Page 113 of Sporty Girls Don't Fall For Loners

“Good thing you’re tall, huh?” I say.

“Good thing,” he agrees with a chuckle.

As more people get on the bus, I’m pushed closer to Kade. Until my head practically fuses into his chest.

“Sorry,” I say.

“It’s okay.”

Once the bus starts moving, people shuffle around. A kid with a humongous backpack and poor balance takes up basically the entire space. I try to hold onto the pole, but the backpack pushes me away.

I find myself with nothing to hold on to. And the bus is gaining speed. I’m going to fall for sure.

Kade wraps a strong but gentle arm around my waist and tugs me to his body. “I’ve got you.”

I slowly raise my eyes to his face. He and I are so close we’re practically attached.

“This okay?” he asks.

I nod.

“Okay, good.” He tightens his arm around my waist, making sure I’m secure.

I lower my head on his chest. His muscles are hard, but his skin is a little soft. It’s so comfortable I can sleep here for hours.

“Thanks for being my hero,” my muffled voice says. “Not that I’m a damsel in distress.”

“Of course not. Warrior goddess, remember?”

“A warrior goddess is strong on her own, but she knows when to lean on others for help.”

“Exactly.”

“Especially a guy who…” My lips snap shut. What am I saying?

His arm loosens a bit. “What?”

“N-nothing. I mean—”

“Can you please put that backpack on the floor?” a woman yells at the boy. “Don’t you see we’re packed in here like sardines?”

The boy nods and quickly drops his backpack to the floor. Now there’s space for me to hold onto the pole, but…

I’d rather stay where I am.

Kade and I don’t say much for the remainder of the ride. When we finally get off, I breathe in some much-needed fresh air.

“That was horrible,” I say as I fix my hair. “But we survived, huh?”

“Yeah.” He glances around. “So this is the famous Edenbury mall?”

“Yep. Looks awesome, right? There are tons of stores and you can spend hours here. Want to go to the bookstore first?”

“Sure.”

“You can check out a different store if you don’t want to come to the bookstore with me,” I tell him as we make our way there. “I don’t know how long I’ll take and I don’t want you to be bored.”

“I can help you find what you’re looking for. Anything specific?”

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