Josh felt uncomfortable at the mention of her ex. He needed to stay away from relationship territory if he wasn’t going to put his foot in it, something he seemed adept at. ‘So, how are you doing?’ he asked, changing the subject.
‘Good,’ she said, smiling. ‘I’m looking into teacher training courses actually. I thought I’d get on with it after our discussion yesterday.’
‘Ah, that would explain it. I wondered why you were loitering outside my school,’ Josh joked.
‘Loitering?’ A frown crossed her face. ‘Outside where?’
He noted her bemused expression. She didn’t look as if she had a clue what he was talking about. ‘My school,’ he said, now definitely feeling uncomfortable.
‘Your…?’ Shaking her head, she squinted at him. ‘Why on earth would I have been there?’
Shit! He had been mistaken. But he could have sworn… ‘I, er, don’t know. I just thought…’ Shrugging awkwardly, he trailed off.
She laughed, incredulous. ‘Wow, you really are full of yourself, aren’t you?’ she said, surveying him with obvious disillusionment. ‘Did you think I was stalking you, is that it?’
‘No,’ Josh said quickly. ‘I just… I saw someone remarkably like you, that was all. Same jacket, same hat.’ Without the flame-red tendrils of hair escaping from it, though, he now realised, his heart sinking. ‘I was obviously—’
‘I’m not that desperate, Josh,’ she cut in tearfully. ‘Despite what I said about my not getting out a lot, and you being so drop-dead gorgeous no woman could resist falling at your feet, obviously, I don’t have to resort to following men around. For your information, the jacket and hat I’m wearing are everywhere at the moment. Thanks for the company.’ She snatched up her bag and jumped to her feet.
‘Kim…’ His heart flipping over, Josh grabbed his rucksack and followed. He really was good at messing things up, wasn’t he? Anyone would think he worked at it. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said, almost falling into her as the train lurched to a stop. ‘It was a genuine mistake.’
Ignoring him, she hit the doors open button and stepped down onto the platform.
Josh followed, feeling worse by the second. Had he really upset her that much? ‘Kim,’ he called, almost at a run to keep up with her as she neared the steps to street level. ‘I was mistaken. Please don’t go off upset. I didn’t mean—’
‘Let go of my arm, please,’ she cut in, her cheeks blazing.
‘What?’ Josh followed her gaze down. ‘Right, sorry.’ He hadn’t even realised he was holding onto it.
‘Thank you,’ she said curtly. ‘Now, do you think you could stop following me?’
He stared at her, thunderstruck. ‘I’m not…’ Christ, what was she talking about? This was his station. He wasn’t following her. ‘Look, I’ve said I’m sorry. I’m going now, okay.’ Holding his hands up, he stepped away from her.
‘Good,’ she said, tears springing to her eyes. ‘You know, I can’t believe I was so wrong about you. That I actually thought you were nice.’
Watching her whirl around and fly up the steps, he shook his head in bewilderment, then turned away.
He was a yard along the platform, trying to work out what the hell had just happened, when a sharp scream stopped him in his tracks.
Spinning back, he saw her tumbling down the steps and instinctively ran.
‘Shit,’ he muttered, dropping to his knees at her side. ‘Kim?’ he said, fear gripping him as she lay motionless, swiftly followed by immeasurable relief when she stirred. Thank God. ‘Don’t move,’ he urged her, thinking she might have injuries that weren’t obvious.
‘What happened?’ she mumbled, clearly disorientated.
Josh shuffled around to support her shoulders as she insisted on trying to raise herself. ‘You fell,’ he told her. ‘You lost consciousness. It’s probably better if you stay still. You might have broken something.’ He prayed that she hadn’t. God forbid she’d damaged her neck or her spine. He would never forgive himself if she had.
He searched her eyes. They were flecked with confusion. ‘Does it hurt anywhere?’ he asked gently.
Blinking, she attempted to move, and then winced. ‘My ankle,’ she said, squeezing her eyes closed.
‘I’ve called an ambulance,’ a guy in the gathering crowd said. ‘Here, would she like my coat?’ he asked, halfway out of it.
‘No. I’m all right.’ Kim pulled herself to a sitting position, despite Josh advising her not to. ‘It’s only my ankle. If I could just get to a taxi.’
‘The ambulance is already on its way,’ the guy told her. ‘If I were you, I’d stay put. It’ll be a hell of an