“Hayes!” Her mother yelling her name made her feel six years old again and getting in trouble for playing in her makeup.

“Mom?” she questioned, walking into the kitchen where her mother was currently butchering a chicken.

“Cut this damn thing!” Lord love her mom, but the woman was not a cook. Everything Hayes had learned in the kitchen was due to her father and his need to not contract salmonella poisoning.

“It’s a chicken, Mom. You can’t cut it the wrong way,” she told her, laughing as she took hold of the knife.

“All the meat is being ripped off ‘cause I have these string bean arms,” she explained, slapping at the aforementioned arms.

“Whatever you say.” It was hard not to fall on the floor in a fit of giggles at the woman.

“It’s so wonderful to hear you laughing again, sweetheart.” The mere mention of laughter had hers fading away. There hadn’t been much of it in their house since the accident. Everything was all doom and gloom, sadness. Nothing had ever been the same again.

For a split second, they were normal, happy even. Then in a flash, it was gone, and the guilt came flooding in. How could she be happy and smiling when Ryder was dead?

“Don’t do that, baby, please,” her mom begged.

“Don’t do what, Mom?” But she knew.

“Feel guilty for laughing, for being happy. I don’t want that for you, and Ryder certainly wouldn’t, either.”

She was right. Of course, she was. Didn’t mean Hayes could let it go, though. Being happy meant a life without her brother in it, and that was a life she wasn’t sure she could live in.

Smiling at her mom, she nodded her head and cut the chicken the way it needed to be done. “I’m gonna go for a run,” Hayes told her before leaving, not giving the woman a chance to answer.

Taking the same route through the park and back around that she always did, Hayes was quickly lost in the beat of her feet hitting the pavement. The sound of her blood rushing through her ears, and the cramps in her sides.

When she finally stopped running, she was back at the baseball field. Back where she’d met him. Where she’d felt something for the first time in far longer than she could remember. He’d ignited a spark in her chest and hope had coursed through her.

That was four days ago. She hadn’t seen him since. Running the same path at the same time every day since then had not garnered her one sighting of him. She wished she’d stayed that first meeting and gotten to know him. Now, she was going to have to live with never knowing who the man was that had opened her heart up again.

“Hey there,” a deep voice called from behind.

She’d been so lost in her thoughts, she hadn’t realized the sun was setting or that the park had emptied. It wasn’t her mystery man. This stranger’s voice wasn’t smooth like fine wine.

“You shouldn’t be out in the park so late,” he warned.

Instantly, her hackles rose and set her on guard. “Uh, yeah, lost track of time.” She stalled, looking around for the gopher holes that had tripped her mystery man before, not wanting to be murdered because of some dumb rodents.

“You okay?” the man asked, his voice closer. Hayes could practically feel his shadow over the top of her.

“Yeah, yeah, fine.” Pulling her phone from her pocket, she was prepared to dial nine-one-one when his hand landed on her shoulder. His bruising grip was all the warning she needed to kick him in the nuts and run like hell. “Shit, shit, shit,” she murmured, out of breath, as she made it off the beaten path. His curses could be heard from behind her while she ran. Thankfully, the streets were busy as she kept running, only slowing her pace when she was sure the stranger was no longer following her.

“Son of a donkey’s petunia,” she whispered to herself.

“A donkey’s what now?” was said directly over her shoulder. Still in fight or flight mode, she spun around swinging.

“Slow down there, tiger.” A set of hands gripped her arm before she could connect. The playful smile on the man’s face vanished as soon as he got a look at her. “What happened?” he demanded.

Mystery man. She sighed.

Looking all around her to make sure the guy from the park was nowhere to be seen, she told him, “Nothing. I’m fine.”

“Like hell you are,” he countered. “Something scared the shit out of you. What happened?” His voice came out darker, more menacing.

“I said I’m fine. Leave me alone.” Hayes went to pull away from the guy, but his grip was solid. Not hurting her in any way, just not letting her go.

Pulling her into him, her companion let her arm go only to slide one hand around her neck while the other went to her hip. “Talk to me,” he whispered against her cheek.

The voice was so smooth she nearly melted into him. His soft blue eyes beckoned her to tell him what happened, and so she did, without thought. “I was there, again,” she pointed towards the baseball field, “and someone showed up. He grabbed me.”

His eyes went from worried to angry in a flash. “What do you mean grabbed you?” His grip tightened.

“Just held onto my shoulder after asking me if I was okay, twice. I told him I was, then kicked him in the giblets after he didn’t remove his hand.” She shrugged like it was no big deal when, in fact, it scared half her life away. She wanted to cry, wanted to scream, she wanted to be normal. She wanted Ryder.

Pulling her more firmly to his chest, her newest acquaintance whispered soothingly into her ear while she calmed down. She hadn’t realized just how terrified she was over it.

“Can I take you home?” he asked her when she pulled away.

