Page 11 of Protector

The shame hovers over me, especially as Puck just stands and watches me for a reaction.

I blink, trying to clear my eyes of the tears before any can fall, and when I feel the first one escape, my attempt futile, I turn and run for the trees.

“Bonnie,” I hear King shout, but I don’t stop until I’m sinking down in the soft grass up against a tree.

The purple flowers I love so much have started blooming and twirling around the trunk, making it look like something from a fairy tale. Exactly what my life is not.

I know King doesn’t actually mind having me around, but I can’t blame him for wanting to spend time with just Dax and Puck. It must get annoying having your little sister follow you everywhere. But I don’t have any friends apart from them. They’re literally my world. What else am I supposed to do?

My shoulders shake as I sniffle, tears falling slower than before, when a twig snaps to the left of me.

I turn my head and try to wipe my tears away quickly, seeing Puck walking towards me.

My stomach twists, my heart pounds, and my head starts to throb. But that could be because of the crying.

“Are you okay?” he asks softly, and I nod, fed up with being the little girl who cries that Puck sees so much.

“You know King didn’t mean that,” he says, his hand waving back the way we came.

“I know,” I reply quietly.

“You know,” I whisper, drawing my knees up to my chest and pushing the blue satin over my knees. “Daddy walked straight past me today and didn’t even look at me.”

Puck’s eyebrows crease, his hand curling into a fist.

“And then King swears at me. Sometimes, I just feel like this home isn’t made for a girl.”

“Bonnie,” Puck says, sitting down next to me. “King didn’t mean to say it and he loves you. As for Carlo, he’s an ass.”

I giggle at his words, and he smiles, lifting his hand up to tuck a stray piece of hair behind my ear.

My stomach swarms with butterflies. In fact, it’s so strong it’s more like giant birds, and I instantly feel my cheeks heat, a pink shade giving everything away. Puck’s eyes land on them, a smile pulling on his lips.

He must know I have a crush, but he never says it out loud or embarrasses me.

Reaching up, his fingers pull at the stem of one of the purple flowers and he picks it off the tree. He brings it towards me, tucking it behind my ear, where his fingers just were.

“You can go and play with them,” I say, guilty that he’s left them once again to come to me, but also trying to distract myself from remembering the feeling of his touch.

“Will you come with me?” he replies, and I just shake my head. I don’t want to annoy King more than I already have.

“Then I’ll stay.”

I look up at him and shake my head again.

“It’s okay, Puck, you don’t have to.”

“I know I don’t.”

I look out at the purple flowers surrounding the trees, not knowing what to say.

“Now I know you’ve got Peter Pan in that bag, so get it out.”

I laugh, because he knows me so well, and I still can’t believe I’m lucky enough to have three amazing boys in my life.

Almost like Wendy.

Age 14

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