Page 96 of We Shouldn't Be Together
In the kitchen, I grab ice from the fridge and wrap a clean dish cloth around it.
“Got a headache?” Mom asks.
“I tripped on the way home,” I reply. “Dad wants me to put ice on it.”
“Oh, you saw your father on your way home?”
I back out of the room, the pain in my foot dissipating.
Thank goodness.
“Yeah, he checked out my foot. Nothing to it.”
20
Aftermyrunhomefrom Tabitha’s, the adrenaline is surging through me. Seeing as I’m dressed for it, I dump my backpack in the garage and scoop up my soccer ball. Time to break my juggling record.
I bounce the soccer ball from thigh to thigh, silently keeping count in my head. If I can just focus on the ball and the rising number, then I won’t have to remember the look Dr. Jones gave me.
Unimpressed.
Unamused.
Disgusted.
AKA, not good enough to share the same air as his daughter.
He already loathes my existence, and now he thinks I’m the reason Tabitha got hurt.
Okay, maybe I’m a teeny-bit responsible. She wouldn’t have been running if it wasn’t for me. But she didn’t get hurt from her run. She stepped off the curb on her own. I just pulled her backpack away from her.
But is that a crime?
My stomach twists. Ugh, I hate she got hurt. I’ve never reached for someone faster.
Can’t Dr. Jones give me credit for saving her from hitting the road? What if she smacked her head on the way down? Doesn’t he care I pulled her up to safety?
Oh, man. Holding her. That was pretty freaking sweet.
Sweet. That’s how she smells. She’s so petite and delicate. She was nothing in my arms. Heck, the bags weighed more. And then her curls brushed against my cheek as we walked into Bellview Crescent. I didn’t know hair could feel so silky.
When I get to fifty-three, nowhere near my record, my phone buzzes on the back porch. I let the ball hit the ground and dribble it toward the porch.
Tabitha is so vividly stuck in my mind. I can’t believe I want to hear from her already. I can’t believe this preppy girl listens to murder podcasts. Not what I expected when I thought her manicure was the most important thing in her life. What other layers does she have?
“I showed my mom the notes we made at the cafe, and she actually said she’s proud of me!! Thank you, Kai!! You’re a lifesaver!!”
I grin at the message and feel a new kind of adrenaline rush.“Glad I could help.”
“She looked so happy. This is incredible!”
“You sound happy.”
“I am. And I’m even more relieved after getting out of that trashed uniform and showering. Never let me run in my full uniform again.”
I smirk, remembering how cute she looked, pacing up the hill.“Okay, I won’t. And maybe you try a running track next time. No curbs in sight.”
“I can’t believe how my dad went off on you. And I can’t believe you already knew him!”
