Touching Eternity (Touch Series 1.5) (42 page)

It all happened so fast I didn’t even get a chance to think. I just reacted. I ran forward, grabbed the back of the guy’s jacket and pulled him backwards with all my strength just as the truck sped by in front of us. We tumbled back and he landed hard on top of me, his backpack banging against my face. My breath slammed into my chest painfully.

I heard a screech and looked to see the truck slam to a stop just a ways ahead of us. He yelled some obscenities out his window; something about stupid kids but more colorful and then sped away.

The guy immediately rolled off me, yanking the buds from his ears and looking at me with awe and concern.

“Are you ok?”

“Uh...yeah, I think so,” I groaned.

“I can’t believe I just did that. You- you saved my life.”

“It’s fine. It’s a good thing I was here, I guess.”

He scooted a little closer and winced as he brushed my hair back from my face.

“You cut your head,” he said breathlessly and looked a little dazed.

“I did?” I felt it with my fingers and squinted as it stung. My fingers had a little blood on them but nothing alarming. “I guess I did. It’s ok, really, just a bump.”

I tried to stand but he held me down with a hand on my shoulder.

“Whoa. Wait, ok? Let me call an ambulance. If something happened to you after you saved me...”

“Really, that’s not necessary. I’m fine.”

He frowned and paused, screwing up his lips like he was debating it. I looked at him in the soft glow of the streetlights. He was tall, that I’d seen from before, and broad, but his hair was brown and shaggy, curling around his ears and forehead, and his eyes were light, blue maybe or hazel. His lips were fascinating as he sucked them in and out of his mouth in contemplation. He was wearing a gray hoodie that said ‘VOLS’ in big orange letters on the front. Great.

That was one of my biggest problems with Chad. He’d been so set to go to Florida to be a Gator when the University of Tennessee was right here. Right down the road. His dad went to UF, I get it, he wanted to follow his dad’s footsteps but it just felt like he wouldn’t compromise. I don’t know.

The guy’s eyes drifted to mine and we just sat there, eyes locked on one another’s. Then the corner of his mouth rose slightly. And it was unnerving.

“Please, let me take you to the hospital at least.” He brushed my hair back again and leaned closer to inspect. I heard my swift intake of breath at his closeness and he did too. He looked down into my eyes again and watched me closely. “It doesn’t look too bad but...let me call someone for you. I’d feel better,” he said softly.

“There’s no one to call,” I muttered but wished I could take it back when I saw his face. “Really, I’m fine.”

“I’m so glad you were here. I can’t believe I did that. And I’m sorry you got hurt. I must have hit you with my book bag when we went down. That’s a pretty good grip you got there,” he said and smiled and I had one of those moments where you stare and can’t look away.

He smiled wider when I didn’t say anything and chuckled right as I came back to myself.

“Uh, thanks. Are
you
all right?” I asked and he nodded.

“So. There’s no one to call? Your parents? A boyfriend?”

“My dad won’t come and my boyfriend and I- Well, we aren’t together anymore. I wouldn’t feel right about calling him now.”

“You don’t think he’d come?”

“Oh, he would. That’s why I don’t want to.”

He seemed confused and amused at the same time.

“Ok. I’m gonna assume there’s a story there and you’re not just suffering from a head injury.”

I realized then that we were still sitting on the sidewalk next to each other, in the middle of town.

“No, I’m fine. Look, I’m sorry. I’m fine, I promise. I didn’t mean to hold you up,” I stammered and stuck my hair behind my ear.

“Are you kidding? You saved my life. The least I can do is make sure you get where you’re going. Here.” He grabbed my arm gently and helped me stand, keeping it there to make sure I was steady. “You good? No stars, no spots, no blurs?”

“I’m good.”

“Where you headed?”

“I have no idea. Nowhere. I’m just waiting for someone to call and needed to get out of the house.”

“Did you go to graduation?”

“Yeah, I graduated.”

“Really? You look too young to be graduating.”

“Seventeen. My birthday’s in a few weeks. I, uh, skipped a grade so I graduated early.”

“Aha. So, I was saved by a genius. This just keeps getting better,” he said grinning.

End of Preview

You can find Shelly here:

http://www.shellycrane.blogspot.com

Airicka Phoenix is the author of
The Touch Series
, with short stories in
the
Whispered Beginnings: A Clever Fiction Anthology
and two in the
Midnight Surrender Anthology
. When she's not hammering away at the keyboard, she can be found banishing pirates or crawling through the attic looking for lost treasure with her kids. She loves baking, gardening and reading. She also likes to travel and take pictures of everything she comes across. When asked, Airicka describes herself as a sarcastic basket case that has an unhealthy addiction to chocolate, old movies and really bad jokes. She loves to laugh, make friends and write. If she could have one wish granted, it would be to spend one day as a fly-on-the-wall inside Stephen King's mind. If she could have two wishes granted, she would ask for a castle dedicated entirely to her overwhelming collection of books.

For more about Airicka, also on how to win giveaways, read author interviews and reviews, visit her website at:
http://airickaphoenix.com/Author/?cat=10