Saved by the Crush's Brother - Maggie Dallen Page 0,11

“Uh…”

I watched her swallow, her gaze dropping to my chest as she took a long deep inhale before letting it out slowly. “Sorry,” she said softly. “Sorry, I’m just...” She looked up at me, her watery gaze pleading. “I’m just so tired.”

The tears were so close to the surface I found myself holding my breath. “Why don’t you and, uh…” I pointed to the doll. “Your thing there take a seat.”

“No, I shouldn’t,” she started, but I was already leading her toward the family room off the kitchen which had the most comfortable couches and the big-screen TV.

“I really shouldn’t,” she was still saying as she patted the baby’s back like it was an actual living, breathing baby. For the first time I started to wonder if perhaps her sanity was in question. I mean, from their conversation I’d overheard the other day I gathered this was the baby for some health class assignment, but I had no idea why she was here and why that creepy doll had to be a part of this insanity.

“Do you…” I looked around me like help might have suddenly arrived in the last few minutes. Nope. Still just me. “Do you want some water or club soda or tea or...something?”

I had no idea if we had tea. Or club soda. They just sounded like things you should offer a girl who was on the verge of tears.

She shook her head. “No, I just need Alex.” She looked at the doll. “He’s supposed to be helping me and my mom is out of town and I...and I...and I….” She stopped, her whole face seeming to collapse in on itself as she caved and started to cry in earnest.

“Hey.” I sank down onto the couch beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. For the first time since she arrived I didn’t hesitate because I might not be an expert on crying girls, but I was a human and I knew when someone needed comfort.

She surprised me--and maybe even herself—by turning into me, pressing her face against my shoulder like it was totally normal to be cuddling up to me.

Something inside me melted.

That was the only way I could explain it, even to myself. I wasn’t sure anyone outside of my mom had ever turned to me for comfort and it made me want to excel at the job. “It’ll be okay,” I said, my voice gruff rather than gentle, but I was trying, at least.

Was that excelling? Possibly not. But it was the best I could come up with given the strange circumstances. Were she and Alex together? Was that what was going on here?

Or was she really this distraught over an assignment?

I looked down at the top of her head. Did girls typically cry over their health assignments?

I thought not.

Something else happened to my insides again, but it wasn’t that pleasant warmth of a moment ago, it was more like the warmth that acid gives off when it burns you.

“I’m sure you two will work it out,” I mumbled.

That was a lie. I might not have known much about this girl, but I knew Alex, and I knew that he didn’t do commitments. He took after our jerk of a dad who’d cheated on our mom and then somehow managed to score custody of us while he shacked up with his new girlfriend.

That girlfriend was gone, but now he and Alex seemed to be in a battle to see who could be more of a lowlife player.

My money was on Alex. He still had the perfect hair and the up-and-coming basketball star edge while my dad might have had money, but his looks were starting to fade.

All of this was to say...I was lying to the poor girl in my arms when I gave her hope.

She sniffled and moved back, swiping at her nose with her sleeve. “I’m sorry, I really am. I’m just…”

“Tired,” I filled in for her, a smile tugging at my lips despite myself because...well, because this girl was kind of cute even when she was a mess. Like a loveable muppet or something.

She nodded. “Tired,” she repeated sadly.

My arm was still around her shoulders and I had no idea if I was supposed to move it or if that would set her off again so we just sat like that, oddly intertwined but not exactly hugging for several long moments.

She smelled good. That was pretty much the only coherent thought my brain was capable of putting together as we