Obsession (Dangerous Love #1)

CHAPTER 4

_______________________________________________

FEROCIOUS SAVIOR

______________________________________________________________________________

I entered the French lesson, still confused by everything, while my mind had turned into a tornado of theories and ideas that all had the same starting point – these simple words that now seemed very dangerous to me: I told you not to touch her!

This sentence haunted me.

What had I overlooked?

I didn’t go outside to see them, but I could gather from the gossip that was spreading like a virus that Harris had beaten Joshua to a pulp. I didn’t see either of them for the rest of the free period, but it seemed that Joshua had to go to the emergency room and Harris was called to the principal’s office.

A battle raged inside me. On one side, I was grateful to Stone for saving me from a stranger and sorry he’d gotten into trouble because of me, while the other side remained proud and believed he deserved it.

Surely it was his fault that we were in this situation. After all, Harris was a stranger too – a stunningly handsome one, as if Lucifer had personally carved him to wear all his demonic greatness.

I sighed and slammed my book down on the desk.

Too many contradictions for one day.

“Miss Wrise, could you please stand up for a moment?” The teacher spoke, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I had already given her the form, what more could she want now?

Of course, I stood up and all eyes were on me. I was alone now as none of my friends had the same class. I couldn’t tell if that was good or bad, as they all seemed a little shaken up by the incident earlier.

“Could you please introduce yourself to your colleagues?” she asked with a smile, signaling me to stand in front of the class. “We’d all like to get to know you better.”

I sighed.

No, you don’t want to do that.

I walked through the rows as I covered the few steps up to her. At least I had found a seat at the back of the class.

The teacher smiled at me before I turned towards the classroom. She looked like she had just finished college, had red hair cut into a short bob, and glasses – brand name glasses – that seemed more of an accessory than a necessity considering her extravagant outfit.

“Well, I’m Katherine Wrise, as you all probably already know,” I added quietly, because everyone was looking at me after the demon had come to my rescue, “I moved here from New York and the rest doesn’t really matter,” I said hastily, feeling a little dismissive as my nervousness didn’t seem to go away and my classmates looked at me like I was some kind of brave freak.

“Okay, um, can you tell me how your French is?” she continued, trying to get me to talk.

“Well, I…” but I couldn’t finish my sentence because I was interrupted by the door opening behind me.

Instinctively, I turned around and saw him.

Harris entered the class and brushed his hair back before closing the door.

“Sorry I am late, Miss Miller, I had some business with the principal.”

Well, shoot me dead and put me in a coffin.

Did he just turn into another version of himself? That voice had nothing to do with the one I’d heard coming from his lips less than an hour before. It wasn’t sweet, but it definitely sounded different from the growl. He even smiled a little to complete his deadly charm.

Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who had forgotten to breathe, because our teacher began to stutter as she tried to say something back.

“It’s okay, Harris, we haven’t even started yet. Go ahead and sit down.”

Poor thing, she probably needed an oxygen tank.

Me too.

If the way he frowned was devastating, then the way he smiled and tried to be charming should be banned to preserve the sanity of women everywhere.

Harris gave her a quick grin, his eyes sparkling subtly, making us both light up. He turned to me, flashing a smaller, cheekier smile, and then walked to his seat at the back of the class, right next to mine.

I exhaled in exhaustion as I realized I’d have to endure his insistent stare for an entire hour.

He sat down, his massive body barely fitting on the small chair. His legs spread wide under the desk, and I knew he wouldn’t take his eyes off me because he enjoyed tormenting me too much. He leaned back, in a posture that seemed sly, and scrutinized me from top to bottom, unashamed.

I turned my attention back to the front of the class and tried to ignore him. If I showed how much of an effect he had on me, he would be even more pleased with himself.

“So, Miss Wrise…” the teacher continued, returning to her earlier question.

“I’m pretty good,” I answered quickly, trying to remember my French grades back when I studied, even though many things had happened and so many more had changed.

“Très bien! I’m glad to hear that. It means you and I will get along well,” I nodded and forced myself to smile, “you can sit back down.”

She sat down behind her desk, and I closed my eyes briefly before returning to my seat. I didn’t care about the looks everyone was giving me now, because the only one cooking me was Harris. His face was no longer cheeky, but rather curious, probably to find out if his hearing was working and I really did have the same surname as his girlfriend.

Well, we’re both shocked, buddy.

I sat down feeling his burning gaze all over my body, like he didn’t know where to look first. I sat in the middle row while he had the window seat.

I let my eyes wander to my notebook, continued my drawing from last class and tried my best to ignore him, but it seemed impossible. He had no intention of stopping and I was fuming. I would have yelled at him if my head didn’t hurt so much.

“Miss Wrise…?!”

I looked up, startled. The teacher was watching me, waiting for something, probably an answer to a question I hadn’t even heard. She obviously had a thing for me now.

“Um…” I bit my lip, helpless because I did not know what to say.

