"Do you have a death wish?" Alyssa yelled the question as she eased her yellow and black bike to a halt.

Quinn, standing in the middle of the soccer field moved away from the ball he was primed to kick and pivoted to the sound of the jovial voice. He raised his hand to his forehead, shielding his amber eyes from the blazing sun. "Huh." He called back taking wide strides towards her.

Alyssa pushed down the bike's kickstand with her strappy sandaled foot then met Quinn on the grass. "I said do you have a death wish?" She trailed her eyes over him—white shorts, red tank, drenched auburn hair in clumps over his head and sweat sliding down his sinewy muscled body. "The temp is three digits in the shade."

"Not until noon." He showed her his watch as a grin hijacked his perspiring face. "That's why I'm getting my drills out the way now."

Alyssa huffed rolling her eyes behind her aviator shades. "You're a lunatic." She raised her onyx hair off her neck as the devil's breath breathed down her back making her white t-shirt stick to her flesh. "No championship is worth a heat stroke."

"I'm not going to have a heat stroke Dr. Sasaki." He joked then pulled up his shirt to wipe the liquid from his face.

Alyssa's eyes briefly fell to his abdomen and for the first time, she realized he had a six-pack. She shook the thought away before he dropped his shirt and refocused on her.

"Plus, I have my water." He pointed to a jug sitting on a bench on the side of the field. "But if the heat is too much for you why are you biking around?"

Alyssa released her hair as she cursed herself for forgetting a hair tie or even a clamp, "Too sleepy to drive. So, I pulled out Louie." She gestured to the bike behind her.

"You're finished with your finals." He fanned his shirt trying to cool down his dermis.

Alyssa sighed feeling the academic stress falling from her shoulders, "Just finished my last one."

"You think you made the Dean's list this semester."

"Nah. I'm just happy if I get a 'C' after the semester I had."

Quinn scrunched his nose as he shifted his gaze passed her. "I'm sorry I wasn't at the trial and it wasn't about a conflict of interest or anything like that."

"I didn't think that and to be honest I'm glad you didn't come."

His chin jutted up, "Oh...really."

"Yeah." Alyssa slipped her hands into the back pockets of her muted gray shorts. "It would only inhibit my testimony..." She took a couple of steps, peering down at the leveled grass. "Embarrass me more."

"More." His deep voice raised with suspicion.

Alyssa turned back toward him to fold her arms, feeling the wetness under her armpits. She was happy her deodorant held its secrets. "The um...DA...told me you were the one that found me after...you know."

"I was." Quinn rubbed his hand over the back of his neck.

"And I was...naked."

His hand gripped his clammy neck tighter as his sight fell to the ground. "I didn't...I wasn't concerned with that."

"You weren't." The unbelief in her tone made him glue his eyes back to her as his hand fell to his side.

"No. You were unconscious and bleeding." Quinn told. "So, no I wasn't checking you out I was trying to get you to a doctor to get checked out."

"I believe you." She smirked at the sincerity hanging in his eyes.

"Good." Quinn kicked the soccer ball sending it careening towards her bike. "Cause, its your mind that thrills me and your rude little words."

"I'm not rude." She playfully pushed him as the walked back to her bike. "I'm honest in a world that values lies."

Quinn guffawed, "You should take a bullshitting class. I'm sure you'll pass with flying colors."

"Hey, if it'll raise my GPA I'm all for it." She chuckled to herself as she kicked up the kickstand.

Quinn grabbed his ball and held it to his side, "What are you doing later today?"

"Sleeping." Alyssa told as she sat on the hard bike seat, "But...this weekend Lee, Daniel, Trey and I are going hiking. You should join us."

He nodded with a smirk, "I might."

"You should."

"I will."

"Good," Alyssa stated backing up. "I'll see you then." She placed her feet on the pedals and begun her trek back home.

"Call me if you get tired of sleeping." He shouted watching her bike away.

"Yeah," She called back with the first genuine smile on her lips since August. "I'll call you, Quinn." She muttered the words to herself as she rolled down the sidewalk.

Do you think Alyssa is over her embarrassment of Quinn finding her?