throat. He was gripping my wrists, trying to scratch the skin from my bones. He was having little success, though I don’t think he could see the fact that my body was healing itself after every scratch he managed to create.
I kept my eyes wide and my words calm, so he wouldn’t misunderstand. “You are never to harass Kate again. If I see you mistreating
anyone
in the future, you will receive more than a simple warning. Am I clear?”
In answer, he spat in my face. I let the spittle run down my cheek, unwilling to show weakness by brushing it away. I tightened my grip near his throat, making him gasp. Our noses were nearly touching now.
Ironically enough, that’s when Kate found us.
She’d rounded the corner slowly, her face pale and her eyes wary—maybe a little fearful. They widened at what she saw: me forcing Grimshaw up against the wall. Only slightly less alarming would have been the young woman standing off to the side, hugging herself in an effort to stop her steady tears.
“Patrick?” Kate asked, unable to form any more of a question. Her eyes darted between us, trying to make sense of the scene. The way her eyes hovered on the girl made me think she’d seen her before. Maybe from school?
I wasn’t sure how to answer her largely unspoken question, so for the moment I turned my attention back to the football player in my grasp. I lowered my voice, trying to keep the animosity between us. “You should leave,” I said.
He stared at me for a long moment, the blood still dripping from his nose. When he finally spoke, it was a low whisper. “You’ll regret this, O’Donnell. I swear you will.”
I gave one of my tense smiles for an answer before straightening my fingers abruptly and twisting away from him. I reached down to grab Kate’s purse, and by the time I’d turned back around, Grimshaw was stalking away, moving toward his black jeep.
I watched him until he was inside and the engine roared to life. The lights flashed on, blinding us momentarily. He started forward, peeling out of the parking lot with a reckless jerk of the wheel. His tires screeched past us and the jeep whipped around the corner. The sounds of his mad retreat gradually died, leaving silence to settle around us.
I knew Kate’s eyes were firmly on my face, but I chose to look instead at the other young woman, who was looking at me with a small degree of awe.
“Are you all right?” I asked.
She nodded, slowly at first and then more rapidly. “Yes. Thank you, for . . . that. I’d heard stories from other girls at school, but . . . I thought they were just stories.” She was almost blushing, and a quick flick of my eyes showed that Kate was watching the girl’s aura. The girl continued to talk quickly, almost babble, really. “He was a little too touchy at dinner, and then when I asked to go home, he took me here. He convinced me it would be fun. After the game, he wanted to take me to his house, but I knew I didn’t want that. I went in the bathroom to call my brother.” Her eyes flitted to Kate. “He told me to wait in there, that he’d call me when he got here, but I felt rude just leaving Micah out there. I told him I’d called my brother, and he dragged me outside. I didn’t want to make a scene inside, but—”
“It’s okay,” Kate broke in suddenly, reaching out a hand to place on the other girl’s arm. I would never quite understand the care—almost love—a woman could feel so quickly for another woman. They were strangers, yet they were strangely bonded together by a single shared incident. Kate brushed her hand up and down, rubbing gently. “He’s a jerk. He doesn’t have any right to treat you like that.”
The girl nodded quickly, barely holding back tears. “I know. I just didn’t know what to do. I’ve never gone through anything like that. I wasn’t thinking clearly. I didn’t know how to react.” Loud music began to play, and the girl dug into her pocket quickly, sniffling
I kept my eyes wide and my words calm, so he wouldn’t misunderstand. “You are never to harass Kate again. If I see you mistreating
anyone
in the future, you will receive more than a simple warning. Am I clear?”
In answer, he spat in my face. I let the spittle run down my cheek, unwilling to show weakness by brushing it away. I tightened my grip near his throat, making him gasp. Our noses were nearly touching now.
Ironically enough, that’s when Kate found us.
She’d rounded the corner slowly, her face pale and her eyes wary—maybe a little fearful. They widened at what she saw: me forcing Grimshaw up against the wall. Only slightly less alarming would have been the young woman standing off to the side, hugging herself in an effort to stop her steady tears.
“Patrick?” Kate asked, unable to form any more of a question. Her eyes darted between us, trying to make sense of the scene. The way her eyes hovered on the girl made me think she’d seen her before. Maybe from school?
I wasn’t sure how to answer her largely unspoken question, so for the moment I turned my attention back to the football player in my grasp. I lowered my voice, trying to keep the animosity between us. “You should leave,” I said.
He stared at me for a long moment, the blood still dripping from his nose. When he finally spoke, it was a low whisper. “You’ll regret this, O’Donnell. I swear you will.”
I gave one of my tense smiles for an answer before straightening my fingers abruptly and twisting away from him. I reached down to grab Kate’s purse, and by the time I’d turned back around, Grimshaw was stalking away, moving toward his black jeep.
I watched him until he was inside and the engine roared to life. The lights flashed on, blinding us momentarily. He started forward, peeling out of the parking lot with a reckless jerk of the wheel. His tires screeched past us and the jeep whipped around the corner. The sounds of his mad retreat gradually died, leaving silence to settle around us.
I knew Kate’s eyes were firmly on my face, but I chose to look instead at the other young woman, who was looking at me with a small degree of awe.
“Are you all right?” I asked.
She nodded, slowly at first and then more rapidly. “Yes. Thank you, for . . . that. I’d heard stories from other girls at school, but . . . I thought they were just stories.” She was almost blushing, and a quick flick of my eyes showed that Kate was watching the girl’s aura. The girl continued to talk quickly, almost babble, really. “He was a little too touchy at dinner, and then when I asked to go home, he took me here. He convinced me it would be fun. After the game, he wanted to take me to his house, but I knew I didn’t want that. I went in the bathroom to call my brother.” Her eyes flitted to Kate. “He told me to wait in there, that he’d call me when he got here, but I felt rude just leaving Micah out there. I told him I’d called my brother, and he dragged me outside. I didn’t want to make a scene inside, but—”
“It’s okay,” Kate broke in suddenly, reaching out a hand to place on the other girl’s arm. I would never quite understand the care—almost love—a woman could feel so quickly for another woman. They were strangers, yet they were strangely bonded together by a single shared incident. Kate brushed her hand up and down, rubbing gently. “He’s a jerk. He doesn’t have any right to treat you like that.”
The girl nodded quickly, barely holding back tears. “I know. I just didn’t know what to do. I’ve never gone through anything like that. I wasn’t thinking clearly. I didn’t know how to react.” Loud music began to play, and the girl dug into her pocket quickly, sniffling
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