Summer jerked up, looking at him with wide eyes. “No, I don’t /hate/ you! Why would you even — ” Her mouth began to tremble, and she closed it sharply, and swallowed hard. “You’re still the same you. I know you are.” She squeezed his hand, and glanced toward her ankle. “I, um, I should get my ankle checked before I try to go running through the woods again.”
“I’m a monster…you were so scared that you screamed and fell…you got hurt because of me…” he whispered hoarsely and lowered his head, too afraid to look her in the eye for fear of what he might see there. “I…I’ve been wanting to tell you, but I just…I thought you wouldn’t believe me and I need you to…I can’t lose you, Summer. Not you…it would break me…” He trailed off then and bit down hard on his trembling bottom lip, before twisting to gaze at her foot. “Do…do you want me to drive you to the hospital?”
“Wh— no, no. It’s the other ankle. I’ll just wrap it up.” Very gently, she disentangled her hand from his, and turned the car on. “You aren’t a monster. I would know. It wasn’t you.” She looked down at the gearshift for a long moment, and her voice wobbled a little. “Will you stay with me?”