“No, thank you. I live just up the block.” She pointed the way behind her, not wondering why, but knowing he wouldn’t hurt her. She felt safe in his presence. “You were right about the gophers by the way.”

“Oh yeah, why’s that?” That smile of his was back.

“I had to plot my escape around them damn holes.” She grinned, hoping he’d laugh. His face got serious again.

“Fucking rodents,” he cursed.

“Got that pellet gun handy?” His laughter was contagious.

Suddenly turning serious, he told her, “I’m walking you home, sugar.”

Eyeing him up and down, she didn’t get the creepy vibe from him that she had the man in the park. Even though there was something dangerous about him that she couldn’t put her finger on.

Relenting, she bargained. “Alright, but only if you tell me where the black eye came from and your name.”

Scowling at her, he grudgingly agreed. “Fine, but you don’t get all the fun, gory details,” he said, “yet. And the name’s Levi Hogan.”

Levi.

So strong, so fitting.

It took her a moment to realize he’d stuck his hand out to shake hers. “Seems a little formal considering you had my body plastered to yours ten seconds ago.” She smiled ruefully. “Hayes Morrison.” Finally, she shook his hand. A zap of electricity shot currents through her body from the innocent contact.

* * *

Hayes was a breath of fresh air. She was the light to Levi’s dark.

He was enthralled.

Confused.

He didn’t have room for her in his life right then. He was fighting to get to the top of his game, and she wasn’t part of that. She would be a distraction. Just watching her walk as he followed her home made him forget he was on his way to train with Casper.

“Soooooo,” she drawled out. “The eye?”

Oh yeah. “Nothing, really. Didn’t duck when I should have.” He smirked at her irritated scowl.

“Really? That’s as good as you’ve got?” When he shrugged in response, she carried on. “Even Ryder could do better when he got into scraps.”

Ryder? His hackles rose, which pissed him off. He had no claim on her. She could be some other man’s property, and there wasn’t a fucking thing he could do about it.

Except kick the fucker’s ass. The devil on his shoulder had to speak up.

Switching tactics, he asked her, “You run a lot?”

“Almost every day.”

“What’s with the limp? Fall one too many times?” He laughed, thinking of tackling her the other day. She didn’t share his amusement. Sadness encompassed her features, and he felt like an ass. “Hey, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything by it.” He could tell his backpedaling wasn’t working as she drew into herself.

“It’s fine. I was in an accident is all. No big deal.” Except it was a very big deal if her reaction was anything to go by.

They continued the walk to her house in silence as she obviously thought back on whatever the accident was, and he imagined all the ways Nox would kick his ass for being such a dick.

“This is me,” she said all too quickly. He didn’t want their time together to end, yet it had to for more reasons than she could ever know.

“Right. Well, be more careful, would you?” His tone was harsh, and he instantly regretted it.

“Wouldn’t want to be a burden.” She turned, running through her front door before he could apologize.

“Stupid, Levi.” As he was cursing up a storm, he missed the curtain move from the top floor. Didn’t see the wistful look in the beautiful girl’s eyes as he walked away.

Checking his phone as it began to vibrate, he knew it was going to be Casper before he answered. “I’m on my way, Casp,” he bit out.

“You’re late,” he snapped back at Levi.

“Pull the g-string out of your ass and calm the fuck down will you. I’ll be there in ten.” Before the man could retort, Levi hung up the phone, not wanting to deal with anyone.

He knew he had to train for the upcoming fight, but his heart wasn’t in it, and there was only one reason why.

Hayes Morrison.

The girl with the haunted eyes.

The girl who stole his breath.

The girl he wanted to caress.

Shit on a stick. Stick a fork in him, he was done.

* * *

Levi couldn’t have known what his words had done to her heart. She couldn’t hold him responsible when he understood nothing about her or why she had the limp.

“Hayes? Honey, who was that?” her mother asked with a smile on her face.

“No one,” she answered running up the stairs to her room before the woman could interrogate her.

It hurt. Being around him hurt.

Laughing hurt.

Everything hurt.

Peeking through her curtain, she watched as he stood, staring at her house before muttering to himself and walking away.

Forgotten. Just like that.

The only thing Hayes was memorable for was her limp and her broken dreams.

She was the girl who used to be set for gold.

She was the girl with the limp.

She was a nobody.

“Just one more month, Hayes,” she whispered to herself. She had no idea what she was going to do after graduation, just that she had to start over. Be someone else, somewhere else.

A fresh start was exactly what she needed. All she had to do was convince her parents of that. They would be sad and scared to let her go, but eventually, they’d give in.

As much as she loved Loveland, there was nothing there for her, nothing to hold her down. Levi just proved that having secrets made her less than normal, and Hayes was done feeling sorry for herself.

