There was hope for her yet.
“Like I said before, you keep me running, but I’m not complaining.”
They walked in silence along the sidewalk for a moment, her skirt brushing up against his leg as they passed an abandoned flower shop and—unbelievably—a cobbler place. Who fixed shoes anymore? There was a gun and rod store on the street, as well, but everything was dark until they reached the pizza shop on the far end of Main Street. The scent of garlic and oregano wafted out the door along with rock music. She thought she saw a few kids inside who’d been at the soccer game.
A couple of them looked up as they passed the window. Sarah held up her hand to wave, but a couple of them were already bending their heads together and whispering.
“Sarah,” Lucas said. “Remember how I said I wanted to talk to you?” He hurried past the pizza shop and they neared The Strand and Last Chance Vintage. “Can we do that first? Before we dance? I know you didn’t want to go anywhere private, but?—”
“Let’s go to the baseball fields past the playground.” She’d seen the field the week before when they’d been playing laser tag. It’d been dark there. And quiet.
“Okay.” He pointed down the alley near Erin’s store. “Can we go this way? We’ll come out on the side of the dugout.”
“Sure.” She felt nervous. Jittery. What did he want to talk to her about? “Want to run?”
“Seriously? You’re in a dress.”
“Afraid I’ll beat you?” She let go of his arm. Picked up her pace.
“Can you see well enough?” he called. “Sarah?”
But she was already flying.
She wasn’t much of an athlete, but she knew how to run. It was her first-response system when times were tough. She ran from the field trip. Before that she ran from her bad grades with bad boys. Then she ran from her therapy sessions by drinking too much.
And, in between it all, she ran her butt off to get sweaty and forget about her mom taking a bullet in her temple one night in March when Sarah was at a sleepover smoking her first and only cigarette.
“Sarah!” Lucas shouted. She slowed down in case she’d gone the wrong way.
She tripped on a tree root, skinning both knees. Heard the fabric of her dress rip.
“Ouch.” The pain radiated down her legs as she held herself off the damp grass with one hand.
Not that it mattered, her dress was probably already ruined.
Footsteps pounded the earth hard and fast behind her.
“Are you okay?” Lucas was beside her in an instant, arms all around her, though he didn’t move her. “I couldn’t see you in the dark. I’m so sorry.”
“Why are you sorry?” She leaned her head into his shoulder for a second then fell the rest of the way into hislap. He fell over and they were a damp messy tangle of limbs. “It’s me who wanted to race in the dark.”
“You have to be more careful.” He sat up, straightening her legs. “What did you hurt?”
“My knees.” She didn’t want to sound like a baby, but they both stung. “I skinned them.”
The twang of a country band floated on the breeze. They must be closer to the park. She thought she saw the baseball field up ahead, but the lights were off.
“You’re sure nothing is sprained? Did you make certain the cuts weren’t deep?”
She wrapped her arms around Lucas’s neck and squeezed. “You look. I don’t like the sight of blood.”
“You and me both,” he muttered.
“Why don’t you?” she asked, stopping his hands before he could lift up the hem of her skirt. “That is, why don’t you like the sight of blood?”
“Just let me see.” He set aside her hands and positioned his body out of the way of the moonlight to see better. “This is important, so I’ll get over it.”
He folded her dress gently, laying the extra fabric just above her knees. So careful.