“Avoir,” Harris replied simply, finally looking at the teacher.

“Correct, Harris,” she agreed, “but my question was directed at Katherine,” she then scolded.

Seemingly unmoved, he continued, “I enjoy being her protector,” the corner of his mouth tilted upwards, shocking the whole class, but especially me.

What the hell was that supposed to mean? He was definitely referring to what had happened in the hallway, but was he going to make a habit of it?

His face gave nothing away as he turned his gaze back to me. If he wanted me to thank him, he was in for a long wait. Fucking smartass: I could have answered that stupid question if I’d heard it.

As I went back to my drawing, muttering curses in my head, I noticed him trying not to laugh. I turned my face to him and realized I was frowning, looking like a fussy child mindlessly doodling in a notebook. I paused and bit my lip, feeling defeated, but that small gesture had elicited a different reaction from him.

I could have sworn I saw his Adam’s apple bob up and down as he swallowed, tempting me to bite my lip again to see if it had the same effect, but I managed to control myself. I didn’t want to mess with him anymore. We weren’t playing that particular game.

I looked at him closely, and he seemed unaffected by the fight earlier, which meant that Joshua was once again the only one injured. Harris’ clothes looked dirty and rumpled, while he kept trying to tame his hair by running his fingers through it, and I noticed that there were a few curls scattered throughout his dark locks. Big ones, pushed back, but his efforts were to no avail as those strands remained disheveled. All in all, it was almost illegal for an unkempt person to look this good.

What had he done last night? The fatigue was evident on his face; his eyes were bloodshot as he blinked constantly and inhaled deeply, as if he was actively trying not to fall asleep. He didn’t strike me as the type to mind skipping class, so what was he doing at school when he clearly needed to rest?

The bell rang as the weight lifted off my chest. His gaze had gone from wry to serious and curious, as if he had discovered the secrets of the universe engraved on my body. He kept frowning and turning his head in a different direction while biting his lips nervously. It seemed as if his own curiosity was bothering him, but unfortunately his eyes kept wandering back to me.

I stood up, still feeling like a fussy child. I would have done anything to just run in another direction, but that was not appropriate behavior since I was no longer seven years old. I hugged the book as if to form a shield around me and took a step towards his desk.

He cocked his head at me, obviously shocked at my reaction.

“Thank you for… earlier. Even though I’m still not exactly certain about what happened.”

I struggled not to stutter as his eyes found mine and all profanity vanished from his gaze. Thank God he was still in his seat. But even then, he was intimidating. I could have sworn no one left the class, stopping to stare at us.

Harris let a smile form on his lips and nodded.

“Anytime.”

Whatever that meant, I was in no mood to find out. I gave him a crooked smile as I turned to leave because I could feel my feet turning to jelly and I hated that.

“Katherine!”

I didn’t manage to take more than a step before his voice made me stop and look at him.

He had stood up.

Oh, sweet baby Jesus!

I clutched the book tighter while not even five inches separated us. His scent intoxicated my senses, but his breath put the final nail in my coffin as my head barely reached his chin. I knew I should have run away.

I kicked the hormonal barrage in my brain as I looked up at him, trying to appear as relaxed as possible.

“Did he say anything to you?” he asked, his voice barely a whisper as he leaned closer to me.

It took me a few seconds to figure out that he meant Joshua.

I shook my head. He had, but I didn’t want to talk about it. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that the class was still full. It wasn’t the right time to mention that Joshua thought Harris was coming to school for a certain girl, tried to take me, and was talking about some transportation.

I was so close to him that I could’ve sworn I felt his heartbeat, and I knew the stares were bothering him too.

“I promise he won’t bother you again,” to which I immediately snapped my eyes to him.

“Why did you help me?” I couldn’t stop myself from asking.

He looked at me intently for a while, and I was unable to bear such a long gaze.

Before he could give me an answer, I heard my name from somewhere behind us, and I turned to see Zac standing a few steps away from us.

“Zac, what are you doing here?” I asked.

I wasn’t looking at Harris anymore, but I knew he was even closer because I could feel his hot breath on my temple.

“I came to take you to lunch; we’re meeting the others in the cafeteria,” he spoke to me, but he was looking at Harris.

Oh, no, I didn’t want to get between the two of them.

Before I could say anything, Harris butted into the conversation.

“She can find her way to the cafeteria, Ortega.”

Zac frowned. “She’s new here, as I’m sure you already know.”

Harris grinned diabolically and looked at me, and that somehow felt more dangerous than his uncontrolled, angry look.

“I know more than you think.”

Again, he spoke to Zac, but his eyes were on me. My body was covered in goosebumps from top to bottom, especially when his breath brushed over my skin again. I didn’t even want to think about what his words meant.

“Denise Lever, Jessica Teen, and Katherine Wrise are asked to come to the principal’s office,” a strong voice coming from the speakers said, and winced as I waited for the information to be repeated so I could make sure I heard it correctly.

