Page 66 of Degradation
‘Oh!’
My heart skips a beat as I look at the clock.
The time!
I slam the book shut and stuff it into my bag, grabbing my crutches while I begin worrying about being late, about having to go into class after it’s begun and everyonestaringat me as I do.
But Mav just plucks my bag from my fingers and gives me a relaxed smile.
‘It’s ok. It’ll only take a couple of minutes to get there if I carry your bag. You won’t be late. You don’t need to rush.’
I can’t help the way my lips turn upward, my anxieties practically disappearing in the face of his calm.
‘You’re always so unflappable,’ I say. ‘Do you ever even yell?’
‘Sometimes,’ he replies, his eyes warm. ‘But it usually takes a lot.’
‘It’s probably all the endorphins from being a gym bro,’ I say, and he laughs as he opens the door for me.
After my next class, he brings me home and there’s a large, white shipping box waiting for me on my bed.
‘What’s this?’ I ask.
It’s addressed to me.
Mav shrugs and takes out his phone. ‘Open it.’
‘Do you have some scissors?’
‘Here.’ I jump as Blake strides in and holds some out to me.
Where did he come from? Has he been lying in wait?
I take them and note the way his eyes move over me. He’s frowning a little and I look at him with a bit of concern entering my mind. I can’t help but wonder if he’s going to turn on me again. He made promises, but what if he doesn’t take those as seriously as Shade does? What if he didn’t mean what he said about us getting to know each other and that he’d never act like he did that night toward me ever again? What if he was lying about it?
‘Daisy?’
I realize I’ve been staring at his chest for several moments. Clearing my throat, I carefully cut the packaging tape a little clumsily, since scissor time was limited at The Heath, and open the box. There’s a clear bag inside with something puffy and blue in it.
I glance back at the guys. They’re both watching with anticipation and I frown as I draw the big bag out and rip it open.
Blake steps forward and takes it from me, laying it out on the bed and unzipping it. ‘It’s got a lining,’ he says. ‘And it’s thick, even the hood, so it’s extra warm.’
A coat.
There’s an unexpected lump in my throat and I work hard to swallow it down as I smile wide.
I turn to him.
‘You got me a…a present?’ I ask, unable to contain my excitement.
I think I jump up and down a little, and I know my fingers are stretching wide, but I don’t care.
He looks uncomfortable. ‘Yeah. It’s just a coat.’
‘But why?’
‘It’s a gift,’ he says quietly, almost shyly. ‘I don’t need a reason. But you said you didn’t have one and it’s going to get a lot colder soon. You’re going to need this.’
