Falling - On the Banks of Lake Saint Clare (Falling - Book One) (13 page)

“It’s your freaking heart again,” he laughed. “That’s so not normal.”

“You will feel really bad when you cause me to have a heart attack and the whole time you are making fun.”

“I’ll give you CPR,” he offered.

“You certified?”

“I’ll wing it. I’ll just feel around till I get the spot,” he smiled.

“Well maybe you just turn me on more than I turn you on.”

“Not possible. You know that Viagra commercial that says if your erection lasts longer than 4 hours, call a doctor? Well, mine has lasted for weeks. It started the day I saw you.”

“You are so full of it,” I laughed.

“Am I?”
H
e smiled. His hand moved to my shoulder and he started rubbing it. I started feeling my eyes getting heavier
,
but I wanted to stay awake.

I looked up at him watching the TV and wondered how this guy could be so handsome. He looked down and smiled making my heart race again. His fingers were moving slowly through my hair and across my neck. I wondered if I was going to be able to keep him interested in me. I thought I had a pretty good personality, but was it enough to keep him wanting to stay around? I even started to second-guess my looks. I went my entire life not wearing make-up and hearing how pretty I was
,
but I just didn’t see it when I looked at myself. I didn’t want to spend every day of my life worrying if he would call me or like me. I hated being insecure. But at the moment, he was with me and I loved knowing this huge guy was beside me protecting me.

“You make me feel so safe,” I sighed.

“Who do you think did it?” He asked.

“I don’t know,” I sighed, not really wanting to ruin the moment.

He took my hand and kissed it and placed my hand on his heart. “See, you do it to me also.”

I could feel his heart pounding hard against my hand.

“Are you ever going to talk about it?”

“What?” I asked. I knew he was talking about who slipped me the roofie, but wasn’t sure if I was ready for the conversation. “Your two week erection?” I laughed

He smiled. “You
have to talk about it sometime
, Alex.”

I loved hearing him say my name. It made it so personal.

“I know. But I just don’t want to accuse the wrong person. The police said it was a felony. I don’t want anyone to go to jail and find out I was wrong.”

“You aren’t a jury. Just tell them the possibilities.”

“The only people I can even think of are these two guys in student council. They were toasting me from
across the pool. Hailey made a
comment about my drink but she didn’t even say anything that was odd for her. And Brad. He was mad because I lied about being a diabetic.”

“Why did you do that?”

“I don’t know. It just slipped out. I wanted to get away from him.”

“So,” he paused, “it was possibly Brad?”

I could tell he was angry. He didn’t have the dark look on his face like Brad did when he was mad, but I could tell.

“Ok,” is all he said.

We watched the rest of the game, me dozing off every now and then, only to be abruptly woken by Michael yelling “Oh!” Then he whispered, “Sorry.”

“Alex,” I
heard him say, “It’s almost
mid
night
. I gotta go home.”

“Ok,” I rolled over, “I’ll walk you out.”

But I didn’t. I woke up the next morning, sad that I never got a kiss from him.

“I feel like going to the game, Mom. I have been asleep for forty days and forty nights like Old Man VanWinkle.”

Mom laughed, “Still a bit tired?”

“I guess. Ok, it was Noah for forty days and nights and VanWinkle slept for 20 years. See, I’m one hundred
percent
. May I please go?”

“Ok, but do not be alone at anytime. Do you understand me?”

“Thanks Mom. I love you!”

I walked across the street to get Erica. She was in her room still getting dressed.

I plopped down on the bed. “You gotta hurry. The game is going to start soon.” I was hoping to talk to Michael before it started.

“You know Brad will be there, don’t you?”

“Yeah,” I shrugged, “its fine. I’m good.”

“Do you think he did it?”

“I have no idea. I wish it could be dropped. I wish people would stop texting me asking who did it. I even got a message from
Megan
that she heard Gavin did it. Gavin moved to
Florida
two years ago. I am pretty sure he didn’t fly back to slip me a roofie. I ended up turning my phone off cause I was tired of it buzzing. I went all day without hearing from Michael.”

“You could have silenced it.”

“You aren’t getting the point. I just don’t want to talk about it period.”

“Sorry,” she said sympathetically. “I need to warn the girls. That is all the talk with them. I am surprised they haven’t bought a
DNA
and fingerprint kit. Way too many
CSI
and Criminal Mind episodes.”

I guess our life in our little town was simply so dull that this was a little excitement that the girls needed to get through the summer. I just wasn’t thrilled it was at my expense.

We walked to the ballpark and as I made my way up the bleachers,
Kaitlyn
and
Abbie
instantly had pathetic puppy eyes and were watching me getting closer
,
ready to pounce on me for info.

“Abort,” Erica interrupted. “Don’t even play detectives,” she warned. “Take the day off, Mulder and Scully. There’s no crime solving during the game.”

I could see they were disappointed. “Just give me a while. I’ll talk to you later this evening. I just want to watch the game. I really am going to be useless. I don’t remember much of anything that will satisfy you.”

“It
’
s fine,”
Kaitlyn
smiled. “I’m just glad you feel better.”
             
I looked over to the dugout trying to find Michael. My dad was standing in front of team giving them his pep talk. Michael saw me and smiled. The heart, the heart, I felt it pound.

He held up his phone signaling me to look at mine.

