Dear Lord, how on earth did I end up at this moment? Staring at a random stranger’s leg, spewing word vomit. The leg was a little too thick and muscled and hairy for me to pretend he was anything but a young, attractive man, but I did mybest.
“Look,” he said. “You don’t haveto—”
Sucking in a breath, I searched for the wound. And still, the words wouldn’tstop.
“What kind of moron runs for city council because the world is imploding, right? What kind of idiot gives up binge watching my favorite shows and going to the gym in exchange for canvassing and calling and begging people tocare?”
“Icare.”
I sat back on my haunches to look at him. “Youdo?”
“Yeah.”
“I feel impotent, you know? Every time I think about where the world’s heading, I get to the same sadending.”
“That’s why youran?”
“I kept looking for another way, but running for city council, making a change at the grassroots level, was the only solution I could come up with. I needed to dosomething.”
“I get that. Now—” He reached down, probably aiming for an arm, but came up with the stuffed rabbit tied to my backpack instead. “What’sthis?”
“It’s abunny.”
“Abunny.”
“On my backpack. It’s a good luck charm, from one of mykids.”
“’Cause you’re ateacher.”
“Preschool.”
Remembering what I was doing on the floor, I glanced back at his leg and saw it: just above the hem of his shorts, there was a mark from one of my sign’s stakes. Only a small indentation, a little purplish at the center. No blood. He’d be okay.Unless…
“Have you had your tetanusshot?”
A strange sound emerged from his body before he sank down in front of me, his limbs folding up into an uncomfortable-looking crouch as he settled at my eye level. That was when I realized that this impossibly gorgeous man was laughing. At me? With me? It was all so freaking strange it didn’tmatter.
“Yes, Veronica Cruz. I’ve had my…shots.” He finally got it together enough to stop. “You are something, you know that? I don’t think I’veever—”
A knock sounded at the door just a couple feet behind me and I gasped. I could’ve sworn the man’s eyes flew to meet mine, but that was probably wishfulthinking.
“Don’t answer it,” Iwhispered.
Zach
I leanedin and cocked my head to the side. “Why not?” I whispered, close enough to tickle her ear. I wanted to lickit.
“It’s my opponent. I’m running against the Rylies. Well, against WilyRylie.”
“You’re running againstWily—”
“Rylie.”
“But you won’t talk to him?” Man, she smelled good—lavender or violets or something with a hint of sweat beneath it. I willed her not to shift away fromme.
“That family is scary,” she hissed. “Like pod people. I’ve never trusted Wily, and his wife makes me feellike—”
Another knock interrupted us and we bothstilled.
