Those cornflower eyes dipped, and she chewed at the inside of her cheek. Her cheek that had a big scratch running across it. He forced himself to take stock, noting her ripped shirt and skinned knees.
“You’re banged up pretty bad. Do you think you can stand?”
“I…I’m not sure.” Her voice was timorous. Her head drooped like she couldn’t even look at him.
“I’m Cash.” He kept his voice gentle, trying to get her to relax.
She peeked up through the locks of her hair.
“I’m Daisy,” she whispered.
Daisy.
He’d heard of her. She was one of the two foster girls who just moved in with Ms. Lopez at the end of the street. Supposedly she and her older sister.
There’d been a slew of gossip surrounding their arrival. From them being caught stowed away on a ship to the one that they’d murdered their parents, but Cash wasn’t one for rumors.
Only thing that mattered to him right then was the fact she looked so horrified and embarrassed and like she was gonna cry that his stomach hurt.
“Come on, let me help you up.”
He stretched out his hand. She looked at it like she was afraid it was going to bite her, before she reluctantly took it. She trembled as he started to help her up, then she yelped when she put pressure on her right foot. His attention darted to where her ankle was already swollen to twice the size it should be.
Crap.
“That shit’s bro-ken,” Matthew drew out, doing nothing to hide the laughter in his voice.
Cash sent him a scathing look.
Would you shut the fuck up? She’s freaked out enough.
“Come on, I’ve got you.” Cash swept her up, cradling her in his arms like she was a baby when she was probably only a yearor two younger than him. She didn’t weigh much though, this frail little thing who turned bright red when she realized he was holding her.
“I can walk,” she breathed into his chest, though she clung to his neck.
“Don’t think you can.” He started in the direction of Ms. Lopez’s house.
“You’re seriously going to carry her?” Aghast, Matthew shouted it at his back.
“Yeah,” he returned.
Of course, he was.
Matthew laughed. “My baby brother with his bleeding heart.”
What was he supposed to do? Just leave her there?
He scowled at Matthew since he couldn’t shoot him a middle finger before he continued to trudge up the street, leaving his brother laughing behind him.
“I’m sorry.” Daisy mumbled it into his shirt.
He barely shook his head. “What are you sorry for?”
“I’m really clumsy,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean to.”
“Nah, it’s not your fault. That hill is way steeper than it looks. Bet you picked up speed before you even knew it, and there’s a big pothole at the bottom. No way could you dodge it when you were going that fast.”
He could feel the heat of her embarrassment followed by a bout of worry at the end. “Do you think I ruined the bike?”