Harris and Zac both looked at me, confused.

“Did they just say your name?” Zac asked.

“Guess so.”

“What did you do?”

“I didn’t do anything.”

I didn’t do anything, right? I was the reason a fight had broken out in the last hour, but I wasn’t to blame, I was a victim in this scenario. Instinctively, I looked at Harris, whose brow was still furrowed.

“Want me to take you?” Zac offered, and I heard Harris exhale in annoyance.

“No, it’s fine. Go to lunch, I’ll be there right after.”

“It’s not…”

“Ortega,” Harris growled, “get lost.”

I stared at him in shock, and Zac’s eyes widened.

“What?”

“Are you deaf or stupid? She already said she doesn’t need your help.”

“Stop!” I interrupted as I raised my arms between them, though I was only afraid of Harris’s reaction, considering what he’d done to Joshua. “I’ve had enough of this crap now.

You, calm down!”

I dared, placing my hand on Harris’s chest. I did it to keep him from moving, but I had no idea what the feel of his heartbeat on my palm would do to me.

He looked down at where I was touching him, forgetting Zac.

I struggled to remain calm as I scowled at them both to make sure they understood that I wasn’t a lady in distress who needed a knight in shining armor.

“I can find the office on my own,” I replied, not bothering to wait for another answer.

I broke away from Harris before my hormones took over and walked out of class, ignoring the stares that followed me.

In the hallway, I had to stop someone to ask where the principal’s office was, though I didn’t really care. All I could think about was his voice, his eyes, and his heartbeat.

I had no idea how, but I found my way, and I still couldn’t figure out what the principal might want from me. I’d been there for two days, not even I could have caused problems in such a short time.

There was no way I could be blamed for the fight. I didn’t ask Harris to hit him, and even if I had, Joshua deserved it. Of course, there was also the fact that I had skipped class the day before, but by the time I reached the end of the empty hallway, the fight was hypothesis number one.

While the rest of the students ate lunch, I made my way to a possible detention.

Waiting outside a large mahogany door were two other girls, probably the two others who had been called. We did not have time to chat as a woman immediately came out and invited us in.

The secretary escorted us to the principal’s large desk, who had a fake, friendly smile on her face. She appeared to be around forty, had a medium build and dark red hair that was elegantly styled into a short haircut.

“Hello, girls. Have a seat,” she smiled and pointed to the three chairs in front of her desk.

We sat down, confused. I didn’t know any of the other girls. If I was there for the fight, why were they?

“Girls, you don’t need to be afraid. I asked you here not because there was a problem, but quite the opposite…” she began calmly, but I wasn’t taking the bait.

“I asked you here because I would like you to join our school cheerleading squad,” my eyes widened, “I have looked at your files and it looks like you all have experience in dance, and since some girls have graduated, there are a few open spots on the team. Spots that you three will fill.”

I didn’t know why, but when she said, “dance experience”, she looked at me. I guess you could say that. Fourteen years of contemporary dance could be considered experience.

“Really?! We’re on the cheerleading team?” one of the girls squealed excitedly, and the other joined in her enthusiasm.

Meanwhile, I was boiling with anger and horror.

“With all due respect, I don’t think that’s a good idea for me. I gave up dancing a while ago and I’m certain that I’m not the right person for something like this,” I tried to refuse as calmly as possible.

“Don’t worry, Katherine. I know it will be a little harder for you since you’re new here, but trust me, this will help you fit in better,” she supported her idea with a wide smile, and I wanted to punch something.

“Miss, please, pick someone else. I don’t want to be a cheerleader.”

Suddenly her face changed completely, as I had expected.

“Listen, Miss Wrise,” she pronounced my name nonchalantly, “I have studied your file carefully and am familiar with your recent behavior. You have been a good student, but it seems you do not wish to retain that status. Your teachers from today confirmed it, as you didn’t pay attention in any of their classes. So, you see…” she leaned towards me and propped her elbows on the desk, “I don’t choose students for activities at random, I choose them because I don’t want my school to have students who don’t graduate. If you sign up for an extracurricular activity, it guarantees you passing grades for all subjects, and if you put in a little effort, you’ll ace your final exams, and I won’t see you next year.”

“I did not know that twirling around in a stadium and cheering with pom-poms had so much to do with math and English,” I replied, making it clear how unethical I thought it all was.

At my former high school, you got kicked off teams if your grades suffered even a little.

“They do if I have anything to say about it,” she concluded, “so what are you going to do, Katherine? Do you think you will be able to graduate on your own?”

I bit my lip nervously. She had lured me into a trap. To be honest, I was not motivated to study. I could dance, and I doubted any of the girls preoccupied with “the hottest guy in school” could come up with anything even remotely difficult for me, but that wasn’t the point.

It was about what dancing meant to me.

It was a piece of happiness, a piece of freedom, a piece of my mother.

