HAPTER 75
JESS
I blinked against the bright sunlight, disoriented.
It felt like I’d been pulled from a dream, a very hot and uncomfortable dream. One that had the side of my head pounding.
I tried to open my eyes again, but it felt like the sunlight stabbed my eyeballs. “What the hell happened?” I muttered, my voice barely a whisper as I wiped something off my face.
I tried to sit up, but a steady hand was there, guiding me back down. “Just give it a few seconds,” the deep voice purred, and I obeyed it.
The stickiness on my fingers made me want to sit up again and try to figure out what it was.
“Is that? Blood,” I mumbled and felt a little dizzy again. Blood and I are not the best of friends, especially when it’s not inside my body where it belongs.
That same person who was kneeling next to me placed a palm on my cheek and turned my head, “Let me see Jessica.” The mention of my name falling from his lips snapped me out of my stupor. I pulled back immediately out of his reach. I didn’t need Luke acting like he cared for everyone to see when I knew he didn’t give one single shit about me.
“Jessica. I’m just trying to see how bad it is. Would you relax?”
Luke said, irritated, trying to get me to hold still so that he could assess the damage. His face was inches from mine, and his eyes were locked on me. I think I forgot how to breathe for a second.
No matter how hard I tried to push down the irritation and anger I felt towards him, my body betrayed me. His touch felt electric against my skin, stirring something he had no business stirring.
I pulled away again, putting distance between us. “I’m fine,” I said more forcefully than I intended, but the tremor in my voice was clear as day.
I turned to see Laura still on the track, unmoving. My heart sank. “Shit! Laura!” I shouted, trying to get up and see if she was okay, but there were too many people, and Luke was still trying to get me to stay down.
“Make room! Move!” Mrs. Luther’s authoritative voice cut through the panic as she pushed through the crowd.
I must have fallen over Laura when she passed out. “Jessica, can you just sit, or am I going to have to pull you on my lap to keep you down?” Luke threatened, and I froze. Slowly, I backed down and sat with my legs folded beneath me. The idea of being on Luke’s lap made my blood run ice cold, and I did my best to stop looking up at him.
“Would you all just fucking move!” Someone barked, and I saw my brother push past the crowd with his eyes locked on Laura.
He effectively shrugged Mrs. Luther aside, lifting Laura in his arms as if she were weightless, and carried her to the shade.. For a second, I was happy that Luke hadn’t done the same with
07:56
CHAPTER 75
“Get me an ice pack and water, now!” Josh yelled at some poor freshman who sparked immediately in search of ice and water.
I sat there a little shell–shocked at his display of protectiveness. I don’t get it. He cheated on her, so he couldn’t have been that concerned about Laura, but, right now, he acted like Laura was his entire life.
My jaw went a little slack as I processed the scene before me, but the crowd followed them. Or actually, they followed the drama and left me sitting on the track with a busted face. Mrs. Luther stayed behind and hovered over me, scanning my face, “Let’s get you to the nurse. You might have a concussion. We also need to talk about why you never came to try out for the track team.” she lifted an accusing brow at me, and I pursed my lips and shrugged. “Didn’t think I was good enough,” I mumbled.
I tried to get up again, but the moment I was vertical, the world spun, and I felt myself tipping backward. Two strong arms caught me, a rock–solid chest pressing against my back. I could him, all of him, hold me.
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