by E. K. Blair
“Okay. Let’s get some dinner. There’s a place just up off the highway that does a pretty decent meal. We can go in my car.”
I nodded, following him, not quite able to comprehend that I was about to get in his car—alone.
Just him and me.
“Nice,” I murmured, running my finger along the bonnet of the red Mazda rx7.
He razed his eyebrows, amused.
“What?” I said teasingly, “I’m not allowed to like cars?”
“No, it’s not that at all.” He shook his head. “It’s just not many girls your age would even know what this is.”
“My age?” I scoffed. “You’re only a few years older than me.”
“Six,” he corrected, his eyes twinkling. “I’m twenty-three.”
“Actually, smartass, five,” I shot back.
“You’re eighteen?” he said, his jaw dropping.
“Yes.” I smirked. “Remember? I’m repeating this year. That makes me eighteen, and legal in many countries for various activities.”
We both fell silent as we climbed into the car. Did I really just say that?
God, I needed a gag; anything to stop me talking. I buckled up my seatbelt, loving the feel of the low seats.
“You sure you can handle this thing?” I joked, trying to lighten the mood. It worked.
He winked at me as he revved the engine before slamming it into gear. I laughed as we took off down the street, smoke ripping up under the wheels. “Sorry. I guess I should be acting a little more responsibly, huh?” he chuckled, his eyes bright with excitement.
“I don’t know, I’m liking this side of you. And besides, it’s the weekend. You have to let your hair down sometime.” I liked the idea of him letting his guard down around me. It told me that he didn’t see me as a student. The thought made my stomach somersault.
***
“So, tell me about you. You love fast cars and horror movies; what else is there to know about Mr. Reid?” I asked, licking the last of possibly the best chocolate mousse I’d ever experienced off my spoon.
“Well, for one, my name is Dalton,” he replied, narrowing his eyes at me.
“Okay, Dalton.” I giggled. Dalton. I loved that name.
“It’s just my mom and I. Dad died when I was fifteen. I’ve always wanted to be a teacher, though originally I wanted to go with elementary.”
“Why did you go with high school?” I asked curiously.
He shrugged. “Last minute decision,” he said with a smile.
I laughed. “Oh, I bet you’re regretting that now,” I teased.
“I have no idea what you mean.” He looked at me innocently, and then his face broke into a smile. “Okay, teaching teenage girls is pure hell.”
I giggled. “Come on, it can’t be that bad. A couple of hundred girls, all thinking you’re a god? That’s got to boost the ego.”
“A couple of hundred girls all under the age of eighteen,” he corrected dryly.
“I’m not,” I said lightly, surprised by what was coming out of my mouth.
“Yeah, well you’re the exception,” he said.
The exception. I liked being the exception. I met his gaze, his eyes burning into mine. My face began to heat. How could I not read into things when he was staring at me like that? I felt naked under his gaze.
Had I imagined the change in his behavior since he found out I was eighteen? Did that make a difference as to how off-limits I was?
“You know, given the right circumstances, we could have almost crossed paths in college,” I began, my tone light. “I mean, if I was in college this year, and you had continued with your studies, like a PhD or something.”
He nodded, those deep blue eyes boring into mine. “Do you have a point?” he asked, raising his eyebrows.
I shrugged. “I don’t know. Would you have batted an eyelid at going out with a freshman? Probably not. I guess I’m just saying under different circumstances . . . ” I let my voice trail off, hoping it sounded deliberate. In truth, words had deserted me.
Had I just propositioned my teacher? Yes, yes I had.
To my relief, he laughed. “You said you’re going to study law, right?”
I nodded.
“That’s good. You certainly give compelling arguments.” He waved down the waitress and smiled at me. “I think we should get you back home before you get me in trouble.”
***
He dropped me back at my car just before ten thirty. I was shocked at how late it was. We had been talking for hours. I felt so relaxed around him, yet at the same time nobody had ever had me feeling so damn wound up.
“So, you still want to see this movie tomorrow?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Are you asking me out?” I asked, my tone sweet.
“No. I’m merely trying to broaden the cinematic knowledge of one of my students.” His expression became serious. “Asking out one of my students would be incredibly unprofessional on my part, and unethical. I wouldn’t take advantage of you like that.”
“What if I wanted to be taken advantage of?” I moved toward him, very slowly, gauging his reaction. He held his breath as I edged closer, until our lips were almost touching. I paused, looking into his eyes, so desperately wanting to feel his lips against mine but not wanting to step over that boundary without him wanting it equally.
He tilted his head so his lips brushed over mine, the sensation making me dizzy. His hand wandered up to my face, his fingers gently running along my hairline. Then suddenly my lips were crushed up against his with a passion even I wasn’t expecting.