I was a dancer because she’d wanted it so much. I had loved dancing because of her. How was I supposed to explain to the woman in front of me that dancing would probably drive me into a mental breakdown?

“Don’t think I don’t know what I’m talking about. I have studied you very well. You’re impressive.”

She turned her laptop towards me. There was a newspaper article about me on the screen. Two years ago, I had won first place in the female solo category at the IDO World Dance Olympiad in Moscow. I was described as “the pride of New York”.

I swallowed the lump in my throat as I looked at the photo. I had been captured in a twist that I wouldn’t have believed myself capable of. The body I had in the picture was unfamiliar to me; my perfectly defined muscles had disappeared. The girl in the photo was sixteen and exuded strength and determination, maturity, and courage. I was nothing like her. That trophy was by far the most impressive in my collection, but it meant nothing now as it was gathering dust in a box somewhere.

“I don’t know what made you give it up, but it wasn’t an accident, at least not a serious one. You have no reason to refuse my offer.”

I couldn’t help frowning as I looked up at her. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the other two reading the article.

“How do you know it wasn’t?”

She pressed her palms together under her chin. “Let’s not go into pointless detail, tell me your decision.”

I gritted my teeth and read in her eyes that my days would be very black if I dared to refuse. I didn’t even want to know what her opinion of me was after reading all those articles.

“I’ll try, but I can’t promise I’ll stay. I want to see what it’s like first,” I spoke half-heartedly.

“Very well. You should know that this will spare you a lot of classes. You’ll be practicing almost every day, and I know how much you girls dislike sitting in class.”

Her mood had visibly changed, and her cheerful smile returned.

The other two had nothing to say as they were literally jumping for joy.

“Your first practice is today after lunch, where you’ll get to know the rest of the team and learn the basic steps of the routines. If you need anything, see the captain, Amber Wrise.”

If the ceiling hadn’t fallen on my head before, it buried me under after that sentence. That fucking name. Out of all the girls in the school, that bottle blonde had to be a cheerleader. I had yet to interact with her, but something told me I was definitely on her naughty list after the look she’d given me the other day and the incident with her boyfriend this morning.

I didn’t even realize it when I came out of the office, but I wanted to go back in and decline the offer. I knew that chick and I wouldn’t get along, and I had a bad feeling: I feared another dance would wake my demons from their hibernation. Unfortunately, it was too late to back out, so I went down to the cafeteria and kicked the walls about five times on the way there.

I wanted to scream.

Fucking high school, fucking city … fuck!

It seemed better to get a month’s detention for Harris and Joshua’s fight.

When I walked into the cafeteria, all eyes were on me, just like I expected. I saw my friends sitting at a table somewhere in the back of the cafeteria and they beckoned me to sit with them. I rubbed my forehead for a few seconds as I walked. It was not a good idea because I immediately bumped into someone and after a short yelp, I heard a splash, then something warm and wet hit my chest.

In front of me, I saw Amber’s angry face. Her white tank top and the ends of her yellow hair were completely covered in noodles. I would have laughed if I hadn’t been covered in the same goo.

“You…” she hissed angrily, resembling a bull at a bullfight. “Are you blind? Can’t you watch where you’re going?” she roared, throwing down her tray and the rest of her noodles and pointing dramatically at her outfit.

“I am sorry but consider this a favor I am doing you. They would have gone straight to your ass, and you would have ruined the angle of the pyramid.” The cafeteria erupted in laughter. I didn’t care that I was also covered in Bolognese; I wasn’t the only blind person, and when it came to insults, she had no idea who she was dealing with.

Her face turned red, and not because of the sauce.

“How dare you?” she waved her hands like a drama queen as a few girls gathered around her, probably her obedient minions.

“How dare I… what? Bump into you or say your ass is fat?” I countered, remaining as serious as possible while shrugging my shoulders comically. Laughter seized the room again and somewhere in the background I noticed someone watching the situation with an amused expression on his face. Harris looked at me seductively, not caring that I had just turned his girlfriend into a walking buffet, even though I didn’t look much better.

While I’d been busy staring at him, I’d lost track of Amber, and I almost paid for it. Her growl caught my attention and I saw her palm coming towards my face. My reflexes didn’t fail me as I grabbed her wrist before she could hit me.

I laughed; the amusement was gone, and a devilish satisfaction spread across my features. She was a head shorter than me, and her strength was mediocre at best.

“Don’t play games with me, princess, or pasta in your hair is going to be the least of your problems.”

“Ooooo,” the cafeteria roared as she growled like a frustrated dog and tried to break free from my grip to no avail.

“Let go of me, you crazy bitch!”

I did as she asked. I pushed her back and she stumbled on her heels, luckily one of her friends caught her in time.

“You attack me and I’m the crazy bitch?!”

She tried to regain her dignity as she looked at me like she was mentally dissecting me, but her magical powers seemed to have gone out because I felt as good as new. More or less.

“See you at practice, freak,” she spat through her teeth as she walked past me.

