Her movements are sure and steady as she shifts. But the branch creaks again, and I hold out a hand. “Wait.”
She rolls her eyes at me. “This isn’t the first tree I’ve climbed.”
“I guessed,” I say drily. “But there’s two of us on this branch, and we’re pretty high. So maybe just—,”
I’m too late.
The branch snaps beneath us, and Anastasia’s eyes lock on mine for a split second, fear widening them as she reaches towards me.
And then shedrops, her fingers barely brushing mine before I lose sight of her.
The air rushes from my lungs as I hit the next branch down, my stomach groaning in protest as I pull myself up. “Anastasia!”
I bellow her name, trying to look down. “Kit!”
Fuck –fuck.
There’s a shout from below me as I slide down as quickly as I can, the bark dragging against the skin of my palms. I drop from a few feet higher than I should, my knees taking the brunt of the impact as I land on the packed mud with a solid thump.
But I don’t care. I’m already scrambling towards the girl on the ground, my heart in my throat. “Kit,” I say hoarsely. “Is she—,”
He ducks out of the way, and something hits me in the head.Hard.
“W hat the fuc-ow,” I rasp, my hand flying up. “What – is she alright?”
“I’mfine,” a furious, feminine voice hisses. “No thanks to you and your ass taking up all the weight onmy damn branch.”
My vision clears, and I see her drawing back with another apple. I duck it with a yelp. “JesusChrist, you harpy. Will you stop? I thought you weredead!”
She’s sat on the floor, and relief fills my chest to see her apparently very much not dead.
But then I see the wince as she moves her left arm – the onenotthrowing apples at my head. “What’s wrong with your arm?”
Kit tries to inspect it as she lifts another apple threateningly, and she pins him with a look that has him backing away with his hands in the air. “Nothing.”
But a sound of pain escapes her as she scrambles to her feet. Kit slides his hand under her right arm – to hold her steady or disarm her. Anastasia gives him a cutting glance. “You can let go. I’m not going to fall.”
I stride towards her. No, she’s not going to fall.
She’s a bundle of fire and fury in my arms as I sweep her legs out from underneath her and set out for the house, Kit falling in on my other side.
She yelps in shock. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”
“You have a mouth like a sailor,Stasi,” I shoot back. My eyes drop to her lips and slide away.
She’sfifteen.
I’m seventeen.
It’s not like that. But this protective feeling in my chest… this is new. At least for anyone outside of my immediate family.
She’s cursing me again, but I just hold her tighter, my arms curling around her protectively as I head for the house to get help. To make sure she’s not hurt.
My father calls a doctor, who confirms that her wrist is sprained. Kit and I both get a verbal slapdown, but I don’t give a fuck.
As soon as it’s over, we head back to Anastasia’s room. She’s propped up, staring morosely out of the window towards the orchard.
We sit by her bedside.
