Page 16 of Play With Me

But my heart knows.

My back hits the bookshelf, and several books come sliding out, clapping on the ground. I whir around, trying to catch them, but my foot hits a puddle of water.

My legs fly out from under me.

For a long moment, I’m airborne. Then I land, hitting the hard floor with a crack straight on my back, unable to stop my head from thwacking hard after it.

Then everything goes black.

CHAPTER5

Jude

Isprint over to where Nora lays sprawled on the ground.

Both her hat and her glasses flew from her head in the fall and lay strewn down the row of books. The hat was why I hadn’t recognized her before. We’d almost left.

“Nora!” I exclaim, reaching down and peering around her head. No blood. I take a long deep breath, forcing myself to calm down. She’s knocked herself out. That’s all.

Vaguely, I notice my knees are wet. We’re in a puddle of water.

We were in this row before, our coats dripping onto the floor.

It’s our fault.

“Dad?” Cap asks, his voice shaky. He’s standing a few feet back from us, staring at Nora in horror. “Did we kill her?”

My chest heaves.

Fuck, I’d said that out loud.

“No, buddy. She’s gonna be okay.”

Please, let her be okay.

“Maybe you can get some help, though?”

My guy nods vigorously but doesn’t move.

“Like, over there? Where all those people were?” I point out to the main area.

“Oh,” he says. “Okay, yeah.”

“Just tell the librarian guy, okay? Don’t talk to any—”

But he’s already disappeared. Worry cramps my chest. I remind myself Cap knows all about stranger danger; he’ll be fine. Still, this is a shit situation. I thought I’d feel bad if I showed up and she didn’t want to see me. But this is worse.

I lean down and stroke Nora’s cheek. “Nora? Can you hear me?”

Nothing.

I’ve been around plenty of guys who’d been knocked out on the tennis court before, including me. Plenty of other people need first aid of other types at the hotel, too. I once had a guest have a heart attack on the golf course. I did chest compressions, and somehow, he made it.

I’m good in a crisis situation. I can handle it.

Except…those people weren’t Nora. Nora isn’t helpless, but shit, I don’t know. She is so little and so soft and so much more…breakable.

“Fuck, Nora, please wake up,” I whisper. “I knew I was going to shock you by showing up here, just didn’t know you’d faint at the sight of me.” I grimace. “Wake up and slap me or something, Nora.”

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