"Go away, Justin. I'm just not in the mood to see you today," Amy declared, her gaze fixed ahead.
"Will you be more receptive tomorrow, then?" Justin quipped, a mischievous grin playing on his lips. Amy quickened her pace, ignoring his persistent remarks.
"What's bothering you?" Justin inquired, genuine concern evident as he noticed Amy's atypical lack of playfulness. "Are you glad to see me?"
Amy certainly wasn't thrilled, not after that kiss that had left her yearning for more. But, of course, she didn't voice that sentiment. Instead, she retorted, "Nothing. Would you please leave?" With a dismissive wave of her hand, she hastened her steps.
Justin, however, remained undeterred, trailing her in his car. Amy's patience was wearing thin.
"What do you want?" she snapped, turning towards him. "Stop following me." Justin stared at her, wide-eyed, unaccustomed to this side of Amy. This worried him deeply. Could she also be affected by that kiss?
"Where are you headed?" he asked earnestly, driving slowly to match her pace. "None of your business," Amy seethed, wanting to escape the confusion that was enveloping her.
But her preoccupation proved costly, and she didn't see the crack in the concrete. She stumbled and twisted her ankle, berating herself for her carelessness.
In a heartbeat, Justin flung open his car door, rushing to her side. "For God's sake, Avocado, watch where you're going!" Justin's tone was a mixture of fear and concern, a feeling he'd never experienced before. His heart seemed ready to leap out of his throat. "Are you hurt?"
"I don't know," Amy replied, still in shock and now in Justin's embrace. It felt strangely familiar, like Kyle's hugs back when they were together in Queenstown that night.
"Let me help you," Justin offered, preparing to lift Amy, but she pushed him away.
"What are you doing?" Amy asked, recovering from her shock. "Trying to lift you so I can examine your legs properly."
"I don't need your help," Amy insisted. "I can manage on my own."
"Fine, suit yourself," Justin conceded, folding his arms as he watched Amy, who appeared to be more injured than she realized. Suddenly, Amy nearly fell backward when attempting to stand.
"Amy!" Justin exclaimed, swiftly reaching out to prevent her from hitting the hard concrete once more. "Why don't you let me carry you?"
"No, don't carry me. I can walk!" Amy shouted in a panic.
"Come on, don't be difficult. I won't kiss you, so you don't have to worry about that," Justin muttered to himself in frustration. The mention of the kiss hung heavily in the air, and Amy couldn't think of anything else, with Justin so close.
Justin sensed Amy's apprehension and knew she must have been dwelling on that moment too.
"Wrap your arms around me," he suggested. "I'll get you into the car, and then I'll check that foot of yours."
Amy complied this time, allowing Justin to do his job. Once he had her in the backseat, he gently placed her injured left foot on his bent knee, lifting her trousers to assess any potential damage.
"Owww! That hurts," she winced, a solitary tear escaping her eye.
She couldn't cry in front of him; he was, after all, just a kid, albeit seven years her junior. But a single tear rolled down her cheek. The pain was excruciating. Then, she felt a gentle touch wipe away that tear, and she opened her eyes to find herself face to face with Justin. In that moment, the tension was palpable, her breath caught in her chest, and the weight of their unspoken feelings hung heavy in the air.
"Does it hurt?" Justin asked in a hushed tone, his gaze dropping to her ruby-red, pouty lips.
Unable to verbalize her pain, Amy simply nodded and turned her gaze away, taking slow, deliberate breaths.
"Do you want me to take you to the hospital?" Justin inquired, concern etched on his face.
Oh no, she couldn't go to the hospital. She had a meeting with Kyle today. She had to see him.
"No, no," Amy shook her head. "I should be fine now. Could you let go of my foot for a moment?"
"Wait, not yet. I'll check if your soles are all right first," Justin replied gently, proceeding to remove her heels.
"Jesus, Avocado!" Justin swore when he saw her soles covered in blisters. "What on earth happened to your feet? Why are they blistered?" He then lifted her other foot and removed the remaining heel. "For Christ's sake, and you're telling me you can walk? What caused this?"
"Those shoes. They were too high for me, and I didn't expect to walk so far," Amy explained.
"Where were you headed?" Justin pressed.
"Somewhere," Amy replied evasively.
"Where exactly is 'somewhere'?" Justin persisted, growing increasingly irritated with Amy's terse answers.
"A hotel," Amy admitted, avoiding eye contact.
"A hotel?" Justin sputtered. What could Amy possibly be doing at a hotel? And was it a regular hotel or something else? His curiosity was piqued, and his heart raced.
"Why?" he probed further.
"I'm meeting someone," Amy reluctantly divulged.
"Who is this someone?" Justin asked, looking as though he were accusing her of an affair. "Older or younger than me? A man or a woman?"
Amy stared at Justin, wide-eyed, bewildered by the barrage of questions. Why was he so interested in her plans? "He's older than you, if you must know."
"So it's a man," Justin deduced, giving Amy a pointed look. "And older than me too. Must be quite the old grandpa then," he pretended to chuckle. "What does he do? Where does he work?"
"That's my personal business," Amy snapped, frustrated by Justin's intrusive questioning. What had gotten into him today? Why was he acting so strangely and prying into her affairs?
"Fine. Then what business do you have at this hotel?" Justin couldn't resist asking.
"Also my business," Amy retorted.
"In that case, I'm not taking you," Justin declared firmly, refusing to budge. If she wouldn't tell him, he wouldn't take her. No negotiation. How did she plan to get to this hotel now? Walk? He doubted it.
"That suits me just fine," Amy grinned, a sudden idea forming in her mind. With a smile, she declared loudly, "I'll just call a taxi, then."