Page 106 of Love Me in the Dark
He scoffed. “Attacking you? You must have been under longer than I thought. I saved your ass. Are you that desperate to end your life?”
“I wasn’t trying to end my life.” I jumped up. “I was clearing my head.”
As much as he wished it, he wasn’t my savior. He saved me from nothing.
“Is that what we’re calling it nowadays?” He chuckled darkly. Leaning down, he gripped my forearm and tugged me to standing. “Let’s go.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you.” I tried to pry my arm out of his hold, but he only tightened his grip. “I don’t even know you.”
“I’m your neighbor dumbass. Now, let’s go before your missed.”
A strangled chuckled left me causing him to stop trying to pull me wherever he wanted to go.
“It would take a long time perhaps even forever for me to be missed, but if you need to get home then far be it for me to interfere.” Successfully, I yanked my arm out of his grip and sat in the sand. I wasn’t going to let on how cold I was, but I would rather sit here freezing then be in Trent’s house.
A harsh puff of air escaped him before something warm was draped over my shoulders. Whatever it was smelled and felt amazing. I wanted to curl up in a ball right where I was with it as my blanket and fall asleep.
Lowering himself down beside me but still keeping two feet of distance between us, he grunted. I wasn’t sure this guy was nice or not. Yes, he thought he needed to save me and gave me this— my hands skimmed along the material of a sweatshirt—and gave it to me for warmth, but he also seemed highly annoyed with me.
Leaning back on his elbows, he looked up at the sky. “Why did you try to kill yourself?”
“I didn’t.” Was my immediate response. “And even if I had tried, why would I tell you... some stranger.”
“I’m Slade,” he introduced himself.
“I’m Harley,” I announced before I could think better of it. It was so engrained in me to be polite. At least on most days that didn’t involve my mother.
His head turned to the side. “Isn’t that a boy’s name?”
“Do I look like a boy?” I shot off. I’d been made fun of my entire life at school because of my name. I had thought maybe here in San Sebastian people wouldn’t be assholes, but it looked like that one sliver of hope was gone.
Even in the dark, I could see him scan down my body and back again. There wasn’t much to see with my arms wrapped around my knees and my chin resting on top of them. If I hadn’t been in this position though, I knew I would most definitely not look like a boy. I’d developed earlier than any of the other girls in my grade back home. Then any of the girls in my entire elementary. By fourth grade, I was wearing a B cup bra, and by the time they started getting their breasts in middle school, I was already rocking a double D cup. It was just another thing to be made fun of. Still this guy didn’t know what was hidden.
“You’re most definitely not a dude.” His tone was husky and gruff like he liked what he saw but was equally annoyed with it.
“Thanks for confirming what I already know.” I was already annoyed with the situation, and wanted to get out of here and away from him.
Abruptly I stood and removed his sweatshirt that was now soaked. “Thanks. I should be going now.”
He hopped up with ease letting me know he was probably an athlete. For a brief moment, I wondered what was underneath his clothes. But only for a moment.
“I’ll walk with you.”
“You don’t have to.” I didn’t want to have to make conversation with him. I wanted to get back to Trent’s, take a nice hot shower, and then fall asleep until the weekend was over.
“We’re going in the same place. It would be stupid for us?— “
“Then keep it quiet. I don’t want to talk.”
Tucking his hands in the pockets of his shorts, he chuckled.
“What?”
There was still humor in his voice as he spoke. “Nothing. I just think you’re probably the first girl I’ve ever met who doesn’t want to talk.”
I started off the way I came and shot off over my shoulder. “Well, I’m not most girls.”
“I’m beginning to see that.”
