She gasped. “What happened?” In seconds she’d found a chair and brought it over for him, motioning for him tosit.
He did. “I was coming back from lunch and a couple guys from Skyview jumpedme.”
“A couple?” she asked,disgusted.
“Three.”
She talked as she walked to the side of the stage, looking for something. “It took three guys to do that toyou?”
“Yeah, but they look worse.” He smiled, which caused him to cringe as his cheeklifted.
She gave him a pointed look before returning to herquest.
“I didn’t start it, but I finishedit.”
“Aha!” She tossed a small first-aid kit into the air and grinned, triumphant. “Is that why you’re hiding? Because they’re coming after you?” She eyed the sidedoor.
“Naw. They’re long gone.” The thought of those guys coming anywhere near Maia made him hot all over. He’d do some major damage if they even tried. “I’m back here praying for amiracle.”
She brought over a stool, which put her at the exact same height ashim.
He liked looking her in the eye. “You have beautifuleyes.”
She paused and dropped her gaze. “Thanks. So do you. I—I mean your eyes are nice. To look at.Into?”
He chuckled and placed his hand on her knee. A current passed between them. It was thick and gooey and sweet and bright and traveled straight up to his heart. Both of them stared at his hand on herknee.
“Did you feel that?” shewhispered.
“Yeah.” He licked his lips, his mouth suddenlydry.
She cleared her throat and dropped her gaze to the first aid kit, jolting as if she’d forgotten it was there. “Let’s clean you up as best wecan.”
He left his hand there because it felt right. She didn’t seem to mind. She even placed her hand on his shoulder. It was small and light, like having a robin sit there. Her long hair fell forward and brushed hisarm.
“You were telling me why you were hiding.” She focused on tearing open antisepticwipes.
“Oh,uh.”
She cupped his chin and turned his face away from her, dabbing the bruised and swollen skin around hiseye.
“Coach has a no-tolerance policy on fighting. Doesn’t matter if we don’t start it—we’re off the team.” Her ministrations were slow and comforting. He’d been patched together more times than he wanted to know and had never enjoyed the experience. He hated people touching him. On the field, he got to fight back, and most of the time he was the one sending the other guy to the ground. His teammates knew better than to smack him on the back in the hallway or pretend to punch him; he didn’t have to tell any of them twice to keep their hands off. And he only ever put up with medical attention because he had to. This was so different. Every brush of Maia’s fingers was warm and inviting. He continued talking, not wanting her to stop. “If he finds out, he’ll cut first and ask questions later—probably after my dad comes in and chews hisbutt.”
Maia smiled. “It’s nice that your dad has yourback.”
That turned his tongue off. “Yeah.” He watched her out of the corner of his eye as she cracked an ice pack and placed it on the side of his face. Her other hand went to his uninjured cheek to remind him to holdstill.
His eyes dropped to her lips. She had great lips. The top one arched without a dip in the middle. Everyone had a dip, but not Maia. She was different in so many good ways. He wondered if he’d notice a difference in her lips if he kissed her. He shouldn’t be thinking those things. Not about a girl like Maia. She was … smart and driven and … waiting for him to say something. “You sing pretty. Your song, it was reallypretty.”
She smiled shyly. “Thanks for helping me. I don’t think I would have made it out there if it wasn’t foryou.”
“I didn’t doanything.”
Her bottom lip pouted out. He thought about what he’d said and his hand tightened on her knee. She was so small and delicate to touch, but the fire inside made her appear muchbigger.
“I didn’t mean that the kiss didn’t mean anything to me; I meant that I was happy to do it,” he blurted. His neck warmed and he rolled his eyes at himself. “I—I didn’t mean. Imean—”
She giggled. “That’s good toknow.”
