Page 36 of Shattered

“First, you never have to be sorry. I’m here if you ever need to talk. Second, that’s easy, Brayden.” I pause, smiling at him. “You create the charity.” His eyes widen and then a smile I don’t think I have ever seen on Brayden appears. In that moment, it dawns on me that I would do just about anything to see that smile again and again.

“It’s perfect!” he excitedly exclaims. I clap, standing up and walking over to him, taking the seat at the desk next to him, pulling the desk closer to his.

“Have you got your laptop?” I question.

“Yup,” Brayden replies, bending down to grab his bag and pulling out his laptop.

“OK, I think we need to start by writing everything you want the charity to be and everything you want to achieve from it. Is it open for all ages? Is it for a certain age range? Those sorts of things, then we can start working on a business plan and a name of the charity.” I realize Brayden has frozen and when my eyes meet his, the confusion mars his face, as his eyebrows drop.

“We?” he questions. I nod.

“We.” I smile. “I want to help you, Brayden. And I know this is your assignment, and it’s not technically real, but I think it’s a great idea. Something tells me when you put your mind to something, you will achieve it. Just because it’s not real right now doesn’t mean it can’t be in the future.” Being this close to Brayden does things to me it shouldn’t, goosebumps rise on my arms, the smell of his aftershave becomes one of the best things I have ever smelled. I notice things more, the way his eyes are blue, but they have small gray and white specs going through them, giving off a glowing effect.

“But why do you want to help me?”

I can’t bring myself to say the many reasons, one because I enjoy being around him for my own selfish needs. He makes me calm; he makes me content. Weirdly, he makes me happy, and I haven’t felt this calm and happy in a long time. But two, I’m not ready to go into detail about Jace, about how he died, why he died. The reasons if you dig deep into Jace’s death all started with someone with a drug addiction. Someone who created a monster. How do I tell him I don’t want him or his brother to be like my nephew’s killer? It’s not something I can even think about explaining right now, so with a smile and a small shrug, I lie.

“It’s a great idea and something I’m interested in.” He seems to accept it by nodding, but a small squint and the way his eyes roam my face, as if he senses the lie, makes me feel uneasy andhas me glancing away. He doesn’t push it, instead he types away on his laptop, searching up ideas.

A while later, Brayden has already begun the start of his business plan. He hasn’t come up with a name yet but looks happy with what he has come up with so far. I have been next to him on my laptop, researching larger organizations that he could contact that would help. In business management, colleges contact companies that the students select and notify them that the project is not real, but it is for the students’ overall grade. Some companies will express that they don’t have time to take part in the pitches. However, larger corporate companies want to create added value to their business to show they work with schools and colleges. It helps their profile, and it helps bring in future clients.

I glance up at the time, noticing we have been here for nearly two hours already. These classes are only meant for an hour. He already has a lot of classes and training. On top of that, I can’t overrun him.

“Let’s pack away. We can carry on with this tomorrow. Go get some rest.”

Brayden tidies up his papers while yawning.

“No gym tonight.” I point to him with a smirk.

He smiles. “Absolutely not. I need to go back to the trailer and see if I can find Bex and then I’m crashing for the rest of the night.”

Hearing that he’s going back to the trailer floods me with unease.

“I can drop you there?” I say, not glancing at him while I tidy away my desk, trying to appear casual.

“Thanks, sir, but it’s OK. I could do with a walk before seeing him, anyway.”

I don’t like it one bit, but I need to step back. He’s a good kid, he knows what he’s doing.

“If you’re sure.” I raise an eyebrow at him in question and he nods his head, smiling again.

I move over to my desk at the front and begin packing papers and my laptop into my bag.

“Sir.” I turn on my heels to find Brayden standing directly behind me. He stares at me, and I glance down to see his hand outstretched. He wants to shake my hand.

The minute my fingers brush his palm as I grasp his hand, my body slithers in goosebumps. My heart speeds up and I gulp, my mouth becoming as dry as a desert. My hand tingles as we both capture each other in a trance once again. Nothing has felt morerightthan his skin on mine. Nothing has made me feel so alive with the feel of his skin. We continue shaking hands, a weird buzz circles us as we both can’t take our eyes of each other. Once again, my eyes move to his lips and I know right here, right now, I want to feel his lips on mine. I want to kiss him and revel in how alive he can make me feel.

As if thinking the same thing, Brayden’s eyes flash to my lips and his hand tightens around mine as if he’s trying to physically hold himself back.

I can’t let this happen, not here, not now.

I pull my hand away, tucking my now clenched fists into my pockets.

“See you tomorrow.” I offer a reassuring smile and he finally drops his hand as if it takes him a moment longer to snap out of the trance.

“See you tomorrow, sir.”

The invisible string is there immediately. Every time I walk away from Brayden, or he walks away from me, that pull tugs as if I need to be with him. I allow myself to peer up at the door and a smile forms on my face when Brayden stares back at me, smiling as if he feels it too.

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