Page 26 of Freckles

He angles his head, eyes narrowing, then breaks into such a gorgeously wide smile that something painful twangs in my chest. He could be a model, standing twelve metres tall on an upright billboard. With those good looks, Kincaid could sell anybody, anything, and it’s not fair.

I shouldn’t be attracted to someone who scares me.

I’m not my mum.

I force myself to walk away, eyes fixed on the floor, clutching a ring binder to my chest like armour. Four steps in, his fingertips clamp hold of my shoulder, roughly dragging me backward.

“Why don’t we try that again?” His eyes meet mine, the colour darkening as he leans closer. He reaches into his jacket pocket again, and I flinch, but he withdraws a rectangular box and offers it to me.

It’s a brand-new smartphone.

My initial delight turns into a shiver of suspicion. “What’s this for?”

“A present. Even before it was cracked, yours looked like it was fished out of a bargain bin at The Warehouse. Thought you might appreciate the upgrade.”

The explanation sounds reasonable. Far more plausible than my initial thought that he was the one behind my stolen phone. I want to accept the gift, but I’m self-aware enough to know it has a lot more to do with missing my device than because he seems trustworthy.

If anything, the opposite is true.

Shaking my head, I push it back to him, trying not to think about how—as a recent model in its original packaging—I could pawn it and buy a cheaper phone, pocketing the difference. “Thanks, but I don’t want a gift from you.”

A frown creases his forehead. “It’s more of an apology than a present. Your phone screen got cracked.”

“A cracked screen.” Despite myself, I burst out laughing.“That’swhat you’re apologising for?”

“What else needs an apology, Francesca? Your bruised throat and knees?”

His voice is loud enough that a few pupils near us turn, a pair of girls pulling faces at each other, giggling.

My cheeks burn.

I can’t believe he said that out loud.

“Those blushes really bring out your freckles. You should walk around embarrassed all day long. And if you were worried”—he drops his voice—“I deleted every copy of the video. No one’s seen it outside of us, Ezra, and Alice.”

Tears well in my eyes, genuine gratitude leaving me tongue-tied. It takes ages before I can whisper, “Thank you.”

His eyes crinkle, sparkling with warmth. “Since you’re already indebted to me, another gift won’t matter.”

This time, when he hands over the phone, I take it.

“I also dropped by the office and put a credit on your uniform account. Enough to get a few new blouses.”

“That’s very kind of—”

“Why aren’t you wearing my shirt today? The whole point of giving you my number was to show everyone who you belong to.”

Belong to?

Accepting his gift suddenly seems not just stupid but dangerous. “I don’t belong to anyone.”

“You know what I mean.”

“No, I—”

Aidan suddenly appears at my elbow, looking puzzled. “Hey, King. Why’re you bothering my friend?”

Kincaid barely acknowledges his teammate. “Come sit with me at lunch today. I’ll save you a spot at the team table.”

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