s not bad. I know he’s not. I can feel it.
CHAPTERTHREE
SAGE
“You need to go.”Kyle releases my wrist and his arm drops to his side.
“I have a first aid kit in my car.” I point to his temple. “Would you consider letting me bandage that up?”
He hesitates. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“I’ll be quick. I promise.” I look around the yard. “We don’t even have to go inside. We can do it out here.” Before he can answer I point to a tree stump. “Go sit over there. I’ll be right back.”
Surprisingly, he does as I told him and walks over to the stump.
I hurry to my car and grab the kit from the floor of the back seat. Then I grab the water bottle I brought him.
When I reach the tree stump, he’s sitting down, looking exhausted, leaning forward with his forearms resting on his knees.
“Here.” I hold out the water bottle.
He takes it. “Why did you bring me this? How’d you know you’d even see me again?”
“I didn’t. But just in case, I wanted to bring you water. It’s too hot to be out here walking for miles without water.”
I sit beside him and open the first aid kit, feeling Kyle’s eyes on me the entire time.
“I thought you were afraid of me,” he says.
“Why would I be afraid of you?” I rummage through the box, searching for the antibiotic cream.
“Guy walking along a deserted road. Covered in dirt. Hasn’t shaved in days. Looks like he’s just been in fight. You weren’t afraid of that?” His tone lightens, like he’s teasing me.
I smile slightly. “Okay, yes, I was a little afraid, but I’m not now.”
“Why not?” He turns to me. “Why are you doing this? Why are you helping me? A guy you don’t even know who could easily hurt you.”
My muscles stiffen at his words, but then relax. “You won’t hurt me.”
“You’re right. I won’t. But you didn’t know that when you stopped. So why’d you do it? Why are you helping me?”
