BriarEdge Academy: November

by Kit Kyndall

  He made sure Candace didn’t volunteer for hard physical labor the next day. They spent the whole day in his room, other than a walk around the farm to help loosen her stiff muscles. Toward the end of evening, before she had to return to school, he gave in to her suggestion of bathing together.

  He groaned with her slippery body against his, his shaft positioned in the cradle of her thighs. It wouldn’t take much to alter positions and slip inside her, but he kept iron control of his urge to do so. Even when she started sliding up and down him, taunting him with the wet heat of her sheath, he maintained control.

  With a sigh, she reached between them and grasped hold of his head, squeezing gently as she rubbed herself up and down against him. Her breathing grew more erratic, as did his, and she gasped when she came a few moments later. Jonas let himself give in at that point, and when she squeezed once more around his head, he spilled his seed. He wished he were inside her, but he was determined to respect her and build a real relationship, not one based just on sex.

  Afterward, he watched her, and she watched him. The bath was over, starting to cool too much to be comfortable, so they got out, and he toweled her off. Then he wrapped the same towel around his hips and kissed her. “I wish this weekend could last forever.”

  She nodded. “So do I. I don’t want to go back to BriarEdge and how things are there. I’d be happy staying here with you.”

  Jonas put his arms around her, making her protest, since he was still damp. “You wouldn’t want to give up Dalton, Lex, or Kip just to stay here with me.” As he spoke the words, he was surprised to find they didn’t cause him any pain. They were an acknowledgment of the truth, and it wasn’t that concerning to him to share her. After the weekend they’d had, he was convinced she was falling for him just as much as he was falling for her, and it didn’t threaten him to know she cared about the others as well.

  She sighed, her only sign of acknowledgment, before pulling away. In a brash move, she snagged the towel off his waist and used it to dry her back and arms again before tossing it at him. Then she moved to the pile of clothes on the shelf and started dressing.

  Jonas quickly toweled off and slid on his own clothes. He wished she could stay one more night, but that would be too risky. She had to be back by midnight, or she would lose the ability to sign herself out for weekend passes. He couldn’t let that happen.

  While she finished dressing, he arranged for an Uber for her, knowing it was probably Gabe. Uber only had two or three drivers in their small area.

  When she was dressed, they returned to his room so she could pack up her things, and they walked down together. His parents were in the living room watching television when they paused in the doorway. Candace stood awkwardly, looking a little uncomfortable, so he put his arm around her waist for support. “It’s about time for Candace to leave.”

  “I wanted to say thank you for the weekend, and for feeding me that amazing food, Mrs. Underell. I’d say thank you for the workout on Saturday, but I’m not sure I can forgive you for that, Hank,” said Candace with a wink.

  Jonas was proud of her overcoming her hint of anxiety to leave with the warm parting.

  “Just a minute, Candace,” said Martha as she got to her feet. “I’ll pack you some of that peach cobbler to go. “

  Candace nodded. “I would love that. Thank you.”

  “Come into the kitchen with me.”

  Jonas stiffened slightly, suspecting his mother wanted to get Candace alone. Candace seemed to realize that as well as she nibbled on her lower lip for a moment before following his mother with a hint of trepidation.

  Jonas waited a few moments before following, standing outside the hallway to the kitchen where he couldn’t be seen, but he could hear.

  “…seem like a lovely girl, but I’m worried what your relationship with Jonas could cost him.”

  “I understand, Mrs. Underell. It worries me too.” Candace sounded regretful.

  Jonas’s heart squeezed at the words. He didn’t want her to worry or try to do something noble like break up with him.

  “There must be other prospects for you. A girl like you has every advantage. What could you see in Jonas?”

  Candace sounded vaguely irritated now. “I see his gentle soul, along with his zest for life, and his calm wisdom. Jonas is amazing, and I’m sure you know that as his mother.”

  “He is, but his simple traits that you like so well leave him ill-equipped for dealing with all the drama and scandal that can ensue if people find out about your relationship. Will you please promise not to see him again?”

  Jonas’s heart skipped a beat as he waited for Candace’s answer. The silence stretched for a moment, and he was half-convinced she was contemplating the idea. He couldn’t help an exhalation of relief when she said, “I can’t make that promise. I’m sorry, but I care too much about Jonas.”

  “If you cared, you’d steer clear,” said Martha brusquely.

  Having heard enough, Jonas stepped into the kitchen. “That’s enough, Ma. I know your concerns, but my relationship with Candace is between us. I hope you like and accept her, because neither us are giving up on this just because there might be some unpleasant consequences. Okay?” As he spoke, he put his arm around Candace’s shoulders and pulled her closer. It was a sign of solidarity, and also a reminder to his mother that he and Candace were a team.

  Looking upset, but no longer protesting, she passed Candace a container of peach cobbler moments later. “I suppose I’ll see you next time then, Candace.”

  Candace nodded. She didn’t say anything more as Jonas led her out to the front porch, deciding they would spend the last few minutes waiting for Gabe on the porch swing. He sat down with her, keeping his arm around her shoulders, and she laid her head against his chest. “Thank you for not agreeing to her request,” said Jonas.

