Page 2 of Attraction & Repulsion

The setting sun waved its final goodbye as it disappeared below the Arizona horizon, leaving traces of cotton candy-colored clouds. The field lights flickered and buzzed, and a small breeze teased the promise of anevening thunderstorm. In anticipation, Carson pulled her sleeves over her hands and crossed her arms, holding them tight to her body.

As she walked along the building’s brick wall, one of the doors came flying open. The heavy metal smashed into her skull with a sickening thud. Her head snapped back, causing her to lose her balance and fall to the ground.

Black—

A buzzing reverberated in Carson’s ears, making the pain in her head intensify. She was twisting her neck to find the source when the vibration stopped, followed by another sound she couldn’t distinguish. Bending metal?

Then a blinding light hit her eyelids. Cringing, she blinked a few times. The light, she realized, was coming from the sun.

Squinting, Carson looked through a shattered windshield at a semi-truck stalled in the middle of the intersection, its front crumpled. Bystanders stood huddled on the side of the road. Lights—reds, yellows, blues—spun atop a fleet of emergency vehicles.

A blanket-covered mound lay in the rain-soaked road. She knew who was under that blanket.

Carson screamed—

She was back on the concrete, stars pulsating in her vision. Groaning, she reached up to touch her throbbing head and found a hot, sticky substance. A voice as deep as the sea cursed somewhere near her. Then a pair of ocean-blue eyes appeared just above her, inducing a fleeting moment of déjà vu. So familiar . . .

“Are you okay?” the voice asked.

“Ow,” she mumbled, trying to sit up, but large hands held her shoulders down.

“Don’t get up. You’re bleeding.”

She rolled her head to look at the person talking to her. Like Hunter, he wore a black-and-red softball uniform. He knelt beside her body, one hand on her shoulder to pin her down while the other rifled through a duffle bag. While he was turned away, Carson noticed a silhouette of flying ducks displayed on his hat, turned backward on his head. Black hair stuck out from under it. His hand reappeared with a white rag and pressed it to her forehead, his dark eyebrows furrowed with concentration. Under thick stubble, a frown touched his lips. His eyes were serious. Too serious.

Damn. How much blood was there?

Those serious and still-familiar eyes glanced down, full of concern, and locked with hers.

“I amsosorry,” the man said.

“Don’t be,” Carson said, a little annoyed at herself. “I wasn’t paying attention.” It was she who shouldn’t have been walking so close to the door’s swinging radius.

Peeling back the cloth, he grimaced. “Yeah, I got you pretty good. You may need stitches.”

“Well, that sucks,” she muttered. “Can I sit up now?”

“Let me help you.” The man grabbed her hand and placed it on the towel, letting her take over. “Keep pressure on that,” he instructed before sliding his arm under her back and hoisting her to a sitting position.

Carson sat for only a second before getting to her feet.

“What are you doing?” he asked, seeming surprised.

“I need to go find my friend and let her know I’m going ho—” That was when the earth tilted to the side, causing Carson’s legs to buckle.

“Oh-kay.” The man caught her around her waist.

Confirming her legs were stable, Carson tried to push him away. It was like struggling against a brick wall.

“Thank you, but I’m fine,” she said. “I just need to go home and lay down.” She needed to get away from the noise and the crowd. Away from the smack of the leather ball against the aluminum softball bat. Away from those infuriating girls who swooned over the first responders on the field at every annual tournament. Away from her dead husband laying in the middle of the road—

“Um, no, you need to go to the hospital.” The stranger kept his hold on Carson’s half-limp body.

“I told you, I’m fine,” she snapped. After the accident, she had vowed never to step foot in a hospital again.

“If you say so,” he said, letting go of her waist. Carson didn’t realize how much weight he had been holding, because as soon as he released her she started to drop back to the ground. Before she could crumble, he was supporting her again.

“That’s what I thought,” the man said.

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