Page 52 of Race to Me

As usual, Brett makes his way towards me. Through the slits in his helmet, I look to his blue eyes, and with horror, I notice the deep black that surrounds them. With a jaw-dropping realization, I just know deep in my soul that Foster is the cause of his black eye. He grips the metal barricade of his helmet and pulls it down so I can see his mouth. A busted lip is all I can focus on.

“We need to talk later.” he states before rushing away.

The stadium lights get brighter, making my body feel heavier.

As I look up, Foster stands directly in front of me, but behind the gate. I don’t look away. I’m much too tired of running. My eyes lock on his and his on mine as I go through the motions, the fake smiles, the loud yelling that is normally my only form of escape.

It seems like everything around us melts away. A tear trickles down my cheek, and I don’t bother to wipe it away. I don’t try to stop him when his tattooed hands grip the gate and he jumps over it, pushing down one of the male coaches who tries to stop him from rushing towards me on the field.

This is it; I needed to be found, and there he is. I’m not holding on anymore.

I sigh as my eyelids flutter, then groan when my body slams onto the lush grass below.

My eyelids flutter slowly. Things are happening similar to an old-fashioned picture show. Kate rushes to the same gate Foster was at, yelling. The girls on my team surround me.

But I’m not scared.

I know who is saving me.

A broken, sad boy that covers himself in tattoos and leather, who races from life, speeding like a bullet. A guy who comes from the wrong side of the tracks and is the best fucking thing that has ever happened to me.

Foster lifts me from the grass and carries me off the field. He looks worried, and I close my eyes for a second, only to open them again to be blinded by a bright light.

His room again?

No. Long fluorescent lighting that sits flush against a speckled ceiling.

A hospital.

Twenty

Foster is so focused on what the doctor is telling him that he doesn’t notice I’ve woken up. His arms are crossed while she goes over her clipboard, telling him this and that as he nods and listens with intent. I don’t speak, too afraid of what this night will bring me when I get home.

I scan the room for any sign of my parents, but even as I lie in a hospital bed, they’re not here. “She’s suffering from malnutrition. That’s why she blacked out.” the doctor tells him. I know he’s irritated; I can tell by the way his inked hand covers the back of his neck.The doctor gives him a soft smile, adding, “We’ve given her fluids. She’s going to be just fine.”

“Okay,” Foster seems to breathe for the first time in a while.

She looks over her paperwork. “She’s not a minor, so we don’t have to contact anyone, but did you need to call her family? Her parents?” she inquires.

“No,” I cough through chapped lips, my throat feeling as dry as the desert.

Foster rushes to my side, and I nod absentmindedly when the doctor, who tells me her name is Jane, explains what happened. “You’re going to be fine, but you need to have a proper diet.” She looks down for a moment, then to Foster. “Can I speak to Ms. Johnson for a moment?”

I can tell he doesn’t want to leave, and with his hands stuffed in his pockets, he weighs his options until I tell him it’ll be just a minute.

When he steps out, Jane gives me a look of pity as she pulls a chair beside my bed. “Skyler, I’m going to ask you something, okay?”

I nod, and she sends me a barely evident smile. “Your boyfriend, Foster?” she asks. “Does he hurt you?”

I want to bury my face in my hands, but I don’t have the strength. “No.” I say through clenched teeth, irritation swirling inside me.

She nods, not believing me. “Then who does? Because those bruises aren’t from flying.”

I quirk my brow. “How did you know I cheer?”

“He told me.” She gestures her head to the closed door. “I wasn’t going to mention the bruises to him, but he brought them up. Normally, that’s an admission of guilt or concern for your safety.”

I shake my head. “He’s never hurt me.”

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