Smile

"Why did you drop the hats?" Gabriella asked abruptly.

Kelsi started. All three girls were looking at her intently, waiting for her answer.

"I just did," she said, frowning, "does there have to be a reason?"

"Yes," the others chorused.

Kelsi sighed. There was no way to explain why she'd stopped. It had started as a way to tease Ryan but the more she'd thought about hats and Ryan the more she realized …

She stood so quickly she almost overturned the table. "I'm gonna go."

"Wait!"

"Kelsi!"

"No!"

Kelsi ignored them and marched away, leaving the food court so swiftly that several mall patrons stared after her. She didn't care. She didn't want to think about the hats or about Ryan and she definitely didn't want to think about the hats and Ryan. It was too hard.

She was so intent on her thoughts that she didn't notice where she was going. "Whoa!" someone yelled and Kelsi felt herself falling. A hand caught her inches from the ground and she looked up into a pair of bright blue eyes.

"Thanks," she squeaked.

He smiled and lifted her up. "You okay?" he asked, running a hand through his dark hair.

"Yeah," she laughed, unconsciously reaching up to check her hat, only to remember that she wasn't wearing one. This only made her laugh more.

"What's so funny?" he asked. He had one of those thousand watt smiles and when it reached his eyes they sparkled.

"Nothing," she said. "Thanks again. That was a really good catch."

"Hey, no problem." He shifted restlessly and over his shoulder she could see a group of boys watching them.

"Well, I'll let you get back to your friends. I think I have to crawl in a hole and die or something."

"Wait."

She could feel a blush climbing to her cheeks and took her time turning back around.

"You know, that could have been a really bad fall."

Kelsi nodded slowly.

"I mean, you could have gotten hurt pretty bad. I could have saved your life."

"Is that so?"

"Oh yeah, and you know what they say when a man saves your life."

"So, I owe you my life now, is that it?"

"Well, I'd settle for a date."

His blue eyes flashed with mirth and she couldn't help but say yes; after all, it wasn't like she had any other offers.

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