Page 43 of Love Wasted

So stupid. I should’ve never made this bet with them.

When I bend beside her, I can see her wrist is definitely broken. I say her name, but she isn’t making a sound. “Cass?” I say again. Matt and Laney are standing beside us now, but I don’t even pay attention to them. I wait for Cass to say or do something. Her head turns in my direction, and when her eyes meet mine, I’m amazed to find her not crying. She’s only biting her bottom lip and water is shining in her eyes, but no tears fall. Not a single one.

“Laney, go get Mrs. Porter,” I order without looking away from Cass. Laney runs off in the direction of the house. Cass is cradling her arm against her chest. “Cass, put your arm around my neck,” I suggest gently. She does as I said, and a tiny whimper escapes her when she first moves. I slide my arms under her long, gangly legs and scoop her up.

Luckily, she isn’t very heavy, so I carry her toward her house just as Mrs. Porter comes running out with worry on her face and Laney not too far behind her. Matt is scrambling at my side.

“Oh my gosh! Cassandra!” Mrs. Porter screams as she draws nearer. “Paxton, put her in the car.”

Matt opens the back door so I can place her in the back seat and Laney jumps in on the other side while Mrs. Porter runs into the house to grab her keys. I’ve never seen her move so fast.

When looking back down at Cass’s face, I see it’s white as a sheet, which makes my stomach turn because normally she’s the shade of caramel candy. Her eyes are wide and bloodshot, but still no tears. As I set her down, she shakes her head and holds on to my neck. She won’t let go, and after a second I realize she wants me to go too. I climb in without putting her down, and it feels strange being worried about her.

It doesn’t feel like the same kind of worry I felt when Laney had the chicken pox, and I heard mom say her fever was dangerously high. This concern seems different.

As we pull out of the driveway, all of us piled into the Porters’ car, Cass speaks for the first time.

“Pax,” Cass says weakly, and I look down at her.

“Yeah?” My throat feels a little tight because I can see the pain in her eyes.

“I didn’t cry,” she whispers, and then she closes her eyes.

A small smile stretches across my face, and I just look out the window, holding Cass, protecting her.

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