“What areyoudoing here?” I ask right back. Asher comes into view and I wave.
“We’re walking home,” Asher says plainly, like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. Like it’snormalfor them to be out and walking around in the dark at eleven at night.
“Home from where?” I ask skeptically.
“Don’t worry about it,” Asher says at the same time that Ty asks me, “Are you okay?”
Weird.
“I’m…I’ll be fine.”
Ty steps closer, joining me in the moonlight as he tips my chin up and looks at my face.
“Did someone hurt you?” he asks seriously, with a fire in his eyes burning so brightly in defense of me, it takes my breath away.
“No… That’s not it.”
“Then why do you look so sad?” Ty asks earnestly.
“Ty, I’m going to head home, okay? I’ll see you guys later.” Asher steps in nervously and then backs away, like he’s afraid to interject anymore.
“Awkward,” I say in a quiet sing-song voice to break the tension and back up, out of Ty’s touch. That’s the first time I’ve been touched by a guy in gentleness and my cheek is warm from his skin on mine.
“What happened? Tell me,” Ty says. His words are harsh and urgent in the darkness. He’s standing there, bathed in moonlight. The light highlights the sharpness of his cheekbones, of his jaw, the darkness reflects in those deep eyes of his and make them look even darker. His hair is mused, like he’s been pulling at it over and over.
And he’s got a black eye.
“What happened to you?!” I cry out loud, jumping forward to inspect his eye and make sure there aren’t other injuries.
“Nothing, this is nothing, I promise.” Ty waves his hands in a way that’s meant to diminish his injuries and get me to let it go.
I’m not that kind of girl.
“You have a black eye, walking around town in the middle of the night, and expect me to believe that ‘it’s nothing’? You’re crazy,” I scoff.
“I’ll tell you if you tell me.” He drops his gaze before lifting it to me, eyes flickering up from beneath the dark sweep of his lashes. The tension crackles, a fair-trade hanging between us like a promise.
“Ugh, fine,” I groan, and step back, pulling him by the hand to rest against the stone. “I’ll be moving soon.”
“What?” he asks, his voice just above a whisper.
“Yeah, they just dropped the news on me and I… It hit me harder than it usually does.”
“Why? Why are they making you leave?” he clarifies his question. The words aren’t cold, but they aren’t…warm. I’mthankful for the darkness because it somewhat hides the way my whole body deflates with rejection from his tone.
“I didn’t stick around to hear it from their mouths, but I’m pretty sure they’re having a baby. Theirownbaby. So they’ll probably need my room or something for the nursery, I don’t know. It’s happened before, it’ll happen again.” I wave my hand between us like it’s not a big deal.
It shouldn’t be.
But I can’t help but feeldisappointedthis time. I…I like it here.
“But, there’s gotta be something you can do. We can do. Maybe, we can ask if you can stay for the end of the year. It’s not that long, maybe they can extend your time here and that’ll give us some time to figure—” He’s rambling, trying to fix a problem that can’t be fixed. It’s sweet, a very sweet gesture that makes my heart clench. I cut him off with a shake of my head.
“That’s not how foster care works. You go where there’s, hopefully, a bed and a school close by. That’s it.” I shrug, and drop my backpack next to the rock, leaning my hips against it with my arms crossed.
“So you’re just going to…go?” he asks. I can’t get a read on him.
“What choice do I have, Ty?” I throw my arms out in frustration. “It’s not like I can stay, I have nowhere to stay. I have a shitty part-time job that wouldn’t cover anything even close to rent. I have no family, no friends. I have nothing! I have me, myself, and I and I have to protectmyself.” My volume increases before it drops at the end, and I shake my head. “I have to protect myself.”