  “I couldn’t. I don’t want to make her angry or worried about you, but I can’t promise not to see you again when I know I’d never be able to keep that promise.” She lifted her head while Jonas bent his so they could share a sweet kiss.

  An arc of headlights coming up the driveway ended their embrace, and they stood up together. He walked her to the car, recognizing it as Gabe’s, and opened the back door for her. “I’ll see you later in the week for lunch.”

  She lifted a hand and touched his cheek. “I wish it didn’t have to end.”

  “It’s only a temporary separation.” He was referring to the next few months of school, where they had to hide what they had together. He wondered if she interpreted it that way, or if she thought he meant just a couple of days until she joined him for lunch again.

  Now wasn’t the time to have a heartfelt talk about the future with Gabe listening, so he just took a step back and waved at her as the car flipped a U-turn and disappeared down the driveway. He watched until he could no longer see the lights before returning to the house. It felt far too empty without Candace.

  Chapter Ten

  Candace

  Other than a big snowstorm that brought a foot of snow, along with several other days of snow that made sure it never went away, life remained pretty much unchanged for the next couple of weeks. Candace was looking forward to Thanksgiving break, though she wasn’t eager to spend a week trapped in the Westerly home with Malone and Dalton.

  Her mother had told her Malone had requested to go to Paris for the holiday, but Ashton had refused to let her. That meant Malone would probably be an even bigger brat than usual, since she hadn’t gotten her way.

  So far, she’d been lucky enough to steer mostly clear of Malone. She hadn’t yet had any other opportunities to cause trouble, mainly because Candace was careful in every interaction with Malone. She didn’t want to give Hastings the excuse he needed to get rid of her, since she refused to give either one of them the satisfaction—and she had no intention of leaving BriarEdge when the men she cared about were there.

  If only Dalton would be as diligent about avoiding her as she was in
avoiding Malone, she’d have more peace of mind. He kept surprising her, sometimes following from a distance, and sometimes just appearing in the corridor. So far, he hadn’t managed to get her alone again, and that was a victory. She was afraid if he did, all her common sense and reasons for disliking him would disappear under the intensity of her attraction to him. Since Dalton had no hesitation in exploiting that attraction, she couldn’t risk being alone with him.

  Lex was the source of most frustration. He wouldn’t even look at her, and she hadn’t had a chance to speak to him. She was still trying, but not as much. Lex seemed firm in his decision to be done with her, and she couldn’t bring herself to give up, but she was trying to accept that he might never want to be with her again.

  He wouldn’t even talk to her for five minutes, so how could they repair the breach and rebuild their relationship? They couldn’t, so she had to decide if she was going to let go of the idea of Lex, or if she was going to cling stubbornly and keep trying to salvage what they’d lost.

  That Friday, she was leaving Kip’s office after a lively discussion about “Wuthering Heights,” which she had loathed. Surprisingly, Kip had agreed with her that both Catherine and Heathcliff were completely horrible people, along with pretty much the entire cast of the book, and they deserved to suffer. That wasn’t the romantic view she associated with him, but it was refreshing to have an agreement on literature.

  Of course, there’d been the unspoken subtext between them, and the occasional touches along with lingering glances. It made her want more of him, but she wasn’t going to risk his position just to have a few stolen moments of cuddling or kissing.

  As she exited the office, she walked directly into Suzanne. The woman seemed to have been lingering there, probably listening at the door the last few minutes. With irritation, Candace glared at her when the other woman wouldn’t step aside. “Excuse me.” Nothing. After another second, she said, “Please move.”

  “You’re going to get him in big trouble, little girl.”

  “No, I won’t. I’m aware people are listening at doorways, spying, and eavesdropping.” She said the words with emphasis, and Suzanne flinched at each one, so her barb had clearly hit home. “I know how pathetic some people can be, with their filthy imaginations, but Professor Stuart is my literature mentor. There’s nothing more to it.”

  Suzanne’s eyes narrowed. “I’m not stupid. I can see there’s something between you.”

  “I doubt that, or you would’ve reported me to Headmaster Hastings. Excuse me, Professor Barnes.” With a cool nod, she moved around Suzanne and rushed down the hallway. It wasn’t to escape Suzanne so much as it was to escape her own urge to claw out the other woman’s eyes.

  She didn’t like feeling so violent, but Suzanne was driving her insane. The woman was determined to thwart any forming relationship between her and Kip. She was confident Suzanne wouldn’t find a way to come between them, but she still worried the other woman’s machinations might cause problems for both her and Kip. In spite of that, she wasn’t willing to give up her couple of hours alone with Kip on Fridays even though it might reduce the risk. Kip had told her he felt the same way, so their meetings continued.

  She returned to her dorm, crunching through the deep snow with her snow boots, and already sick of it. This wasn’t like the snow they got in Springfield, or even in Portland when she’d gone there with her mom sometimes. There was no dirty snow mixed in with the clean, which was nice, but there were also no snowplows.

  Someone had the job of keeping the walkways clear, though she knew it wasn’t Jonas. He was pretty much reduced to just a couple of days a week caring for the roses, and she knew there really wasn’t that much work for him during winter, which was unofficially here. He kept the two days per week schedule just so he could come have lunch with her twice a week.

