David winked at her. “Ay, ay, captain. Carrying things and looking pretty is my specialty.”
I rolled my eyes and followed Emmy.
“You good for a little climb?” she asked when we got near the rocks.
“Of course.” I swallowed, having a hard time feeling my toes. “Just tell me which one you think I should go for.”
Emmy pointed to a large rock in the middle of the rest. “That one’s the perfect height. Plus, the sun’s hitting it at an amazing angle right now. Don’t you think so?”
“Definitely.” I inwardly groaned at the thought of scrambling all the way up there. But I couldn’t complain. Or rather, wouldn’t.
As soon as I took a step forward, placing my foot on a smaller rock, I felt the heat of someone by my side. I glanced over, thinking it’d be Emmy or one of the other girls offering me help. Instead, I found David.
“I’m fine,” I said, ignoring his offer to stabilize me.
“And I’m just here to have a front-row seat to your fall,” he assured.
I waved the hand away.
“Come on,” David insisted in a more serious tone. He stretched his arm toward me. “I don’t actually want you to fall.”
“You were singing a different tune the other night.”
“Yeah, well, that was the other night and a dare. I was banking on entertainment.”
“Keep banking.” I reached for the next rock up. It was cold and sticky underneath my palm. I tried to keep a straight face when a slimy substance coated my fingers.
I got more confident with each step I took without David’s aid. Emmy called out encouragement as I neared her rock of choice. Right when I was about to take the last step, my foot slipped on the green slug that marred most of the rocks.
It was the kind of fall that happened in a heartbeat but felt like it was happening in slow motion. A part of me thought Icould recover in an instant. But my brain and body were on two different pages, leaving me stunned and barreling toward my death. David’s reflexes were decisive. Like me, he had little time to think. Unlike me, he knew exactly how to react.
I shouldn’t have been so impressed. He was a football player, for goodness’ sake. An athlete who’d spent copious amounts of hours fine-tuning his response time. Years of sculpting his body to withstand full-force hits from guys twice my weight.
When his arms wrapped around me, my heart jumped into my throat. Not because I’d almost cracked my skull onto some rock, but because I was in David’s embrace. As soon as he caught me, he pulled me into his chest, so he’d have an easier time steadying us both. One hand cupped my head, protective of its vulnerability. His warm fingers covered my ear, muffling the sound of my executive board in a panic, yelling as they scrambled over the rocks to assure we were okay. I couldn’t focus on what they were saying because David’s other hand encircled my waist, his grip firm and confident enough to feel like it’d been there before. Like it was coming home.
“Fine, huh?” he said in a voice so low I could barely make out the words over the waves. I blinked at how soft his shirt felt underneath my palm. I felt no sign of his heart racing. My sudden fall and David’s sudden save didn’t result in even a slight uptick. Why was that so captivating? That he could do all that without hesitation or fear clouding his judgment.
His hair had long since dried in the sun, and I got the disgusting urge to brush the short strands off his forehead. I curled my fingers into a fist, trapping some of his shirt inside.
“Throw a punch.” His eyes flickered to my fist.
“Is that an official dare?” I asked, all breathy and confused.
His playful smile sent me spiraling. “You can’t give me a freebie?”
“Shit,” Emmy hissed. She was the first to reach us. “Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine.” I tried to stand up without David’s help, but my legs nearly gave out from adrenaline and his grip on my waist.
“Give your body a moment to catch up. Shock’s got your brain in overload.” David kept hold of me. “Add that to the list of things you’ll have to fix, Madam President.”
He had a faint set of freckles on his nose. How had I never noticed them before? This close, David had fewer jagged edges and a softer center when I could see those freckles paired with his usual smirk.
“My brain’s fine,” I whispered, trying to stand on my own again.
He chuckled and looked down at my fist. “You sure?”
“I’m uncomfortable,” I lied. “You’re holding me really tight.”
