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It was so close to my earlier thoughts that I barked out a laugh. The boy jumped like he’d forgotten I was still on the floor. “Shit, dude, do you need a hand?”
I waved him off, clambering to my feet and dusting off bits of twigs and leaves as I did so. “It’s all good. Thanks for jumping in and saving me.”
“No problem,” he said, throwing the branch to the side. “Never hit anyone before, but when I saw how many were pinning you down…”
His voice faded, his lips thinning as he shook his head. “I wasn’t going to stand there and do nothing.”
“Some people would’ve. Or turned around and pretended they hadn’t seen anything.”
He tilted his head at me curiously. “Would you?”
“No. I’d step in if it was to help someone else.” I checked my bag over, frowning when I saw the broken catch. “Fuck’s sake, not another one.”
“You’re very tall.”
I flicked my eyes over to the other lad. “You’re…observant.”
That surprised him. His head fell back and he let out a throaty chuckle. The sound sent butterflies swirling through my stomach.
Now I was the one who was surprised. What the hell was that about?
“I mean, you’re a tall, big guy.” My chest puffed out at that. “How’d they get you on the ground like that? Was it just that you were outnumbered?”
“No. But no good comes from fighting back. Not for kids like us.”
“No,” he agreed softly. “It doesn’t.”
That was the way of the world. We were tarred with a certain brush before people even got to know us.
Just because of where we lived.
“I’m Kai.” I shoved my hand out like my dad did when he met new people.
“Silas.” His smaller hand slid into mine, sending an unexpected jolt of electricity up my arm.
His face creased into a massive grin, revealing a slightly chipped front tooth and a deep dimple in his cheek.
It was like someone had hit me over the head with something. I stumbled back, yanking my hand from his.
Silas didn’t seem to notice my odd reaction. His hands were back in his pockets as he looked past me warily. “Think they’ll come back with a bigger gang?”
I hitched my bag higher on my shoulder with a sigh. “For sure. We should get going.”
“Yeah.” He turned back in the direction of our estate. “Probably for the best. Especially if you don’t like fighting.”
I followed after him. No, I didn’t like fighting…but if someone swung at Silas, I didn’t think I’d hold back.
I followed him home, not knowing this would be my life now.
Me, following Silas, waiting for him to really see me.
Chapter two
Kai
August 2001 – Thirteen Years Old
SilasandIhadbeen hanging out a lot, but not today. I hadn’t been able to cancel on him. It wasn’t like either of us had mobiles. I couldn’t even call him on his house phone because like many families on our estate, Silas’s line had been cut off when his dad didn’t pay the bill.
