Page 9 of The Lost and the Found

I looked away then, feeling the same heat rising in my cheeks from earlier that afternoon when I first met him.

“It’s okay. You’ve done enough for me.” I went to pull at the handle, but he stopped me with one large hand wrapped around my forearm.I stared down at his hand, wondering why I could feel a subtle tingle where our skin touched.

When he still didn’t say anything or let me go, I looked up and met his eyes. “You don’t have a car,” he stated simply. As if that was all there was to it.

I averted me eyes, trying to pull away from his grasp. He held on tightly. Not enough to hurt me, but enough that I wouldn’t be able to escape. “You were going to walk home? At this time of night?”

I wasn’t sure why, but he sounded angry. “I’ll be fine. I’ve done it before.” I tried to pull my arms away again, but he wouldn’t let go.

He closed his eyes, and brought his other hand to his temple, rubbing at it like he had a headache.Or like I was giving him a headache. I scowled at him.

“Let me drive you home,” he said, finally opening his eyes.

“No, thank you. I am more than capable of getting myself home.”

“I know that,” he said, sounding irate. Whether at me or at himself, I wasn’t sure. Though if I had to guess, I would say the former. “But let me, for my peace of mind.”

I opened my mouth to argue with him, when I saw a spot of red staining his white shirt.

I gasped, moving in a little closer to him. He let go of my arm in surprise but made no move to stop me. “You’re bleeding,” I said.

“I’ll be fine.” He looked and sounded fine, but how could he be? Not when there was so much blood. And I was sure there was more hidden by the seat.

“Does it… does it hurt?” I bit my lip to keep from crying out or passing out. I was always squeamish when it came to blood. So much blood. I pushed away a distant memory that threatened to take hold. Now was not the time to think about that.

He instantly relaxed his body and, cupping my shoulder with one hand, he brought me closer to him. “No, it doesn’t. I’m fine, I promise you.”

I shook my head, still not convinced. “You can drive me home,” I said. He let out a sigh of relief and, putting the car into drive, pulled out of the parking lot.

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