Water! Please xxxoooo

“Who wants to go to the concession stand with me? I need to get Michael a bottled water.”

“I’ll go,”
Kaitlyn
offered. “Be careful, Alex.” She took my arm and led me down the bleachers. I didn’t need help, I was fine, but I knew it wasn’t worth telling her. She would do it anyway.

“Hey Alex,” I heard just about everyone say as we walked past them. I would look back and see them whispering. I was extremely embarrassed and paranoid that they were talking about me.

I got t
wo waters and headed to the dug
out. My heart was beating harder than I ever felt before. I stopped and took a deep breath. “Are you okay?”
Kaitlyn
asked. “You need to sit?”

“I’m good,” I lied. “Let’s take Michael his water and then we will go sit.”

“Are you in love?”
S
he asked as we made it closer to the dug out.

“Probably,” I said, not really thinking about what I was saying. I poked my head into the dug out and said his name, hoping my dad wouldn’t see me and have a fit. “No distractions before or during the games.”

Michael got up and walked over to me. “Hey you,” he said, taking the wate
r. “You are my savior. Mom
is supposed to be here with Gatorade but she’s running late. I was about to die.”

I smiled, loving the sound of his voice. I leaned against the wall of the dugout still feeling a bit light headed.

He stood in front of me holding both of my hands, looking down at me “You are too cute. Can you do something after the game or will you feel like it?”

“I’ll be fine. Like what?” It didn’t matter what I did with him, just being with him was enough.

I saw Brad walking toward us. I looked away and started to feel really nervous.

“Hey Brad,”
Kaitlyn
said, just to be polite.

I could hear him stop. I looked over at him. He held out a diet coke, trying to hand it to me. He had
a
huge
mischievous smile. “Hey Alex, I got this Diet Coke for you.”

He took my hand and placed the coke in it. I started shaking.

Michael looked at me, turned to Brad, and slammed him against the wall so hard I could feel the impact on my back.

I heard
Kaitlyn
gasp, “O
h
my
g
od!”

Michael pinned his shoulders against the wall and looked around, then got inches from his face, “Listen
,
m
uther
f
ucker,” he said, not raising his voice, “I don’t want you to ever talk to her again. I don’t want you to look at her. I don’t want you to breathe the same air she breathes. If you see her anywhere near you, you better turn your fucking ass around and go the other way. I am not going to put up with your shit anymore. Do you understand what I am saying?”

Brad just stood there trying to look tough.

I could see Michael’s fingers squeeze into Brad’s arms tighter. I was so scared they were going to start throwing punches.

Kaitlyn
grabbed on to my arm and started to pull me away but I couldn’t move.

“Do you
understand me?” He asked.

“Sure,” Brad laughed nervously. “I don’t know what the deal is. I was just being nice.”

I could tell Michael wanted to pound his head in. I could see it in his face but he was so calm. He was so calm I was scared. “You are being a dick,” Michael said. “It’s not cute, it’s not
nice,
and I am not going to let it continue. Got it?”

“Sure Dude. We are cool.”

I could hear my dad yell for the team to get on the field. Michael let go of Brad and he hurried off.

“I gotta pitch,”
Michael
said, looking at me. “Sorry.” He leaned over and kissed me on the cheek and ran out onto the field.

I leaned against the dugout wall and felt my legs giving out. I slid down the wall until I was sitting on the ground

“Oh
,
my freaking
g
od!”
Kaitlyn
sat down beside me and grabbed my hand. “I have never been so scared in my life. Did that really just happen?”

I nodded. My chest was hurting and I was having trouble catching my breath.
Kaitlyn
kept saying over and over, “Oh my
g
od, oh my
g
od. Are you okay?”

I heard Derek yell, “Coming down!”
I
knew that was what the catcher always said when the pitcher was warmed up and the game was going to start. I had to sit for a few more minutes. I could still feel the impact of Brad hitting the wall.

I stood up and brushed the dirt off my shorts, “Come on. I’m fine.”

I heard my dad yell
,
“That’s two walks, Michael. Get it together.”

When I walked from behind the dugout, he and Derek were on home plate talking. He looked over at me. I kissed my finger and pointed to him, seeing him smile and wink. I nodded I was okay and smiled back.

I climbed to our usual seats and sat down beside Erica.

“Michael is sucking hard today,” she said aggravated.

“He’ll be fine,” watching him strike the batter out.

“Hmm,” Erica said, “Guess you’re right.”

I knew
Kaitlyn
was dying to tell the girls what had happened
,
but she didn’t want me to get mad. She kept making excuses to get them to go to the concession stand. “Just tell them,” I finally said.

“You won’t be mad?” she asked.

“Just tell them.”

I moved down a step so I didn’t have to hear her. I was just getting calmed down and didn’t really want to listen. I looked around and saw Michael’s mom and dad a few seats down, recognizing her from the store. I debated going over and introducing myself. I was worried they had heard about me and thought I was drama and would want me to stay away from their son.

“Suck it up, Alex, suck it up. There is only one way to find out.”

I moved down and sat beside his mom, “Ms Williams? I’m Alex. I’m not sure Michael has mentioned me, but we have gone out a couple times.”

“Alex?” she smiled, “yes, he has mentioned you once or twice or a million times,” she smiled. She looked so much like him. She was beautiful and had his smile.