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"I don’t l-like tea with s-sugar," I protested, trying not to spill the contents of the hed deeply "Drink it, Maisie It’ll help you," he insisted, wrapping his hands aroundit towards my mouth As I openedsoroaned, sing it quickly just to get rid of it as he tipped the cup up again sloshing more into my mouth After the third mouthful the waiter ca ross!" I whined, shuddering at the lingering taste inout a bowl of ice and a sratefully "Perfect, thanks" I watched as he laid out the towel before scooping out a handful of ice into the e shape "Let’s get this on then," he uiding my foot up and into his lap I looked down at it and turneda lump on the outside of my ankle A small, surprised yelp leftthe ice ontodown at the ratefully "Drink your tea," he added, ain I pouted but reluctantly raised it tointo my lap and downup a napkin and dipping it into the ice boetting it a little before using it to clean up the cuts on htened, what spooked you?" Zach asked, cocking his head to the side and watchingfor my purse that he’d dropped onto the table e ca scratches on e, but at least it wasn’t ses fro to get back to o home and then you shouted but I didn’t knoas you I assues Want to s-see?" I offered, holding out htly now

He nodded, taking the phone fro with it for a few seconds I watched his face as he read the around quickly, before fixing his eyes on the café , squinting, obviously trying to check the street for the perpetrator "So you? Why the hell are you out on your oith all of this going on, Maisie? That’s stupid!" he berated "You need to call the police, show the around the street other thanthe last offorin now, ain

Zach didn’t laugh Instead, he put the phone down on the table and slid it across to me "Why the hell has your brother let you out on your own? Does he know all what’s going on, that so you and stuff? He shouldn’t let you out on your own, I thought better of hi his head in disbelief

I frowned at his anger It was kind of sweet, I kneas only angry because he obviously didn’t want to seeaboutto Charlotte’s I was supposed to go straight there and call when I got there But I forgot the DVD so I stopped at the rental place I thought it would be fine I didn’t think," I istered ina call any ot to Charlotte’s safely I winced, knowing he was going to be even angrier with et anoise in the back of his throat "If you were my sister I’d never let you hear the end of this," he muttered

"Do you have a sister?" I asked, suddenly aware that I didn’t know much about hiry without on my own "No I’m an only child"

I stored that little titbit of inforet back to the matter at hand "Zach, will you dowhat I hoped was a persuasive sreement, so I continued "Will you call my dad and tell him what happened? Tell hietthe asskicking you’re going to get for not going straight to Charlotte’s house?" he teased

"Yeah Please?" I begged I just needed another fewHopefully by the tihtly before I had to deal with hi my home phone number on there "You owe me," he muttered as he put the phone to his ear I watched as Zach explained that he ith htened by a text and fallen over He told my dad where ere, offered to drivebecause he winced a lot and opened his mouth to speak but then was obviously cut off The whole ti a pattern onit It was extree, unfamiliar way No one had really touched me like that other than Luke, and it wasn’t that it was sexual at all, but it was just inti way I liked it

When he disconnected the call he smirked over at me "You’re in deep trouble, loated s to protest No doubt I would be grounded for as long as I lived when my dad arrived Zach lifted the towel off ofit with ice "This looks a lot better now," he co the freshly made icepack back over my ankle

"Where did you learn first aid anyway?" I asked He’d not even been fazed bymyself at all I would have been a one into shock in front ofI see a lot of injuries while I’," he answered "So, do you have any idea who’s sending you those ed nonco crossed his face "Ahh, now I get the reason behind the fight the other day You said so," he muttered "Did you really think it was her?"

"Yep," I answered "So now I have no clue The police obviously have no leads either because they arrested you," I added, rolling my eyes

A smile twitched at the corners of his mouth "I’ve never really had anyone believe ina little taken aback by it "The police were going on and on They didn’t really want to letto pin it on souess someone like me fits the bill pretty nicely" His tone was harsh, hurt, and full of annoyance

I chewed onto read his expression to see whether I should say this or not or if he would be angry with o for it, I could always apologise if I upset him "They said you had previous history…" I trailed off, wincing because I was prying into so that was clearly none of hts to tell me to butt out of it

His eyes flicked up toback down to the table "Yeah I do" I heldthe back of his neck roughly "I used to be… different Before I discovered parkour I was a mess You see, I have ADHD which basically y and no concentration span I get bored really easily, especially when structure is involved, so school is kind of hard for ot myself a bit of a reputation, and because of that I fell in with a bad crowd One thing led to another, and I did a lot of stuff that I’et rid of that past unfortunately, so I guess they see a kid with a bad rap sheet with his fingerprints in the scene of a criulped, taken aback by all of that information "You have ADHD?" That explained a lot actually

He nodded "Yeah I’et a little… over the top That’s why I run and exercise a lot It seeraduate this year so I can prove to the film producers that I can stay on track and be co," he explained "Oh, and apparently I have an attitude problem and dislike authority too, but that’s coulped, unsure what to say "Oh"

A grin split his face "Yeah, I only ever told one person, and that was his reaction too," he mused

"I just don’t knowat hi My dad actually had it too He orse than h because he refused to stay on his tablets"

I looked at hi hoord this next question "Why do you always talk about your dad in the past tense? Is he," I winced, "has he died?"