Page 29 of Hide and Keep

“Shit,” Ever says, narrowing down her position for me.

I charge right toward her, full steam ahead, eating up the distance between us in seconds. I’m going too fast to stop when she suddenly steps out from behind a massive tree. Busy trying to remove her phone from the back of her shorts, she doesn’t see me until my arms are closing around her and…then we’re falling.

Fucking shit!

We go sailing through the air, time suspended as we both tense for impact. At the last second, I twist us so only my body hits the ground, hers in the safety of my arms creating a cagearound her. One hand cradling her head, I hold her to my chest so that even as we roll from the force, she’s protected.

It feels like minutes but it’s probably only a few seconds before we come to a complete stop, me on top of Ever, my arms still holding her.

I immediately lift myself enough to look down at her, scanning for injury.

“I’m sorry. Fuck. I’m sorry.”

When the visual evidence isn’t enough to placate me, I sit up all the way, my hands joining the search, touching everywhere I can. They’re shaking but still have feeling.

“Are you okay?”

“What the hell’s wrong with you? You—”

“Ever!” I shout, silencing her. Coming in close again, I run my hand along one side of her jaw, chin, throat, and ear before doing the same to the other. I feel her swallow the same time I hear it.

Her eyes shut instantly, her nostrils flaring like she can’t stomach my close proximity.

I don’t give a shit. I just need to know if she’s hurt. Not all injuries are visible. The worst usually aren’t.

“Are you okay?” I cup the back of her head, feeling for any wetness but luckily find none.

“No,” comes out ragged between her clenched teeth.

My gaze flies to her closed eyes, her long black lashes quivering, and my heart lurches. I missed something. Again. I fucking missed something.

I start my inspection all over again.

“Tell me where you’re hurt.” I could only protect her upper half, her most vital half, so her bottom half was exposed.

Slowly, her eyes open and she shakes her head. “I’m not hurt.”

“You could be. If you’re in shock—”

Her hands clamp down over mine as she sits up, forcing me back on my heels.

“Crue, I’m not hurt. You made sure of that.”

“I’m sorry.”

Her expression is unreadable as she regards me. “Yeah…you said that already.”

“I’m really fucking sorry.” I shove to my feet. “That.” I point at the tree where we collided, then Ever still on the ground…several feet away. We didn’t just fall hard, we fell far. “And this. I’m sorry for all of it.”

“Uh-huh.” She glances around us.

There’re broken branches, pinecones, rocks, twigs. It’s not asphalt, but still dangerous.

Her focus sharpens on me again. “Areyouhurt?”

“No,” leaves my mouth automatically.

“You didn’t even check.”

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