Loving Kinnick (Rewritten 2023)

Chapter Nine

When I asked the curly-haired girl what time she wanted me to be at her house, she told me she had a ride. I knew she was full of shit. Despite the weather, Bo walked back and forth to school and seemed to think it would be okay to do it in the middle of the night after training. She didn't need to say how much she feared getting in someone's passenger seat; I saw it the night she nearly snapped at me for suggesting that I give her a ride home.

 I arrived at the gym early to make sure I would be there for her arrival. She needed her safety reassured, and I wouldn't let her down. When I caught sight of her coming toward the gym, I slid away from the ring to meet her outside. I saw her struggle to convince herself to open the door the first time, so I would do it for her until she found the strength to do it on her own.

 My eyes caught sight of her shaking hands as she shoved them inside her pockets. If it would have been anyone else, I would have assumed they were cold, but the same thing happened to her in class, and I knew it was fear. The bell above the door rang as I pushed through the glass to join her.

 "Did your ride drop you off at the corner?"

 The dimple on her right cheek appeared as she looked up at me. "I didn't want you to walk all the way to my house and then walk back."

 "I wanted to, though," I grinned down at her. "But you denied me the opportunity."

 Her eyes shifted toward the gym, and I knew she could see everyone inside. "Bo, I won't let anything happen to you."

 "What happens if someone makes fun of me?"

 "It won't happen. I promise."

 The woman before me was an open book, and I was hanging on every word. Every twitch of her hand, a bounce of her leg, and a shift of her eyes made it easy to read between the lines. I wasn't sure why everyone struggled to understand her. She practically had every emotion written all over her face. All anyone would have to do was pay attention.

 My gaze shifted to confusion as she held out her pinky to me. "What is this?"

 "A pinky promise," her head cocked to the side in the way I liked. "You said you wouldn't let anything happen to me. So, I am making you pinky promise me that."

 Without hesitation, my pinky locked with hers. "I pinky promise you, Bo."

 My eyes dropped to her shoulder as it rolled around, and that is when I noticed the pink duffle bag half her size weighing her down. So I reached for the strap to pull it down her arm before slinging it over my own.

 "You don't have to carry that."

 "Neither do you."

 I grabbed a hold of the door handle before nodding inside. She sucked in a deep breath before stepping forward. Without warning, her foot hit a bump in the concrete. I shot forward, snatching her arm before she could fall.

 "Sorry," she squeaked as I stabilized her. "I get clumsy when I am nervous."

 "How about we work on your balance today?" I teased her.

 "Are you making fun of me?"

 A snicker left my lips. "Absolutely not."

 "You are already breaking your pinky promise!"

 "I crossed my toes," I teased, earning a gasp from her. "I am just kidding!"

 My laughter followed her into the gym, but I heard her mutter jerk under her breath as she walked past. It only fueled my amusement. She must have been oblivious to the man staring at the empty clipboard. John pretended to not know we were walking through the door as if he hadn't been watching us through the window.