Dare You to Fall for the Catcher (Rock Valley High 3)

“No, I’m fine.” I shook my head, swallowing down the nauseating pain as best as I could. This was nothing. As soon as I was back on my feet, everything would be okay. “Just help me stand up.”

She nodded and offered me a hand. The moment I put weight on my ankle, pain shot through me again and the world tilted before my eyes. I cried out, falling once again into the water.

“Mandy, you definitely hurt yourself. You can’t walk out of here.”

I shook my head, angry tears forming in the corners of my eyes. Of all the stupid ways to threaten my track career, I had to blow it on a moss-covered stone. My last season of track had just begun.

Schools everywhere had been sending me scholarship offers, but they’d take them back as soon as they heard a whisper of a potential career-ending injury. My parents couldn’t afford to pay for college. They worked hard enough as it was keeping a roof over our heads. This wasn’t the way it was supposed to go down.

“No, I can walk,” I said as a shiver came over me. I couldn’t stop it. Between the cold and the pain, I was starting to lose control over my own body. “Just give me a second.”

“You’re going to freeze to death if we wait any longer,” she said, putting an arm around my shoulder. “Come on.”

“Here, let me,” someone said from behind.

I hardly had time to register Jayden’s voice before two arms lifted me up and cradled me close to a hard and bare chest. It was the second time in a matter of minutes that Jayden had plucked me from the water, but this time I wasn’t having it.

“Put me down,” I demanded through chattering teeth.

“Not a chance.” He glanced down at me, his sky-blue eyes filled with sympathy. “You’re hurt and you’re freezing. Your lips are practically purple.”

I tried in vain to keep from shivering, but nothing worked. “Stop looking at my lips. And I can walk just fine.”

“Yeah, I saw that.” His eyebrow arch

ed. “Real convincing.”

I grumbled to myself as he walked us toward Trina’s blue Chevy in the parking lot. Trina was already there with the passenger door wide open. Jayden bent down and gently placed me on the seat, barely jarring my ankle. He kneeled on the ground next to me, his gaze taking in the sight of my foot.

“Might want to get her checked out as soon as possible,” he said, looking up at Trina.

She wrung her hands together. “Okay, we’ll go straight to urgent care.”

“And have her put some ice on it.”

I waved my hands. “Hello? I’m still here. There’s no need to blow this out of proportion. I’m sure I just twinged it. I’ll be back on the track on Monday.”

Jayden’s lips twisted in a wry smile. “Sure, Amanda. But until then, how about you just listen to me for once in your life?”

I made a sour face and he laughed.

“We’ll take care of her,” Audrey said, popping up beside Trina. “I promise.”

“Oh, don’t worry.” I crossed my arms over my freezing abdomen. When all else failed, I still had my sass to fall back on. “Jayden has never lost any sleep over me and he won’t start now.”

I tried to laugh at my own joke, but when I looked over to see him watching me with such a serious expression on his face, my laugh stuck in my throat. Despite the cold, my cheeks heated. And when he tore his gaze away, I was left feeling like I’d somehow insulted him.

“At least we don’t have to worry if she hit her head,” he said, standing to look at my friends. “She’s as stubborn as ever.”

I rolled my eyes as Trina and Audrey giggled. They so owed me a steaming hot mocha latte after that one. Or pretty much any drink that was going to warm me up. I was still shivering uncontrollably and it was doing nothing to help the throbbing pain in my leg.

“Here. Put this on.” Out of nowhere, Jayden handed me a gray hoodie, as if he’d read my mind.

I quickly pulled it over my head, thankful for the warmth. It smelled like cologne and laundry detergent. I breathed in the oddly comforting scent and sank into the hood.

“Thank you...I guess,” I said, pouting a little. It shouldn’t have been that hard to say thanks, but saying it to Jayden Paul almost felt like admitting defeat.

“Feel better soon, Amanda.” Jayden closed my car door, giving me one last cocky smile through the window. “And just remember, I won fair and square today.”