AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Instead, she’s staring in shock—or maybe horror—at me. I can’t look away from her because if I do, I might see Slater and…the blood.
I take an unsteady breath.
“Umm, Slater, maybe you should get cleaned up,” Amber says.
The absurdity of the situation hits me, and I have to choke back the inappropriate laugh that wants to escape. I hear Slater move, but I still don’t chance glancing in his direction.
“Are you okay?” Amber asks me. Her expression shines with concern and it’s almost too much for me to handle. I’m not going to lie, my embarrassment is mingling with awe. I’ve never been so starstruck in my life.
“Yes. I’m really sorry.” She’s supposed to be hanging out with her best friend. Instead, she’s crouched next to an uber fan who can’t handle the sight of blood and has the insane urge to hug her.
“It’s not your fault,” she quickly assures me. “Your head doesn’t hurt?”
“Nope. I’m not injured. It’s the blood.”
“Well…this shirt is officially trash,” Slater says from over near the sink.
I finally glance in his direction as he begins to remove his shirt. My eyes are caught as he shrugs out of it and drops it on the counter. Thank goodness he’s facing away from us. I mean, he has the most attractive back I’ve ever seen, but it isn’t nearly as mouthwatering as the view from the front.
The last thing I need is to be caught ogling him by Amber. I’ve already embarrassed myself enough.
He looks over his shoulder and speaks to Amber. “Do you have anything I can wear?”
She slides effortlessly to her feet. “Brian can find something.”
A man in a suit nods before exiting through the side door.
Amber makes her way over to Slater. “I wonder if you’ll have black eyes by morning.”
“My last black eye just healed.” He turns his head farther and smiles at me. “You scared me for a second. Can I get you anything? Water? A snack?”
“I’m fine. This has happened before,” I reassure him. Shouldn’t he be mad? I injured him and ruined his reunion with Amber. I gaze at them together—and, holy shit, they are even more gorgeous when they’re side by side. “Were you Prom Queen and King?”
He rolls his eyes. “Homecoming, too.”
Amber punches his bare shoulder. “Remember how annoyed you were when they made you wear the crown and promenade at halftime?”
“It was the middle of the game,” he grumbles.
His torso is on full display, and with self-preservation in mind, I take the opportunity to start cleaning up all the crap that fell out of my bag while they keep talking.
If I could rewind, I wouldn’t forget I was holding it and I wouldn’t drop it and…hell, there are so many things I would change about the last ten minutes. I move slowly in the hope that, if I’m slow enough, he’ll have a shirt on by the time I finish.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Slater asks. The concern in his voice makes me feel even more foolish. He drops to a squat in front of me, but I don’t look up.
“Of course I’m okay. I’m not the one bleeding.” My voice is brisk and businesslike.
“I’m not bleeding anymore.” He sounds exasperated. “You were unconscious.”
“I wasn’t unconscious. I just don’t like the sight of blood.”
“Don’t crowd her,” Amber says from over his shoulder.
Even though I don’t look up, I feel the full force of her stare. What can I say that will make me look less like an idiot? “I’m sorry I smashed your nose.”
Amber doesn’t give him the chance to respond. “It’s good for him to experience a little hardship every now and then,” she teases.
“Thanks for the sympathy,” he says drily.
