CHAPTER TWO
Nathan
I'm not sure what scared me more: the fact that the woman had almost been run over while crossing the street to Brandon's house or the fact that I had knocked her to the ground in the process of saving her life. While I knew I was successful in saving her life, the fact of the matter was that I was terrified that I had hurt her. I never intended to use such excessive force in saving her life, even if it was effective, and I was relieved that she was okay.
As I walked her back to the house, I noticed that several of my coworkers and friends were already taking statements and radioing into the authorities who had gone after the motorist who had nearly hit the woman. It was impressive to see that they weren't taking this situation lightly, especially considering the circumstances, but it felt uncomfortable to come into Brandon's house and witness everyone acting the way they did.
As soon as we entered, the woman sat down at the kitchen table, and a couple officers proceeded to check on her and collect her statement, while I stepped aside with Brandon to give him my statement. I couldn't take my gaze away from the woman as she sat there having them examine her head to make sure she didn't crack it open on the cement or anything when I knocked her down. Brandon began to chuckle when he noticed my frightened expression.
"You did good," he said, nodding towards the woman. "From what I can gather, she's not harmed or anything. She just fell into shock after you knocked her down." Embarrassment poured through me, and I shook my head in reaction, winced.
"I never intended to do that," I responded defiantly, almost as if I were in front of the court. "It was an accident. I didn't intend to knock her down." Brandon began shaking his head at me as soon as he realized why I was so afraid.
"Well, it's a good thing you knocked her to the ground," he said, resting his hand on my shoulder. "You may have both been hurt if you hadn't, and the motorist could have been charged with manslaughter or attempted murder. I know it feels like excessive force, but I'm confident she'll forgive you for knocking her to the ground in time. It is extremely rare for victims in such a situation to condemn the police for using excessive force when it saved their lives." Even though I knew he was saying it to comfort me, I had a sneaking suspicion that I was causing more problems than I realized.
He was correct in saying that victims rarely criticize officers for saving their lives, but it wasn't unheard of. As afraid as I was that she would try to press charges against me and cost me my job, I was even more afraid that she would be afraid of me when I finally pulled her to her feet. She was so beautiful and perfect in every way, and the fact that she was attending a Littles gathering made her even more perfect in my opinion. It meant that we had always had a chance to be together, and I felt as if I had blown it.
"Hey, Nathan," George remarked as he approached Brandon and me. "Georgia here says she wants to personally thank you for saving her life." When I heard her name, my heart skipped a beat, and I couldn't help but smile as I nodded like a fool.
Georgia, such a lovely name for such a lovely young lady. She was everything I could have hoped for, and the fact that she had been given such a lovely name made her even more special. Straightening out my uniform, I followed George over to the woman who was sipping from a water bottle and looking up at me.
Her long black hair was tied back in a ponytail, and she wore a hot pink t-shirt and coveralls, which was usual Littles gear. Her enormous blue eyes were wide with amazement and surprise as she looked up at me, and her heart-shaped mouth quivered as she gave me a little grin.
"I wanted to thank you," she added, looking up at me. "Properly this time, not half-heartedly as I did before, and please accept my apologies for being in shock earlier when I tried to thank you." In answer, I immediately shook my head.
"The pleasure is entirely mine, ma'am," I informed her as I extended my hand to her once more. She took it in her hands right away, still staring up at me.
"Is there any way I can express my gratitude?" She inquired, seeming genuinely curious, and I had to resist the impulse to respond immediately, knowing that if I said the wrong thing, I may scare her right away.
"There's no need for appreciation," I promised when I noticed the weird expressions on George and Brandon's faces as they observed me. The last thing I wanted was for people to think I got paid to save someone's life when, in reality, it was my job. She spoke to her head to the side as she looked up at me, as if she was thinking about it as she moved her gaze from Brandon to me and back again.
"At the very least, let me buy you dinner or something," she protested, seeming slightly irritated as she spoke. "I'd like to express my appreciation in some way." Despite how much I hated the fact that my arousal had increased in my slacks, I shook my head in answer.
"Once again, ma'am, there's no need for thanks," I told her. As soon as Brandon and George walked away, I risked a quick check around the room to make sure no one could hear us. "However, even though I realize we didn't meet in the best possible way, I'd like to know if you'd like to go out sometime."