MAD LOVE

Chapter 18

It's been almost a month of my carefree life. At university, I immersed myself in study, made new interesting acquaintances, and at home I enjoyed an atmosphere of peace and quiet. Sometimes after class I would meet with the guys, and we would have fun in the cafe, where they listened with interest to me going on about my goings-on.

I felt alive with them and saw everyone in a special light. Jessica and I became very close, especially after I had opened up, and I treated her like a sister. Alex became a kind of knight to me, who constantly came to my rescue, and I couldn't even dream of having such a good friend. As for Norton, everything was much more complicated... His gaze gave me goosebumps, his voice excited my soul, filling it with new feelings, but these feelings were so alien to me, and his random touches caused neither pain nor fear. I wanted to be with him all the time, but sometimes his behavior scared me, or, rather, his impudence did. But I was no fool, and I had even learned to talk back over the last month. As they say, if you lie down with dogs, you will get up with fleas...

One day, he met me after class and suggested we take a walk in the warm sun. Nothing out of the ordinary – simple behavior from a guy that didn't get stressed out. What happened on campus triggered some wonderful memories, although I was "hurt" again that day.

***

"Watch where you're going, you jerk!" Mike shouted in anger at the retreating cyclist.

The guy wanted to stop and apologize for almost knocking me down, but Norton's aggressive posture made him keep his distance. Holding my fragile body in his arms, he could not catch his breath. Everything happened so fast, he barely saved me from the impact.

I felt a sharp pain in my ankle when I took an uncertain step to the side. Looked like someone sprained something, and who else could be such a chronic loser? Norton, noticing my reaction, picked me up without a word and carried me to the nearest bench. Taking off my shoe, he looked at the injury.

"Nice damn walk..." the brunette boy whispered, and looked at me with his blue eyes. "I have a first aid kit in my car. You urgently need to ice this."

The comicality of this situation and his serious tone dissolved the awkwardness of that moment. I didn't know why, but I laughed uncontrollably. I remembered our first meeting, when I had wished for the ground to swallow me, but at that moment, I couldn't help smiling.

Thinking the shock caused this, Norton paused, giving me an opportunity to calm down, and when I took a deep breath, he asked if everything was fine with me.

"After giving me medical help, aren't you going to tell me 'Go where you want'?"

"You have a wonderful memory, Miss Moore," he said, as his face lit up with a charming smile. "But I'm afraid you won't take a step without me."

Mike picked me up again, carried me to the parking and, after icing my ankle, he wanted to take me home.

"There's no need." I wasn't ready to expose my temporary home. "I have an extra class in an hour, so I'll go back to school."

"And how will you get home after class? I won't be able to pick you up: in a few hours I'm flying out with my father on a business trip."

"Mike, do you even go to classes? How have you not been expelled yet?"

But his lopsided grin was the only answer I got...

Norton disappeared for a week for family reasons again. All the time we were together, he tried to talk to me, but every time something prevented that. Although I should have apologized for what I had said...