Well, shit on stick, she already knew I was on the team, and after all that, there was no way she was going to take it easy on me.

I stopped in my tracks and growled to myself, spaghetti on my chest, until Kristen and Candice came up to me, both amused.

They looked at me as if they’d never seen me before.

“What?!” I gasped.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the asshole that had made me the target of this maniac. Harris was watching me with the same amused face as my friends.

“Let’s get you cleaned up, Xena, before you start throwing punches.”

Kristen pulled me into the bathroom, where I washed off as much of the tomato sauce as I could, but the T-shirt was ruined. Luckily, we got equipment for practice, and I was able to put on the white tank top and red shorts with the school logo. I didn’t get a chance to eat anything, and I barely had time to drink any water before practice.

My friends were also sitting in the stands because the weather was still nice, and apparently the football team was practicing too. I was never a fan of the sport; a bit too brutal for my taste, and now I had to cheer them on.

The other girls were gathered in a corner at the edge of the field, and Amber stood in front of them. As soon as she noticed me, she gave me a deadly look. I really was not in the mood for this as I was still feeling sick, and the lack of food wasn’t helping either. My condition was progressively getting worse.

I walked towards the cheerleaders while my friends watched from the second row. Recess was still in full swing, and students were crowding the courtyard.

In the front row sat the stars of the school, with Harris in the middle, who finally stopped looking at me and turned his attention entirely to his phone. He seemed to be getting more and more tired too, and I really couldn’t understand what he was still doing here. Maybe he was something like the class valedictorian, and his looks were deceiving.

A cold shiver ran down my spine when I saw Joshua sitting in the third row, his face even more bruised than before. The look in his eyes sent murderous shivers down my spine.

Harris noticed me focusing on someone behind him and immediately followed my gaze, another angry expression forming on his face when he saw Joshua. Maybe that’s why Harris was still there, because of Joshua. What was all this protection about? I really couldn’t understand it. Was my dad paying him to look after me or what? At that moment, any ridiculous thought seemed possible.

While Harris’ protection was shocking, the rage of the psychopath who wanted to ‘take me’ was truly disturbing.

Joshua instantly averted his eyes from me and pretended to speak to the girl next to him, and Harris eyed me next, exhaustion hiding beneath his stern expression. I almost felt sorry for him. Almost.

Amber lined us up as she talked about the new dance she was going to teach us. I wasn’t really listening, but rather trying to stay on my feet as my vision slowly blurred and I was close to passing out. The heat of the sun was another drop in an already full cup.

“Katherine, you’re going to be on top,” Amber’s mean voice grazed my eardrums.

Her face showed a wicked grin that revealed she already had an elaborate plan to torment me.

“What?” I barked out.

I didn’t even know what she was alluding to because I wasn’t paying attention to anything, but it certainly wasn’t anything good.

“You’re going to be the top of the pyramid,” she explained, “you know, to see how good your angle looks.”

Her satisfaction was far too obvious.

I couldn’t say I wasn’t expecting it. I took a long, deep breath to calm myself. Amber stood in my way, almost as if she was trying to provoke another confrontation, but I had no energy left. She had blue eyes, her blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail, and she was wearing the same clothes as me. She looked good, and her skin was annoyingly perfectly tanned, and there were colorful bracelets hanging from her wrists that jingled with her every move.

For the first time, I noticed the tattoo on her neck – a black S that looked simple, but also… brutal. The letter was surrounded by large, sharp thorns. If you didn’t look closely, they looked almost real, as if they were coming out of her skin.

Memories of a few conversations popped into my head, and although I couldn’t make a clear connection, I could have sworn Kristen had mentioned something about a tattoo.

Amber noticed the attention I was paying to the mark on her neck and seemed pleased about it.

“Come on, everyone in place,” she ordered authoritatively, clapping her hands.

She didn’t think I was going to climb on top of a bunch of people when I could barely stand, did she?

The football players turned their attention to us, and I saw Zac waving at me. I hadn’t even noticed he wasn’t with my other friends, and only then realized he was part of the team. His gear almost doubled the size of his chest and shoulders they all looked like gladiators pumped full of steroids.

I gave my friend a bitter smile, as if begging him to get me out of there. Whoever, just get me out. Without meaning to, I let my gaze drift to Harris, whose worried eyes followed me as if he’d noticed I wasn’t feeling well. Was he part of a sports team too? He looked to be in better shape than any of the boys on the field, and I still didn’t think he was the type to do homework, even if he did show his smart-alecky side in French class.

But honestly, I couldn’t imagine him running after a ball on the field alongside the other boys who weren’t part of his group. Even though American Football was a contact sport, Harris seemed to like a different kind of contact, one that didn’t involve balls and cups.

“Climb, Katherine,” Amber screeched, “or maybe you’re incompetent?”

I gritted my teeth angrily and, unaware of my actions, walked towards the so-called pyramid and began to climb it, using my hands and knees to get to the top, stepping on the backs – sometimes heads – of the girls below. It wasn’t the first time I’d done this, but I’d never been this dizzy climbing before.

