Chapter 5

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"Can you believe that girl? She nearly knocked you over," Riley said. They waited for the light to turn green at the intersection leading out of the hospital.

"She seemed to be in a rush, I guess. It wasn't a big deal." They held hands, and he squeezed her fingers lightly.

The girl in the hospital was probably about five-feet, four inches and not much more than 110 pounds, but when she walked into him it felt like a wall had knocked him back. He wondered how he avoided falling over. She had dark, black hair, hazel eyes, and a nearly ghost-like complexion. Something about her was different, but he couldn't place it.

"Diego, you just let people push you around." She shook her head, but her smile gave her away.

"I only let you push me around, which by the way I enjoy very much."

"Oh, really?"

He brought her fingers to his lips and kissed them. She laughed and then pulled free of his grasp. "Hey, you're slobbering on me!" She shoved his shoulder playfully.

"See. I only let you push me around." The light turned green, and he accelerated the car through the intersection.

She wiped her hand against his shirt. "Thanks," he said.

"You're welcome." She leaned back in her seat and turned quiet.

He just kept driving, hyper-aware of the cars on the road and his speed. At least, the rain had stopped.

Riley sighed. "I could have died today. You know that." He knew that all too well, but forced those thoughts from his mind.

He reached for her hand again and gently held it. "Well, you didn't. Everything is okay. Except for your leg, but that'll heal." Diego got a few scratches from the debris, but Riley had the worse of it, including the glass shard that drove into her leg.

She let her head fall back. "So much for the homecoming prep rally next week or the football game."

Diego loved to watch her cheer. Yes, of course, Riley was unbelievably beautiful. Diego had to admit that he felt enraptured every time she danced or jumped or flipped. What seventeen-year-old boy wouldn't be? But he most enjoyed how she always got into this trance-like state when she cheered. It's like she let herself be carried away by the cheering and rhythm of the motions and the chants. Yeah, she really gets into it.

"And my phone! It's totally broken. I had just gotten it."

"Riley, we'll get you another phone. It'll be okay." Diego smiled that same smile that he knew Riley loved.

"Yeah, you are right." She leaned over careful not to put too much pressure on her left leg, where the stitches were still fresh and kissed him on the cheek. "You're so good to me." She rested her head against his shoulder. "Thank you, Diego."

Diego had just merged onto the highway, where the traffic was still dense from the rush hour. "For what?"

"For saving me. I don't know how you did it, but you pulled me out of the way of that semi just before it crashed into the wall."

"I just got lucky, I guess."

"I never new you had such fast reflexes." She squeezed his bicep, playfully.

He remembered he had just crossed the street when Riley yelled at him to pose for a picture. She held up her phone. Why does she want a picture of me in the rain? Must be a girl-thing or something. Diego heard the sounds of the tires screeching before he even saw semi-truck weave out of control. He could see where it was headed.

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