Page 16 of Leave Me Broken
He’s not the least bit bothered by my small freak out. “I didn’t want pizza.”
“That’s not my problem.”
Amused, his mouth lifts in a half-smirk but he says nothing.
Another few bites and I’m full. Hero hasn’t touched the pizza—he’s not regarding the table or anyone at it, really.
“Do you want the rest? I’m full.”
He doesn’t look away from the wall of posters across the room right away but when he does, he eyes me with that blank stare before he looks to the five chicken wings still in my basket. His cold eyes lighten and it makes my stomach ache. I didn’t take into consideration why he didn’t order his own food or drink. He didn’t eat the pizza but maybe there’s a reason. It’s obvious he’s hungry. He must have thought I seemed like a decent enough person to not call him out for stealing my food.
Great, now I feel like shit.
“Thought you didn’t share food.” He doesn’t sound overly bitter, but enough that I want the bench to swallow me whole.
“I make exceptions, sometimes, and like I said—I’m full. If I’m not going to eat them, figured you might.”
I wait anxiously, hoping he doesn’t take offense. Not like he knows what is running through my head, but I still feel guilty. I push the basket in front of him hoping to entice him more. It works and he lifts a slim hand. It’s not just that his hands are slim, his cheeks are sunk in, and although I can’t see his body under his clothes, his sweatshirt is thin—far too thin for middle of fall—and not hiding his protruding collarbone or narrow waist. His skin is nearly translucent, besides the many freckles.
The waitress walks up holding our checks, she passes them out, but I don’t grab mine. “Can I get another order of wings, sixteen count, with a full order of fries, to go, please?”
Kyle cracks a joke about how I can eat and one day it’ll catch up with me, but I ignore him.
“Thought you weren’t hungry?” Hero hits me with a grave look.
I ignore him and look across to Janelle and Monica so I don’t have to answer Hero and tell him the food is for him. I don’t know how he will take it and don’t want to come across like I’m trying to treat him like a charity case or something.
“What do you think practice is going to be like tomorrow?”
“I don’t think bad. We have a tournament this weekend, so it’s not like he’s going to kill us before that,” Monica says.
That’s true, it’s a big tournament too. A three-hour drive, and until today, I planned to drive myself, but I’m hoping Coach might have room for me. Janelle’s parents are weekending where we are going, so they won’t be coming home, and while they offered for me to stay with them and go up tomorrow night, that’s a long time to be away from my grandpa.
“What sport do you play?” Kyle asks.
“Volleyball,” we answer in unison.
“Sweet, might have to come check you out sometime,” Ryan adds with a wannabe-sexy smirk. Maybe it is sexy because Janelle seems amused by it when she agrees with a smile on her face. Ash really has ruined me for all other guys.
Janelle texts our schedule to Ryan and my food is brought to our table. The three guys get up first with their pizza box. They offer to walk us out but since I haven’t paid, I stop at the counter up front. I grab Hero’s arm at the last second, stopping him from walking out. I wait till everyone else is outside before I extend my hands with the food in it.
His brow knits. “What?”
“It’s for you.”
I wait for a pissed comment because I know how this could be taken, but it never comes. He just nods once and turns. I think I hear him mutter a small thanks but then he walks outside to join the others.
I pay, leave a decent tip, and hurry to meet my friends.
“I’m allergic to tomato. That’s why I didn’t eat the pizza.” I jump at Hero’s voice, not expecting it.
It’s even colder out than it was when the sun was up and I cross my arms over my chest attempting to keep the warmth in.
Letting the door close behind me, I look around for my friends. They are next to Monica’s car, still talking to the guys. I let out a shallow breath that fogs up the air in front of me. It’s so cold Hero is shivering. I wonder if he is choosing to not wear a jacket like me, or if he doesn’t have a jacket at all.
“Oh,” I say simply.
We both shift awkwardly until my friends call for me, telling me to hurry my ass because its cold. I turn so my back is to them and I’m facing Hero. “I’ll see you around?”