Luckily, the others helped me, and thanks to my ambition and boundless ego, I found myself ten feet off the ground, my soles planted on the backs of the two girls in the middle, who were already shaking under the weight.

“You call that a good angle? You look like a hunchback,” Amber bellowed again and I realized I was hunched forward.

I grumbled, straightening my back, and breathing frantically. I was lucky my equilibrium was good, even if it was damn hard to keep my balance while my surroundings spun like a centrifuge. My body betrayed me when I needed it most, and I deserved it, considering how many drugs I’d fed it.

“You all look like crap, straighten up and stop wiggling as if you’re Jello,” Amber demanded.

If only I had something in my hand to throw at her. I thought about taking off my shoe while the girl below me mumbled something, associating Amber’s brain with Jello.

I felt the loss of balance as my vision blurred again. My knees grew weak, and I searched for something to hold on to, but up here, I had nothing. The last thing I saw were Harris’ frightened eyes as he was already on his feet and running towards us.

My knees gave way, and I closed my eyes as I felt the cold air pass me by.

I was falling.

Screams rang out around me.

I waited in fear to feel the impact on the ground. An impact that would injure me for life, guaranteeing I’d be relieved of this stupid cheerleading team for good. But it didn’t happen. Instead, I collided with something else. Something strong that caught me at the last second, something that closed around me immediately afterwards. Two arms. Two huge, hard arms, one supporting my back, the other wrapped around my thighs. They held me to a strong, warm chest, and I could feel the heartbeat pounding in it, making my skin vibrate.

I already knew that heart.

“Katherine,” his voice whispered my name as if out of a thick fog as his arms slowly lowered me to the grass, his chest still supporting my head.

Two warm fingers pushed the strands of hair out of my face, and I finally managed to open my eyes, feeling a real dizziness come over me as I found Harris’ face inches from mine. His black eyes glowed with concern as he kept stroking my forehead and hugging me to his chest. I could feel his breath on my feverish skin, cold and soothing, his scent a mixture of menthol and tobacco.

He ran his tongue over his dry lips and asked, “Are you okay?”

Was I okay? I had no idea.

I started to blink as needles seemed to prickle in my eyes and my head buzzed.

Trying to process what had happened, I glanced around and noticed many pairs of concerned eyes watching me. Not even two meters away were the other girls in the pyramid, who were only now finally managing to stand up, crying in pain and massaging certain parts of their bodies – probably the ones they had landed on during the fall. No one had caught them, it seemed.

Startled, I turned to Harris, who was still holding my waist in his arms. He scowled at me as his dark eyes watched me, giving me the impression that I was no longer in the same world. I had fallen into hell, straight into the hands of a demon with kind eyes and a menacing face – far too beautiful, even for an angel.

“Harris,” my ears bled as Amber’s sharp, high-pitched tone rang out.

I didn’t look at her, but continued to stare at Harris, who didn’t even seem to hear her. I tried to rise from his arms, but I couldn’t. He saved me from falling, but not from feeling faint. My head hung heavy, my eyes burned dry, and my bones seemed to weigh a ton in my body as each breath stung my lungs. I just had to stay strong, it wasn’t the right time or place to lose consciousness.

“Harris, let go of her,” Amber roared and in the next few seconds two cold hands brutally grabbed my arms, trying to pull me up.

I turned my head and looked into Amber’s hateful face, unable to fight back. I waited for her to drag me away from her boyfriend until I felt one of Harris’s arms leave my body and his large palm wrapped around Amber’s wrist.

“That’s enough, Amber,” he spoke through clenched teeth, seemingly calm but grim at the same time.

She was bursting with anger and wincing in pain, because the grip with which he held her was anything but gentle. His fist was clenched around the dangling bracelets that were probably now imprinted on her skin. Eventually she relented and released my arm, and Harris released hers. She covered the injured area with her other hand and looked at him with animosity, but also… anguished. Once again, I couldn’t understand why he was doing all this.

My friends gathered around me and pushed her away.

“Kath, are you okay?” Kristen’s worried voice was close as she sat down on her knees in the grass next to us.

I nodded, even though I wasn’t.

“You don’t look it,” she concluded, watching me with the same curious eyes as Harris.

Okay, was there something in my face?

“Maybe we should take her to the nurse?” Chris suggested as he stepped a little closer.

My throat was burning as my whole body began to shake uncontrollably. I knew these symptoms all too well as I breathed in through my teeth when Harris suddenly stood up and held me. He began to walk in long strides towards the edge of the field and I would have resisted, but I couldn’t even keep my head straight. I was also painfully aware that everyone was running after us, and I panicked when I realized that the nurse was going to find out the reason for my symptoms. I didn’t want the whole school to know that I was a drug addict.

“N-no,” I tried to protest, but my words sounded like the meowing of an injured cat.

