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read him, and I can always read him.
    Dax pulls him farther down the hall while Marcus finishes his conversation with Joel.
    “Are we clear here?” Marcus asks while he has Joel pinned against the lockers. His anger is different than Jake’s; there is less emotion behind it. He is calm, calculated. It’s more about protecting his friend, the team.
    Joel’s confidence has deflated, and he starts to stutter. “Yea-yeah, we’re good.”
    Marcus raises his eyebrows, as if asking “are you sure?” and Joel wildly nods his head in response. Then Marcus releases him, causing Joel to stumble a little from the absence of force that was there a second ago.
    I look back at where Dax has Jake all the way down the hall. He looks at me before they turn the corner toward the gym, and our eyes connect one last time. I mouth “thank you,” and he gives me a deep smile, revealing his perfect dimples. I swear my heart skips a beat. Then Dax pulls him into a playful headlock. I watch as they turn the corner, and then they are gone.
    I feel arms wrap around my waist from behind. “Hey, you okay?” Marcus’s breath brushes across my earlobe as he whispers.
    I turn so we are facing each other. “Yeah, I’m good.” I give him a smile, cherishing the love that fills his eyes.
    “Good.” He runs his hands over my hair then leans his forehead down against mine. After a few seconds, he pulls back, and his blue eyes lock with mine. Then they shift back to the hallway where the boys just turned the corner. “I don’t know what’s going on with Jake lately.” Marcus shakes his head. “He should be focused on the game tonight, but lately, he’s been off.”
    “Yeah?” I ask as if I haven’t really noticed anything.
    Marcus takes a deep breath. “I’m sure he’s fine,” he says with a quick smile.
    “Yeah, I’m sure.” I return his smile.
    His eyes reconnect with mine, and it’s as if he has wiped his concern away for my sake. “Okay. I guess I better go.”
    “See you on the court. Have a good game.” I step up on my tiptoes to kiss him. Marcus is almost as tall as Jake and a good eight inches taller than me.
    “You, too.” He leans down to return my chaste kiss.
    It’s always safe with Marcus, always gentle. It’s never rough or dangerous. Safe is good when you have nothing else in your life that is secure. At least, that’s what I always tell myself.
    “See you on the court.” He gives me his bright smile before he turns and walks in the same direction the other boys went.
    As he walks away, I can’t help admiring the almost tailored fit his jeans and T-shirt have, even though I know they are straight off the rack. He really is gorgeous. Tall and lean but all muscle, he has straight black hair that hangs just above his bright blue eyes. He truly is perfect. Just maybe not perfect for me.
    I’m shocked Jake hasn’t said anything to him about his parents. I’m sure that’s what is bothering him, why he has been off. He tells Marcus everything, so I don’t know why he has only trusted me with this information.
    Then there is the fact that Jake has always been protective, but he was ready to kill Joel. I have never seen that look in his eye. Maybe Marcus is right; maybe there is more going on with him. But what?

 
     
     
    Chapter Five
    Present – Hospital
     
    I see florescent lights above me. I’m moving fast but not sure how. I look over to see a paramedic running next to me, and there is another one in front of me, pushing the gurney. I guess that explains how I’m moving. I am comforted by their urgency and grateful they are here to help.
    “I know these kids,” I hear a concerned female voice that I recognize. “Oh, my God.” The panic is clear now, though I still can’t place the voice.
    “There are four of them. Two critical, two serious but stable,” a paramedic says so matter-of-factly it’s as if he is talking about what he ate for lunch.
    “Two critical” bounces around in my head.