Page 112 of Love Me in the Dark

One shoulder popped up. “I don’t even know what to call it.”

“Is it good?”

Her mouth twisted to the side. “I’m still trying to determine that.”

I wasn’t sure if I should be honest with her, but I felt like she deserved to know. “I’ve never been this way with anyone in my life. I guess you’re special.”

“Lucky me,” she said even if her tone implied, she wasn’t lucky at all. “Seriously though can you cool it on the intensity. Maybe find someone else to be concerned about?”

It bothered her just as much as it did me, but I’d never tell her that. Something deep inside of me drove me to protect her even if I didn’t understand it myself. I wasn’t sure I could stop it if I tried.

She groaned and laid her head down on the table. “I can see me asking is futile. I think I really will get homeschooled. It has to be better than this.” She said the last so quietly I wasn’t sure if I was meant to hear it.

“I’ll try to dial it back. Can you really say you hate someone caring for you?” I wasn’t sure caring was the right word, but it was the best I could come up with.

Shaking her head against the table, her eyes clenched closed. “I’ve grown accustomed to it,” she whispered sadly.

The bell rang before I could say anything.

Harley tried to scurry out of the room. To get away from me, but even with those long legs of hers mine were longer and it took me no time at all to catch up with her. “Are you ready for lunch?”

She closed her eyes for long moment before she let out a heavy puff of breath. “Not if it means I’m going to have the entire student body staring at me.”

There was nothing I could do about that. What Harley didn’t seem to realize was that she’d receive the attention with or without me.

“I’ve got an idea. Let’s get our food and then I’ll take you to a spot where no one will bother us.”

She was already shaking her head before I finished speaking. “That’s alright. I’m not hungry. I’ll just find a spot in the library until my next class.”

I knew she was lying, but I didn’t know why.

“Humor me. I hate to eat alone.”

A laughed bubbled out of her then. It completely transformed her entire being. For one brief moment the weight of the world was lifted off her shoulders. “Well, I don’t think that will ever be a problem for you, Mr. Popular. Pick someone else to have lunch with.”

“Too bad. I’ve got you marked in my book with permanent marker, so you can’t get out of it.”

Stopping abruptly in the middle of the hall, some freshman nearly plowed right into her. If my reflexed weren’t as quick as they were, she would have been flat on her ass. Pulling her into me, I held her close feeling each soft curve of her body.

“What are you doing?” She hissed, her deep blue eyes narrowing. How had I never noticed until now how blue they were?

“Keeping you from becoming hall roadkill. That guy almost took you down.”

Her hands came up between us pushing us apart. “Let go of me.”

My hands fell to my sides instantly. I wasn’t sure what her aversion to me was, but I certainly didn’t like it. “Let’s go.” I took off toward the cafeteria and hoped she would follow. If she didn’t, I would find her.

I could hear her shoes slapping against the floor before I saw her. Her arms were crossed over her chest and her jaw was tense. “Why do you have to be so annoying?”

“I’m talented like that. Now, what do you want to eat? It’s my treat since it’s your first day.”

Her eyes flared but then she started to look around, and started for the salad station. I left Harley to it while I gathered a burger and fries for myself. She was still piling it on when I came up to her.

“This isn’t charged by the weight, or anything is it?” She looked up at me and then back down to her plate.

“Not that I know of.” Even if it was, I didn’t care. I had a nagging feeling that the reason she didn’t want to eat was because she had no money. If that was the case, her mom really was a bitch. “Do you see that courtyard right out there?” I pointed passed the room filled with students and to the area justbeyond. “Go meet me out there,” I said as I took her heaping salad from her.

“And no one will bother us out there?”