After he was out of sight from her perch on the window sill, she stripped off her clothes as she walked to the small bathroom off her room. Wishing for life to be different as the cool water washed away her sweat and dirt from the long run.

Finishing her shower quickly, exhaustion dragged her to bed just as the sun completed setting. It didn’t take long for the day’s events to catch up with her as her head hit the pillow.

Tomorrow was Friday, and she had a huge English test that was going to be brutal. A good night’s sleep was just what she needed.

* * *

“Dammit, Levi!” Not something he wanted to hear first thing in the morning from his older brother. “What the hell happened this time?” Nox demanded to know.

His standard answer of walking into a door wore off long ago. “Uhh…” What the hell was he supposed to say? Nox wouldn’t understand that fighting was part of who he was. He’d lay a guilt trip on Levi, saying how disappointed their dad would have been.

“Don’t say a damn door again, Levi, or I swear I’ll smack you myself.” Remaining quiet was going to be his best bet.

“Why are you yelling, Lennox?” Well, shit. Sophia walked into the room looking radiant as ever as she scolded her soon to be husband.

“Morning, Soph.” Levi leaned down to kiss her cheek as she walked past him.

Before she said a thing, her eyes shot to his bruised face. “Oh, Levi.” She sighed like he was the damn child. “Are you alright?”

“I’m okay.” And he was.

“What happened?” she asked, knowing full well he wouldn’t lie to her.

“Soph.” His voice held a warning in it. He’d never yell at her or give her shit, but on this one thing, he wasn’t going to budge no matter what anyone said or did.

Understanding lit her gaze, and he couldn’t be more grateful as she leaned up and whispered in his ear, “Please be careful, Levi.”

Nodding his head, she went over to her man, distracting him enough that Levi could make his escape into the shop and get some much-needed work done before his big fight the following night.

He hated keeping secrets from his brothers, and especially his mom. Their inevitable reaction was what kept him from telling them, though. He knew they’d be disappointed, mad, maybe even sad that he had such a strong desire to inflict pain on someone else. Even the pain he suffered made him feel alive, as if he wasn’t just going through the motions of life. He often felt like he was waiting for life to happen to him.

Logically, he knew he was still young at twenty-five, still had plenty of time to settle into what he wanted out of his life. But why did he feel as though he’d already hit his prime?

An image of Hayes flashed through his mind as he began prepping an old Impala, effectively cutting off any other thoughts.

* * *

“Hayes!”

Stopping in her tracks, about to walk into the main corridor of her high school, she turned to look for the chipper voice that had just called to her.

Seeing Alyssa, one of the girls she often ate lunch with, waving at the other end of the hall, she called, “Hey, Alyssa,” prompting the girl to race towards her.

She was nice—not as annoying as some of the other people Hayes went to school with—it was just that she was always so flipping happy. Hayes couldn’t imagine that amount of cheerfulness in someone not working in Santa’s workshop. It was unnatural.

“Okay, so, tomorrow night, what are you doing? I have the perfect idea for a girls’ night or maybe a double date. Did you know Brett’s”—that’s her boyfriend—“friend, Dustin, has the hugest crush on you?” Hayes was sure she must be mistaken.

“Take a breath, Lys.” She waited till the other girl did. “Now, what are you talking about?”

A deep breath in, and she rambled off again. “Brett got tickets to this awesome underground event. Dustin will be there. You should totally come. You guys would be so cute together.”

“I don’t know, Lys, it’s not really my scene.” She didn’t even know what it was, and she wanted out before she could be sucked in.

“Come...On…Hayes.” Her voice was exaggerated. “You never go out with me. Please come? Please, please, please!” Lys had gotten on her knees to beg her. It was downright embarrassing since other students had started watching her antics.

“Fine. But get up for crying out loud.”

Alyssa’s squeal of excitement did nothing to lessen the attention they were getting. Shaking her head, Hayes walked away to her first class of the morning, dreading the final she was about to write.

When she’d moved to town, Alyssa had been the first person to treat her with respect. While Hayes hadn’t been looking for friends or to fit in, she was glad for the other girl’s persistence up to now. She was still a bit of an outcast, but other kids no longer looked at her as though she were a freak. They hung out as often as Lys could convince her to stop running and studying, which admittedly wasn’t often.

Clearing her mind as she sat in her seat, the stress and worry came back about her test. Grammar had never been one of her stronger suits. English was downright horrible.

It wasn’t long before the bell rang and more students piled into the class with the same amount of dread on their faces as her own. When Mr. Stevenson entered the room, tests in hand, there was a mutual groan from nearly every person. He, of course, laughed and tried to encourage everyone that they were ready as he handed the papers out.

When he placed hers on top of her desk, she felt her brain seizing in protest over the torture she was forcing it to go through.

“You have two hours, everyone. No speaking and keep your eyes on your own tests,” Mr. Stevenson announced once he was at the front of the room again.

And so, the torture began.