Page 104 of Time to Bounce

I lurched forward, catching up to her as she marched toward the house.

“What happened?” I gasped.

She glared at me. “What do you mean what happened?”

“What happened to your arm? Did that happen during the fall when Darryl pushed you?”

She ignored me and used her keys to get into her house.

“What are you doing here?” she asked as she pushed through the door.

The door started to close in my face, but I caught it, ignoring the way my side smarted.

“I’m here because I wanted to see you,” I told her. “Why else would I be here?”

She rolled her eyes and didn’t comment.

I followed behind her, making sure the door was securely closed, and missed being able to follow her into her room when her door closed.

The distinct sound of the lock clicking into place was enough to make me stop in the living room and take a look around.

With the house itself being on Eleventh Street, you wouldn’t be able to tell from the inside.

It was cute and quaint, and obviously well taken care of, even before Athena owned it.

I studied the picture frames on the mantle.

One photo was of her parents, sister, and brother with her smashed in the middle of them all. I smiled at how well blended they were.

The second photo was of Maven and Athena on her college graduation day.

I’d actually been present for that one, since it’d only happened a few months ago, but I hadn’t told her I was there.

I was still under the impression that I was too old for her.

The third photo on the mantle was of her and her brother. The most recent one she would have before he’d died.

He was in his DPD issued uniform, and she was wearing a familiar red dress that I’d fallen in love with the first time I’d seen it on her.

The door clicked open, and I grinned at the cut-off jean shorts and white tank top she came out of her room in.

She also had a laptop in her hands, as well as an old glass of water.

I moved toward her, but she brushed right past me as if I was an annoying fly that somehow found its way into her house.

“Please talk to me,” I begged.

Okay, so maybe I should have handled the situation with her earlier a little better.

But dammit, I was not okay.

Still wasn’t if I was being truthful.

Not only was I scared for my brother, but my heart was still pounding at the thought of anything happening to her.

I’d let my own fear get the best of me.

I went to follow her to the back door of her place, but stopped when she said, “Leave me alone, Gable.”

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