He ignored my pleas and continued on his way to wherever he was going. I clutched his T-shirt and held it tightly as his breath brushed over my face, flaming hot. His arms and abdomen felt so warm that I pressed myself against him even more. Despite the burning sun above us, ice flowed through my veins. I glued my ear to his chest and listened to his strong heartbeat, which throbbed in unison with his breathing. He didn’t reject anything I did, on the contrary, he pressed me closer, knowing full well that I was shivering.

“Hey, where are you taking her?”

As if out of a dream, Zac’s upset voice sounded behind us. I looked up from Harris’s chest and was shocked at the sight of the school parking lot.

Harris ignored him and kept up the pace with purposeful strides. I followed his gaze and saw that his car was waiting just a few feet away from us. I was glad he wasn’t planning on taking me to the nurse’s office, but if not… where was he going to take me?

“Hey, I asked you a question!”

I was still feeling dizzy when Harris suddenly stopped and turned around because Zac grabbed him by the shoulder.

“Get your hand off me,” he growled, sending a fierce glare in Zac’s direction.

I shuddered as the vibrations caused by his angry tone traveled under my skin.

“I asked you where you were going to take her,” Zac insisted.

“And I told you to take your hand off me. That is if you still want hands.”

The voice that left his chest resembled an angry grunt, and I shivered along with it.

“Put her down, or I’ll just take her from you,” Zac demanded, trying to look confident as a bunch of students gathered around us, though I was sure recess was over and a teacher would be coming out soon.

I really didn’t need any more problems.

Harris’ anger was growing by the second, predicting it wasn’t going to end well.

“Just try,” he raged, without a drop of fear in his tone as he looked Zac straight in the eye.

I knew if his hands hadn’t been busy holding me because he knew I was not capable of standing on my own two feet, he would have hit my friend. Even if Harris wasn’t much bigger or stronger than Zac, his anger made him look huge.

I could feel his muscles tensing around me. Zac’s friends came to support him, and Harris’s group was nearby too. Nothing good was going to come of this, and I couldn’t believe I was in a situation like this again.

“Enough,” I demanded as authoritatively as I could, but my voice sounded like a strangled rattle, “Zac, it’s all right, he’ll just take me home.”

I tried to hide the nausea forming in my stomach because I knew Harris had no intention of taking me home, but any place was better than the nurse’s office where prying eyes would have followed me.

Zac’s features were showing more and more anger as well. He wasn’t going to listen to me.

“No, Kath, you need to be seen by a doctor.”

“Hold on to my neck,” Harris whispered close to my ear, just as Zac’s hand reached for me.

I did it instinctively as he managed to keep me upright with just the arm wrapped around my thighs while his other hand caught Zac’s wrist before it could touch me. He winced in pain, but Harris only gripped it tighter.

“You’re playing with fire, Ortega!”

Harris’s blond friend, even though he was shorter than Zac, put an arm around my friend’s neck and pulled him back, managing to keep him still.

Harris let out an angry breath, but kept his mouth shut when he heard me flinch, unable to hold onto him any longer. His arm quickly supported my back again, while the anger on his face didn’t fade. I was sure he was going to get revenge on Zac for his audacity. He turned away from the crowd and continued on his way to his car, his group right behind us.

“Ty, help me.”

His friend quickly opened the passenger door.

My fear grew while I was powerless to protest. If I asked for help, everything would turn into a big fight. In the distance, I could hear Zac and the other guy arguing.

“Harris, what are you up to?” the guy whispered as Harris leaned down and sat me in the cold seat, and I winced as his warm arms left my body.

I couldn’t believe I wanted that closeness back. His hands wrapped around me in a flash, fastening my seatbelt and closing it over my abdomen. The door closed behind him with a soft sound.

I watched the two of them through the tinted window as they seemed to be talking, but I couldn’t hear anything. Either the car was soundproof or the ringing in my ears was too strong. Harris crossed to the driver’s side like a shadow and sat behind the wheel. He looked at me for a few seconds, almost as if to make sure I was still alive, then pressed a few buttons.

The engine howled, and he quickly backed out of the parking space, turned the car around in the busy parking lot, and sped past the sea of stunned students watching us as if we were fleeing a crime scene.

“Where are you taking me?” I whispered barely audibly.

He didn’t answer, instead he turned his head towards me and stared at me with a serious look.

“How long have you been using?” His thick voice unclogged my ears and I stared at him.

How could he know that?

“I’m not,” my answer was followed by a cough, and I felt like my body was swaying in all directions, or maybe that was just a figment of my imagination.

“Yeah, right…” he snorted and turned his gaze to the road, “I know those bloodshot eyes and schizophrenic tremors very well.”

“Where are you taking me?” I repeated the question, irritated as I tried to raise my voice.

