Page 54 of Always Love You More

“What actually happened that first day you came to the garage?”

“What?”

“With your face.”

She smooths the bandage over my eyebrow.

“You had a cut on your face.”

“Oh, that.”

“You said you fell, but”—I shake my head—“you didn’t.”

She busies herself, shuffling through the kit. “I got into a fight.”

I tense. “With who?”

She shrugs. “Some girl.” Turning back, she has a fresh washcloth in her hand.

“What’d you—”

“I’m going to—” she says at the same time.

I let out a short laugh. “Sorry, go ahead.”

She grazes her teeth over her bottom lip. “I’m going to do your chest now.” She begins to wipe away at the blood that’s caked onto my chest, her brows furrowed.

“Most of it isn’t mine,” I tell her.

I wait for her judgment, but it doesn’t come.

“So, why’d you and this girl get into a fight?”

“It was stupid.”

“Doesn’t matter. I’ve been in plenty of stupid fights.”

She hesitates.

“You don’t have to tell me.”

“It’s just …” She trails off. “It’s embarrassing.”

I gesture toward myself. “Can’t get any more vulnerable than this.”

She drops her eyes to her lowered hands and sighs. “She called me a slut.” Before I can say anything, she continues quickly, “Ididn’t even know who she was. She and her friend came up to me, accusing me of trying to get with her boyfriend.” She shakes her head. “I asked her who her boyfriend was and that only made her more mad. When she told me, I realized I have English with him, but we’ve never done anything.” She raises the washcloth back to my chest.

“That’s not a stupid reason to get into a fight,” I tell her.

“I just get sick of it,” she mumbles.

“Sick of what?”

“The rumors.”

I suck in a breath when she skates the washcloth over my rib.

She yanks her hand back. “Shit, sorry.”