Playing for Keeps

My heart was hammering inside my chest as I tried my best to get the man into my house. His weight was slowly getting to me and I knew that I wouldn’t be able to hold him much longer. I tucked tighter on his arm and used my other one to wrap around his chest carefully, so that I wouldn’t touch his wounds.

He was barely conscious as I pushed my door open with my foot. “Just hold on.” I murmured quickly as I scanned my kitchen—putting him on a chair would not be right. “Just a little farther!” I encouraged.

“I will be fine.” He breathed out, his breath tickling my face. I looked up into his dark, hazy eyes and saw his face covered in sweat. I shook my head as we pushed forward into my living room, where I placed him on my couch. I heard him grunt at pain and I winced.

“Sorry!” I murmured as I looked down at him. He was covered in blood, his black shirt ripped near his abdomen. I shook my head and ran towards the kitchen, where I grabbed a clean wash cloth, a bowl of hot water. I ran it back into the living room before I ran to my bathroom to get the first aid kit. When I got back to him, he was trying to sit up and I ran to him, pressing my palms against his chest. “No, you’re wounded.” I murmured.

“I’ll be fine.” He said, his small lips forming into a grimace as I pushed him back onto the couch. His brown eyes found mine and there was a hidden feeling in them.

“Fine?” I muttered as I brought the clothed to his face and washed off the dirt and sweat before anything. “Last time I checked, it looks like a bear mauled you.” I washed off the cloth and left it there before bringing my hands to the bottom of his shirt. The black material was ripped and though it was dark already I could see the places where the blood seeped in.

I was going to pull up his shirt to reveal his wounds, but his warm hands were on mine, covering them before I went any farther. I only lifted the shirt far enough so that it showed off the ‘v’ of the beginning of his pelvis. My fingers touched his skin and if he had shivered from it, he covered it well.

“I will be fine.”

“You keep saying that, but the blood on you says otherwise, sir.” I murmured, my eyes pleading with him. “Just let me help you.”

He groaned and removed my hands from his shirt. “Trust me,” He said hoarsely. “I am okay.”

“I heard you,” I said. “You were crying in pain.” Well, honestly, it was more of a howl that I heard but it could have been anything.

“And I am okay.” He said, his eyes searching my face. I searched his for any clue to see if he were lying.

“No.” I said, deciding to go with my gut. “I will slow down the bleeding, and then I will drive you to the hospital.”

He sat back onto the couch with a groan, his bloody hands going to his face. I looked down at my own pale fingers to see that they were covered in his blood. Taking in a big gupl of air, I let it out and pulled his shirt up to reveal his abdomen. My heart stopped at the sight of his stomach and in a hurry I pulled the shirt up more. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

My eyes went to his and he was frowning. “I told you.” He muttered.

“Y-your wounds…” I said, my eyes going back to his stomach, where there should be marks—bruises even, but there was nothing there. “Where did they go?” I sat back on my feet and looked at him. “Is this some kind of sick joke?” He sat up slowly, his short falling down to hide the fact that his wound were now gone. The only thing that was able to be seen was his ripped shirt.

“I told you,” He said as he moved his legs off my couch so that they sat on the floor. His brown orbs found my hazel ones and I felt an odd feeling start to take over my system. I pushed it aside and pulled my legs from under me.

“But…I saw you...and there was a wolf…”

“It was nothing.”

“It was not nothing!” I shouted as I stood up from the floor and started to pace my living room. “That thing bit you!” Just then, I heard howls come from outside my house. I looked out my window to see the moon—the big, round and white moon. The light shone through my window and I saw from the corner of my eye as the man stood up off my couch and walked over to me. I looked up at him, his black hair falling to into his face. I wanted to reach up and to remove the hair from his face, just so that I could see the beautiful outlines of it but instead I reached for his shirt and pulled it away from his body. The blood started to dry already, but the shirt was still wet from his sweat and blood. “Why is this there, then?”

I looked up into his eyes again and saw the little hint of an unknown emotion as my fingers just grazed his skin. I felt a jolt of electricity and pulled my hands from him. “Don’t worry about it, just forget about this okay? It’s what’s best for you.”

“Best for me?” I asked incredulous. “You don’t even know me, so what do you know about what is best for me?”

He smirked then and I saw him bring his hand up—they were still a little bloody and dirty, but I didn’t pull away as his fingers touched my skin as he removed the hair that had fallen from my braid out of my face. “You have beautiful skin.” He murmured then. I looked up him, a little confused.

“Thank you?” I said, he chuckled and his breath hit my face. I looked up into his eyes and I felt my cheeks get warm as I saw him looking at me. I felt warm under his gaze but I couldn’t break it. I suddenly felt underdressed in my sports top and shorts and a little gross as I realized I had been sweating from my run and carrying him here to my house.

Before I knew what was happening, his lips touched mine and I watched behind closed eyelids as a thousand fireworks went off. I felt a tug at my heart and I nearly melted in his arms as the wrapped around me and pulled me against him, our chests nearly touching each other.

When he pulled away he was grinning as if he had a secret, one that I would never find out. “Bye, Bay.” He murmured before placing a kiss on my temple, leaving me in my living room stunned.

I hadn’t even told him my name.