Again, he didn’t answer, but kept his eyes on the road. At that moment, I realized how fast we were actually going, we were literally flying through the cars on the highway. I wanted to shout at him to slow down, but he wasn’t going to listen to me anyway. Strangely enough, his crazy driving made me feel safe, even though I couldn’t understand why. I remembered the joke I had said about him the other day and I could now imagine how much that must have annoyed him.

From time to time, his eyes wandered to me, observing everything closely.

“Are you cold?” he asked calmly.

I decided to stop lying and nodded, curling up on the seat and wrapping my arms around my body. I was freezing, and I didn’t know why when it was so hot outside.

He looked right and left as if he was looking for something. He bit his lip in thought and, the next second, his hand left the steering wheel, undid my seatbelt, and let it fly across my chest as he grabbed my waist. He clutched my midsection and pulled me to him, and I was surprised but vulnerable to him, too weak to care that he had just kidnapped me from school.

It wasn’t very comfortable now that only half of my butt was on the seat and the other half was struggling over buttons and levers. A shiver ran down my spine and I lifted my arms to hold onto his shoulder and bury my face in it. He squeezed me tighter and pulled me even closer to him as his lips touched my head and slowly blew warm air into my hair. A simple gesture that electrified my body.

“Sitting on my lap doesn’t seem so bad right now, does it?” he whispered, and I gulped, not knowing if he was saying it to tease me, to be sarcastic, or if he actually meant it.

I was too dizzy to figure it out, but I growled into his shoulder anyway, and I think I heard him snicker. I wasn’t sure though.

“Put your arms around me,” he spoke, tightening his grip around my waist.

I resisted because the closeness we already shared was enough for me.

“Katherine…” he scolded, his tone becoming sharper.

I exhaled defeatedly and let my right-hand slide over his stomach while my left wrapped around his back as he moved to allow the hug. I was hesitant at first, but his body exuded such a pleasant warmth that I clung to him tighter without thinking and willingly moved closer.

He was driving with only one hand, but that didn’t seem to bother him because the car kept speeding. I was shaking uncontrollably, and my eyes kept rolling into the back of my head because I could not keep them still. Strange images were already forming around me, and I was on the verge of losing touch with reality. Suddenly my whole body began to itch, as if a thousand cockroaches were crawling under my skin. The need for drugs had returned like a burning fire in my every cell, and I was capable of doing anything for a dose.

“Katherine, I need you to tell me how long you’ve been using,” his thick voice boomed in my ear like an echo, and I squinted and swallowed hard before answering.

“A year, give or take,” I whispered, burying my face in his t-shirt, trying to remember the exact time.

My parents’ divorce hearings didn’t last long, but I started using drugs right after my mom made the decision to change her life – a change Dad and I weren’t a part of.

“What drugs?”

“Lots, but mostly crack,” I felt his arm tighten around me.

I whimpered as the stinging on my skin intensified. I knew they were withdrawal symptoms, but I didn’t give in to the itching because I wasn’t going to start scratching like a madwoman. Three months had passed since my last dose, so why were the symptoms starting so late?

“Which way?”

“Mostly needle.”

He sighed.

“Have you been to rehab?”

“Yes.”

“How long?”

“Almost two months.”

“So, you were pretty intense…”

I nodded.

“I had an UROD done,” I admitted, and he looked down at me.

“You know that shit is very dangerous, right?” it almost sounded like a judgment.

“Yeah, but I wanted to get it over with,” I pouted like a kid who’s had enough interrogation for one day.

“How’s that going for you?” he whispered more to himself, and I decided to shut up. I had no energy left to argue.

I was struggling to keep my eyes open because it was dark in the car, even though it was light outside. With this guy, everything was black except for the green ambient lights on the dashboard. He had screens, timers, levers, and buttons everywhere that didn’t seem to have been part of the original model.

“You’ll be fine, I promise,” he whispered into my hair, but I was so far removed from reality that I wasn’t sure if he’d really said that or if I was imagining it.

I was tempted to ask again where we were going, but I was at the end of my tether.

If someone had told me yesterday that I would be in that car with him so soon, I would have committed them to a mental institution.

I wasn’t paying attention to the road; I was concentrating on the arm he had wrapped so tightly around me, and on my arms – arms that seemed to be desperately trying to pull him closer. His strong masculine scent played tricks on me and confused my senses even more.

I was beginning to feel embarrassed by my constant shaking, and I would have preferred it if he had not seen me like this.

I felt the car come to a stop and heard the engine roll back to sleep with a short roar.

Harris’ hand left my body as he opened his door and got out of the car. I was left alone in the darkness for a few seconds before my door opened and those warm arms scooped me up, carrying me outside. As soon as the air entered my lungs, I collapsed. I felt my airways burn all the way into my chest, my head swayed heavily, and my vision blurred until all I could see was black.

The last thing I felt were those arms wrapped around me and a desperate voice calling my name.

The quote from yesterday crept into my brain.

I had fallen so quickly.

I had yet to figure out if it was just the literal fall, or if it would happen figuratively as well.