Crossing the Barrier Read Online Free Page A

scope and severity of his actions.
    “I’m sorry you had to miss practice. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen,” he said, now looking at her.
    His eyes were utterly mesmerizing, the green so deep Lily thought she saw the sea in them.
    “Don’t worry about it. I’m fine.”
    Malakai smiled shyly. “I…I brought you this,” he said, walking into the room and offering her a bag.
    Lily opened it and retrieved a Smithsonian magazine.
    “If what Coach told me is right, you might need the distraction,” he explained, his shyness slowly slipping away.
    “Thank you,” Lily said with a sincere smile.
    An uncomfortable silence settled between them. It was the first time Malakai had ever had a conversation with her, and Lily was dying for him to stay.
    “I reckon I should–” Malakai began, scratching the back of his head again and looking around the room.
    “How was practice?” Lily asked, interrupting him.
    Malakai stopped scratching and looked up at her, the shadow of a smile on his lips.
    “Good,” he answered, taking the seat her uncle had just vacated. “Coach chewed my head off, but overall, it was a good practice…once I got my head back into it.”
    Lily smiled. She loved to hear him speak. His voice was low and pleasant, and he spoke softly. If she had to venture a guess, she would think his accent was British.
    “You like football a lot, don’t you?”
    It was a stupid question, Lily knew, but she was desperate for him to keep on talking. For a reason she could not explain, having him near her muted the feelings of the rest of the hospital.
    “Yeah,” he answered with a grin. “I was offered a full ride to the University of South Texas for next year. I accepted it last Friday.”
    His last comment was accompanied by a lot of conflicting emotions, which had Lily thoroughly confused. She was curious to know why he was at the same time proud, happy, disappointed, and sad about the offer.
    “Congratulations,” she said with a warm smile.
    “How is your solo coming?” he asked.
    “Good,” she answered, surprised he knew about it. “It’s a lot more complicated than last year, and I still have to perfect it, but I’ll be ready when we present our exhibition shows and competitions. It’s a shame you never get to hear us, really.”
    “Yeah. I liked seeing you march last year. Coach made us watch you after the homecoming game.”
    Now that he was talking, Lily discovered Malakai had a lot to say, not only about football but also about the Smithsonian , which he read avidly, and cooking. They were still talking so intently an hour later that Lily was startled by her uncle’s return. All she felt was Malakai’s excitement as he spoke, and she never realized her uncle was nearby.
    As Malakai took his leave, Lily felt his hesitancy. She didn’t want to see him go either. His presence was comforting, and once he left, she realized the likelihood of talking to him again was pretty slim. After all, she was a band girl and he was a football player and the two just didn’t mix.
    But maybe, just maybe…
    Her heart pinched as he walked out of her room, and Lily wondered if she would be lucky enough to ever spend time with him again.

 
     
    Chapter Six
     
     
    LILY
    It was close to nine o’clock when the hospital finally released Lily, and Charlie dropped her off at home.
    “I still think you should move in with me,” her uncle repeated as he pulled in front of her house. She opened her mouth to answer him, but he raised his hand to interrupt her. “At least, think about it, okay?”
    After a few seconds of hesitation, she nodded. “Thank you for the ride home, Charlie,” she said, opening the car door.
    “You’re quite welcome, kiddo.”
    Lily closed the passenger door and, waving her hand, watched her uncle drive away. As soon as he was out of sight, Lily lost her smile and sighed. She was tired, and her head was pounding again. All she wanted was to take a hot shower and remove the