“No.”
“Why not?”
“For what reason?”
“Curiosity.”
I smiled through the pain. “It killed the cat, remember?”
The expression on his face softened. “You’re the strongest girl I’ve ever met, you know that?”
“I’m not that strong. I ran away most of the time.”
“Saved your life though.”
“Yeah, it did.”
After pausing for a moment, he asked, “How many times have you run?”
“More times than I care to count…”
He hid back a sad smile, knocking his shoulder into me. “I’m not much of a flighter, I'm more of a fighter myself.”
“Oh!” I joked, “So that’s just a Knightly trait?”
In a neutral expression, he reminisced, “My mom used to say we were nothing like our father, and I’d like to keep it that way.”
“Fair.”
Trying to lighten the mood, he asked, “How’s school going?”
“Good.”
“Your classes?”
“Good.”
“You’re taking college credits in high school. That’s more than good. That’s amazing. By the time you graduate, you’ll have enough credits to be considered almost a sophomore at any university. That’s a hell of an accomplishment.”
“School was my only way out, you know?”
“I do.”
“What about you?”
“What about me? I’m an open book.”
“Far from it,” I snarked. “What do you want for your future?”
“I wish I knew.”
“Well, I’ll tell you right now, you’re the smartest person I’ve ever known.”
In an inquisitive stare, he asked, “What else do you know about me?”
“Now you’re trying to find out all my secrets?”
“As a matter of fact, I am.” He gripped my thigh.
