LITMIR.BIZ

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in order to take up position in front of me. For someone with such large hands, he had a surprisingly light touch as he reached first for my right leg, then my left, until they were both extended. Starting with my right foot, he eased off my shoe and began a very thorough examination, noting every wince and sharp intake of breath as if cataloguing them.

      Next was my upper body, and I wasn’t altogether sure how I felt about that. I just had to keep reminding myself that it was only Jake. It worked though, I didn’t resist when he brought me back against his warm, hoody-covered chest. He lifted the blanket off me altogether and let it fall to the floor, then examined my shoulders and back. When he reached my head, I’d slipped into some kind of daze-like trance, a bit like the time mum had let me go with her for a massage.

      ‘Aside from a possible sprained ankle and the whopping great bump on the back of your head, I can’t find any major damage.’ Jake’s voice woke me up again, and brought me back to my painful reality. ‘You’re going to be covered in bruises for a while, though,’ he said, leaning me back against the counter. ‘Do you want to try walking? Standing, even?’

      ‘Umm … I guess.’ Hallelujah! My mouth seemed to be working again, even if no other part of my body was willing to try. ‘Can I put my socks and shoes back on first?’

      ‘Not yet. I need to check out that ankle first.’

      ‘Right. Here goes, then.’ I planted my bare feet on the cold floor, forced to stifle a groan as I did the same with my hands, all the while trying not to grind my teeth or show too much discomfort.

      ‘Hey, wait, let me help.’ Jake leaped to his feet and reached for my hands. I placed them into his open palms, huge compared with mine, and his paint-spattered fingers closed around my wrists, ready to haul me upright. ‘On the count of three?’

      ‘OK.’ I even risked a slight nod.

       Come on, I can do this, nothing to it, right?

      By the time I tuned back into what Jake was saying, he was already on ‘two’ and then whoosh, I was soaring upwards and trying to balance on my own two feet. Badly. The air must have been thinner higher up, because I went all light-headed and swayed precariously. Jake let go of one of my hands to grasp my upper arm.

      ‘Whoa, steady there,’ he said, staring right into my eyes. ‘Maybe not, huh? You’re all floppy like a rag doll.’

      Yep, he nailed it. That’s exactly what I felt like. ‘I’m just a bit dizzy, I’ve not moved for a while. Give me a sec.’

      ‘No, I don’t think so, Lena, you’re turning green.’

      He dropped my hand and grabbed me directly beneath my armpits, with his long fingers spanning my shoulder blades and his thumbs hooked around the front. No no no … Of all the things to be worrying about, sweaty pits shouldn’t have even made it onto the list, maybe not even the reserve list, but right at that precise moment it was all I could think about. I mean, eww! A girl has to have some standards, right?

      I silently prayed for my deodorant to be still working and chanced a peek at Jake’s face as he carried me like a child towards the chairs in the makeshift waiting area. He didn’t look particularly revolted as he lowered me carefully onto the seat, and he didn’t instantly let go of me as if I were some kind of freak or leper the second my butt hit the seat.

      ‘I’d better take you to A&E, get you checked out properly,’ he said, squatting down to be at my eye level before dropping his hands.

      ‘No, please,’ I blurted. ‘I’ll be fine. I just need a hot bath and a nice soft bed.’

      Jake just looked at me, inspected me even, but his X-ray vision must have been faulty because he shook his head and let out an exasperated sigh. ‘OK,’ he said, raking his fingers through his hair for good measure. Crap, he really must be worried: he didn’t even attempt to turn my words into some kind of innuendo. ‘Do you feel up to speaking to the police?’

      His words hit me like a bucket of cold water and I froze. At a loss for an answer that didn’t involve a lot of swearing and pleading, I swallowed deeply and stared back at him. It was fascinating how his dark eyebrows dipped in the middle, one slightly higher than the other, and the way his gaze pierced mine as if trying to do some kind of mind transfer.

      ‘You’ve got to report this, Lena, so they can look for the creeps that chased you.’

      ‘But I didn’t even get a good look at them,’ I wailed, appalled by the whiny pitch to my voice.

      ‘It doesn’t matter, the police can be the lookout for them at least.’

      ‘Jeez, Jake, when did you get so … so goddamn sensible?’

      ‘Right about the same time I thought of my little sister.’ He rose to his full height, clearly agitated, and took a couple of steps away from me. He bent at the waist to retrieve my socks and shoes from the floor, then turned back and fixed me with a haunted look. ‘She’s out there right now, and I know for a fact she can’t run anywhere near as fast as you.’

      My stomach lurched and I sucked in a deep breath, blinking in quick succession as an echo of the earlier terror prickled over my skin again. He had a point. A damn good one too. Of course he’d be thinking of Gemma, why wasn’t I? Shock maybe, but I knew I’d never forgive myself if something happened to her.

      ‘I hadn’t thought of that.’ My voice had lost its whine but it had lost its volume, too, coming out all timid and weak. ‘You’re absolutely right, I’ve got to do it.’

      ‘Yeah, you really have,’ he said, speaking much more softly and matching the gentleness of his actions as he replaced my socks.

      ‘My folks are gonna freak,’ I said, wishing I had something to hold onto. ‘They’re never going to let me out again when they find out. I don’t suppose I can call the police from your place instead?’

      Jake didn’t say anything for a few painstaking moments and avoided my gaze. I found myself holding my breath even though it really hurt. ‘You know, that’s actually not a bad idea.’ Phew! ‘If your folks are the same as mine, they won’t be home for a while yet and I don’t think you should be on your own tonight. I’m sure Gemma will be up for an impromptu sleepover, and that way she could keep an eye on you, make sure you’re OK.’

      ‘Thanks, I think,’ I said, forcing a smile when I actually wanted to hug him, but that took too much movement. ‘If she goes all mother hen on me, I’m holding you to blame, you know that, right?’

      Jake hit me with a smirk, a definite glint in his eye. ‘Hey, I’m not making any promises. You know Gemma …’

      ‘Oh God …’ I said, feeling better by the second.

      ‘Come on, let’s get out of here and leave these nice people to close up and go home. My van’s just out front.’

      ‘Yeah, good idea.’

      He raised his chin and projected his voice over my shoulder. ‘We’ll be off now,’ he called out, loud enough to make my ears throb.

      The lady immediately bustled through the door, reminding me of my mum again.

      ‘I’m really sorry to put you to so much trouble,’ I said, my face warming as a blush crept into my cheeks.

      ‘Nonsense,’ she said, wafting a hand at me. ‘Our youngest daughter is not so much older than you. We were happy to help.’

      I wanted to ask who her daughter was, but now didn’t seem like the right time to ask. ‘Thank you,’ I said instead. ‘Oh, and I’ll be phoning the police as soon as I get back.’

      The lady smiled approvingly. ‘Good girl.’ Definitely a mum-tone, it wasn’t the slightest bit patronising the way she said it. ‘Let me get the door for you,’ she said, already on her way and making the bell do its tinkly thing again.

      Jake took

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