Page 51 of Savage

“You get many scraped knees at the park?”

“I don’t.” I motioned my head over to Dalton. “But I know someone who does.”

“Got it.”

Dalton bounced up and down, eager to get going. "Let's go!" he exclaimed, tugging on Malcomb's sleeve.

“Alright, alright.” Malcomb chuckled. "Let's go."

It was a perfect day for the park. The sun was shining bright, birds were chirping, and there was a hint a cool breeze whipping about. Dalton skipped ahead while Malcomb and I walked side by side. The sun was bright and warm as we settled onto a bench. Dalton’s laughter echoed through the air as he darted off to the playground. Malcomb and I found a nearby bench to sit on, watching as Dalton climbed and played.

As we sat there, I couldn't help but notice the way Malcomb was looking at me. “What?”

“You’re amazing.” He shook his head. “You’re a natural with all this stuff. I don’t know how you do it.”

“Dalton made it easy.”

“He’s an awesome kid, but it’s more than that.” There was a sadness in his eyes as he said, “I know you had to make a lot of sacrifices along the way, and not just the scholarship. I know it had to be tough.”

“I did what I had to do.”

“I know, and it’s appreciated more than you know.”

Silence fell over us as we turned our attention back to Dalton. He was playing in the sand with a couple of other kids. They had sand buckets and shovels, but he looked perfectly content to build with his hands and a plastic cup he’d gotten out of my bag. Malcomb and I had been watching him for several minutes when I turned to him and said, “So, I have a question for ya.”

“Oh, yeah?” His brows furrowed. “What’s that?”

“Were you at Puckett’s last weekend?”

He looked down and sighed, and without him saying a word, I had my answer. “Yeah, I was there.”

“Did you see me?”

“I did.”

“And you didn’t say anything?”

“Didn’t figure it was a good time.” He glanced up at me as he admitted, “But I did stick around awhile to make sure you were okay.”

“I thought I saw you there.” I shrugged. “I’d had a little too much to drink and wasn’t sure if I’d really seen you or if I was just...”

“Oh, you definitely saw me.” He cocked his brow. “I was your ride home.”

“What?”

“You got up to go to the bathroom, and it was obvious you were wasted. I stood by the door to make sure no one fucked with you, and when you didn’t come out, I went in after you.”

“You did?” I thought for a moment, trying to recollect what happened that night and how I’d gotten home. But I couldn’t piece it all together. “I don’t remember.”

“Because you were passed out.” His eyes grew fierce as he explained, “I picked you up and carried you home. I used the spare key to get into the house, and then, I took you up to your room.”

“Oh, God. That’s it. I’m never drinking again.” I knew I’d had too much to drink, but the fact that I couldn’t remember being with Malcomb was concerning. “But thank you for making sure I got home.”

“No need to thank me. I was just...”

“Looking out for me, and I really appreciate it.” The words had barely left my mouth when I was hit with a thought that had me wondering if I’d been too quick with my gratitude. “So, you were there for a bit, right?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

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