Page 38 of The Save

“Hey, you alright?” Chase’s hand dropped onto my shoulder.

I stiffened, blinking to clear the haze in my vision. “Sorry.” Was I crying? In front of Chase Wilson? How embarrassing?—

“Zero connection. They’re both in their own worlds.”

I froze, staring back at the page as something inside of me broke open. “Exactly.” He was trapped in his selfishness, but she—she was trapped in her head. Not even noticing when the man left. Feeling nothing while he was there. And yes, the poem was talking about trauma, but that wasn’t what gut-punched me. I’d been her with the guys I dated. I’d thought those words. I was always trapped in my head. So how was I supposed to let someone in when I couldn’t even figure out how to escape myself?

Chase’s hand still sat on my shoulder, and it didn’t feel wrong. More like it belonged there. I stared at my notes. There were lines everywhere. Little comments in the margins. Arrows between stanzas. But no thesis. No opinion. No argument that didn’t feel like peeling back skin.

I reached for Chase’s game notes, but he pushed them out of the way. “Nope.”

My head snapped up. “I was going to help?—”

“No. You’re not.” He tapped the paper in front of me. “I’m going to help you write this response.” He plucked the pen from my hand and started writing.

Carbuncular is a perfect name for this asshole because?—

I laughed out loud and stole the pen back. “Thanks, but no thanks.”

“I’m kidding.” He tried to take it back, but I gripped the pen tight, and his hand circled around mine.

As I turned to get leverage, his hand slipped from my shoulder to my neck, and my head tilted back and?—

My lips found his.

My arms went limp.

My soul may have left my body.

Because I, Madelyn Taylor, was kissing Coach Chase Wilson.

Chapter

Fourteen

Chase didn't only exhalewhen he smiled. He did it when he kissed, too. Besides that, everything about Chase in that moment was foreign—the feel of him, the taste of him. His mustache tickled my upper lip, and I half smiled as his mouth toyed with mine. My body felt suspended, like some unseen force was lifting me from my chair while simultaneously wrapping around every inch of me and squeezing tight.

The cap of the pen bit into my palm, but I barely noticed because Chase's hand slid to my wrist, up my arm, over my shoulder, and then settled around the base of my neck. His fingers brushed over my jumping pulse.

Somehow that touch was what allowed my brain to break through the haze. Well, that and the click of the doorknob.

My eyes flew open as Chase and I broke apart. His chair scraped against the floor as the pen flew out of my hand, landing at the other end of the table. I scrambled for it as the door pushed open, and Axel and Rory burst into the room.

"Hey," Rory cut short when he looked at me. Then his eyes shifted to Chase. "Everything okay?"

I nodded, holding up the pen. "Yep. Just clumsy."

His eyes narrowed a touch, but they barrelled in and set their bags down.

"I made flashcards," Rory announced proudly. He pulled a stack of note cards from the side pouch of his backpack. He waited for my response then repeated himself when I didn’t immediately praise him. "Made flashcards like you suggested. To study for biology."

In my defence, I was seconds away from asphyxiation. I nodded, wetting my lips as I straightened my shirt and willed my lungs to expand.I could still taste him—the same hint of mint from his truck, and there was a slight tingle in my lips from whatever lip balm he had on.

I cleared my throat. "Well, hand them over. Let's get going."

I just kissed Chase Wilson. Or had he kissed me? It was like we were two ends of a magnet, and it had just . . . happened. I flipped my binder closed, since I couldn’t focus on anything with Chase’s sentence staring up at me, and got to work.

Axel and Rory stayed until five minutes before the study session time ended, at which point they completely devolved into mountain retreat planning while gathering as many Rice Krispies treats as their hands could hold.

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