“Ah.” I nodded.
“I know you were just in there, but do you want to come with me? It shouldn’t be long.”
“Sure.” It was becoming impossible to say no to him, even for something as simple as grabbing a book.
“Cool. Come on, then.” He brushed past me, his hand barely grazing the spot on my arm covered in purple splotches, but it was enough for me to wince at the pain. The bruises were fresh, sensitive enough that even bumping into something hurt.
Hayden pulled back his hand like he’d been burned at the same time I tucked my arm close to my body. “Sierra?” he squeaked out my name.
I turned my head toward him, probably looking like a deer in the headlights, with bulging eyes and a gaping mouth. “Yeah?”
“You know I’m always here for you. But I just need to know. You’d tell someone if”—Hayden swallowed—“if someone was hurting you…right?”
My eyes narrowed, and I crossed my arms, tugging my sleeves further down past my wrists. “What are you trying to say?”
“I guess…” His voice trailed off, dejected. “I know people who can help. My dad can?—”
“I’m fine, Hayden. I’ve told you this before,” I bit back, unable to control my response—mostly out of the fear of what might happen if my father found out I’d told someone, especially a cop.
Best case scenario, we’d have to move again, and I’d lose the one friend I’d come to care about. I didn’t want to think about the worst-case scenario. The best way to protect Hayden was to act like nothing was wrong.
“Pinky swear?” He stuck out his hand, his pinky finger raised.
“Yeah.” It came out as a pathetic whisper because it was a lie. And I was sure both of us knew it was a lie. But I didn’t take his pinky; I just changed the subject. “I got the forms for high school rodeo filled out.”
Hayden’s eyes widened. “Really?”
I smiled, even if it was a forced one, and nodded.
“Wait, and you already got the signatures and everything?” As if by magic, all the worry melted away from his features, replaced by pure excitement instead.
A small breath of relief left my lungs. “I did. I just need to ask the front desk for my transcript then submit the forms.”
“This is incredible, Sierra!”
Before I could even process what was happening, Hayden’s arms were wrapped around my middle in a bear hug and my feet were a few inches off the ground. His laugh filled the quiet library, and even when the grumpy librarian shushed us, his joy—the warmth of his happiness—enveloped me like a soft blanket on a cold winter day.
He put me down and continued talking as we walked through the aisles of books. I wasn’t sure what he was saying, though. I was deep in my head about the logistics of all this.
I’d not only have to figure out how I was going to get to competitions but also how I was going to explain my absence to my parents. I wasn’t sure spending every weekend at the school was a realistic—or believable—excuse.
Maybe I could get a job somewhere my parents wouldn’t think to go. Working on the weekends wouldn’t be a stretch, and getting a job would be nice to have some spending money anyway, or money to save for when I could finally get out of here.
“Earth to Sierra?” Hayden waved a hand in front of my face.
I snapped out of my daze, blinking a few times. “Hmm?”
“I’m good to go.” He held up the book in his other hand.To Kill a Mockingbird.
“This is the book Keenan needed?” I didn’t peg Keenan for a classics type of guy, or really a book guy in general.
Hayden snorted. “Yeah, apparently. I guess he needs to write a report about it for English class.”
I puckered my lips like a duck. “Interesting.”
Hayden chuckled. “Very.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