  Whomever kept the walkways clear did a good job, but they piled snow across the quad and on the grounds, so there was a never-ending blob of white. Since it was only November, she knew it would get worse. She was ready for spring. No, scratch that. She was ready for summer and graduation, so she could openly be with whomever she wanted.

  After stowing her books in her room, she went with Isis and Octavia to eat dinner. Beth joined her and Octavia as Isis separated to go to her own table of friends. They had a good time, and afterward, she asked if either wanted to go for a swim.

  Octavia shuddered. “It’s too cold outside.”

  “The pool’s inside and heated,” said Candace.

  “No, I’ll pass.”

  Beth nodded. “Me too. I have plans.” She seemed to be blushing faintly, so those plans likely involved a boy. Or maybe more than one, though Candace wasn’t about to ask. That would require her admitting to her own relationships, and it was too dangerous to be open about them.

  Everyone thought Lex had broken up with her, which he had, and nobody knew there was anyone else was in the picture. The gossip about her and Dalton had died when she managed to evade being seen with him too much, and she suspected Malone had put a stop to it as well, because she’d seen the furious anger on Malone’s face when she first heard the rumor. Her stepsister clearly didn’t like the thought of Dalton and Candace linked, even through gossip. That was almost a point in the “pro” column for pursuing a relationship with Dalton.

  After dinner, she headed to the swim complex, but as she started to enter the swimming area after leaving the locker room, she paused. Lex was there, which surprised her. He’d admitted to her a while back that he didn’t really care for chlorinated water, but there he was, tearing up the pool with gigantic laps that seemed full of anger.

  She hung back, watching him until he got out a few minutes later. He slung a towel over his hips and padded into the men’s locker room. She held her breath for a few moments, wondering what she should do. She could try to meet him outside the locker room, and maybe he’d finally talk to her. Or maybe she could catch him where it would be harder for him to walk away.

  Biting her lip, she slipped into the men’s locker room, hoping the place was as deserted as it seemed. She held her breath as she walked past the showers, thankful that he didn’t look her direction. He hadn’t been kidding when he said the guys only had one multi-spigot communal shower with no curtains, and she got a nice glimpse of his butt as she slipped past.

  She found his locker and removed his clothes, hastily stuffing them in another locker that didn’t have a lock on it. Then she sat down on the bench and waited for him.

  He came out a few moments later, wearing another towel around his hips. He was still slightly damp, and the water drops glistening on his body made her long to lick them away. She knew they were a long way from that point though.

  He stumbled to a stop when he saw her. “What are you doing in here? Are you out of your mind?”

  “It’s the only way I could talk to you.” Candace crossed her arms over her chest.

  His hands were on his hips, and his anger was evident. “Can’t you get the message that I don’t want to talk to you?”

  That hurt, and Candace gasped softly, but she persisted. “I can accept that if you have one last conversation with me. We need to settle things. I care about you, Lex. These last couple of weeks without you have been awful. Can you please try to find a way to forgive me?”

  He glared at her as he walked over to his locker. When he opened the door, he hissed in anger before looking back at her. “Where are my clothes?”

  “Somewhere safe, but I’m not giving them back to you for a few minutes. Will you actually talk to me? Please?” She patted the bench beside her, hating the feeling she was blackmailing him into conversation, but she accepted there was no other way he was going to be alone with her long enough to talk.

  With a heavy sigh, full of anger, he threw himself on the bench beside her, leaving several inches of space. “What do you want?”

  “I want to know if you still care about me. Did you really manage to just completely turn
it off?” She clenched her hands together as she asked, knowing so much hinged on his answer. Even if he gave her an obviously fake yes, she’d have to accept that. What she most dreaded was hearing a sincere affirmation.

  The silence lengthened for several seconds before he sighed. “Of course, I can’t just turn it off. I still care about you, and I’m so attracted to you, but Dalton? I just can’t—”

  “I understand. I’ve been trying to avoid him, because I know it’s the commonsense thing to do. I don’t know how it’ll turn out, but I promise I care about you, Lex. I don’t know how to explain how I can care about you as much as I do anyone else, but it’s true. When I’m with you, I’m thinking only of you. I know you don’t like Dalton, and he doesn’t like you, but can we make this about us and not Dalton?”

  His shoulders stiffened. “I’m not sure I can do that.”

  Tears came to her eyes, and she bent her head. He seemed resolute, and he’d given her the conversation she’d requested. She struggled to hold back tears as she nodded. “Okay. Your clothes are in locker one-fourteen.” She stood up, not looking at him as tears streamed down her face. She had to honor her promise, which meant leaving him alone. It was time to find a way to get over Lex, though the thought was as painful as if someone had physically crushed her heart.

  He moved over to the locker to retrieve his clothes, and she started walking to the exit of the locker room, intent on returning to the ladies’ locker room. She thought she heard the door to the men’s locker room open, so she started to increase her pace.

  She stopped when a hand touched her shoulder. She looked up, not trying to hide her tears, and saw Lex’s concern. “Yes?” There was a ray of hope in her voice she couldn’t mask.