As quickly as it began, he was away from me, his eyes a mixture of lust, regret, and confusion. I was a hot mess. My heart was beating out of control, I felt hot and cold and lightheaded. Thank God I was sitting down, or I was sure I’d have ended up fainting.
“I’m sorry, Wrenn. I shouldn’t have done that,” he said quietly.
“You didn’t do anything I didn’t want,” I replied.
He sat, his hands clenched tightly on the steering wheel, not speaking.
“Will I see you tomorrow?” I asked.
He glanced at me, confused.
“The movie,” I reminded him.
He exhaled loudly. “Do you think that’s a good idea?” he asked, raising his eyebrows.
“Maybe not, but I think we need to talk about this . . . ” My voice trailed off as he nodded.
“I’ll call you.” His voice had softened, as had his expression. His eyes were no longer hard.
I nodded and got out of the car, closing the door. He drove off, and I stood there on the curb, staring until I could no longer see his taillights. Once he was gone, I stepped into my car.
I sat there, trying to digest what had just happened. Kissing him had evoked everything in me. It felt like a hurricane of feelings and emotions had ripped through my body, leaving me a muddled mess inside.
I reached into my purse and pulled out my phone. It had been on silent since I’d arrived at the theater. There were six missed calls from Kassia, and countless texts, all conveying the same message; call me.
I dialed her number. She answered on the first ring.
“Where the hell have you been?” she shrieked loudly.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, alarmed at her tone.
“What’s wrong? Fuck, Wrenn. If you’re going to tell your aunt you’re going out with me, at least clue me in on it.” She sounded frustrated and annoyed.
Shit.
I hadn’t even considered the fact that Layna was friends with Kass’s parents.
“Shit, it didn’t even occur to me,” I groaned, slapping my forehead.
“It’s okay. This time. I covered for you. I’m sitting in a diner just out of town, freezing my ass off for you. You so owe me,” she grumbled. “Get your ass over here now.”
***
I slid into the booth opposite Kass, handing her my spare jacket. She took it gratefully and slipped it on.
“You so owe
me a dessert,” she grumbled, still pissed.
I smiled. “Sure. Get whatever you want.” I sat back, running over the night in my head. That kiss . . . I shivered as chills danced down my spine.
“Oh, I plan on it.” She reached for the menu to survey her options. “So, spill.”
“Huh?”
“Where were you, and who didn’t you want your aunt to know you were with? And don’t even try to lie to me,” she warned, her brown eyes narrowing.
I glanced around the empty diner, fighting myself on how much to tell her. I could trust Kass, and I needed to tell someone. I was desperate for someone else’s opinion, and there was nobody who would give it to me straighter than Kass.
“Promise this doesn’t go further than you and me,” I said, leaning across the booth.
She did the same. “I promise,” she said, her eyes wide.
“Okay. I was with Dalton.”
She looked confused, so I added “Reid.”
Her eyes grew even wider. “As in . . . ”
“Mr. Reid,” I agreed.
“Tell me everything! Leave nothing out!” she hissed as I giggled, relieved by her reaction.
“It’s hard to explain. We’ve had this kind of flirting thing going on for weeks now. I called him and asked him to a movie, and he said yes.”
Kass’s mouth dropped open.
“Kass, I feel so . . . I don’t even know how to explain it. And when we kissed—”
“You kissed him?” she squealed.
I blushed and shot her a look. She immediately clamped her mouth shut.
“It just kind of happened. Now I have no idea where I stand.”
“Forget dessert. Stay at my house tonight. We need to hash this out.” She grabbed my arm and steered me over to the counter. “But first, you need to pay for the five coffees I had while waiting for you.”
***
Kass’s bedroom was bigger than our living room at home. It was fucking huge. She had her own bathroom and balcony. Her king-sized bed barely took up any of the room. A large TV hung on the ivory-colored wall above a fireplace.
“Okay, so tell me everything,” she said, wriggling out of her jeans and into a pair of gray sweatpants.
I lay down on her bed and told her everything—from the movies, to him coming over, to how I felt when I was around him. It was like a weight had been lifted off me. I’d needed to get all this out, and if not Kass, then who was I going to tell? My aunt? I snorted at the thought. I could talk to Layna about many things, but a crush on my teacher was not one of them, especially when I had just kissed said teacher.
Kass collapsed dramatically on the bed beside me.
“Wow,” she muttered, sighing loudly. “Can you promise me one thing?”
I turned to her expectantly.
“If, for whatever reason, this has to get out, can I be there when you tell Paige? Or better yet, can I tell her?” She grinned.
I burst out laughing. God, the look on Paige’s face would almost be worth it.
“I told him about the betting pool,” I said with a giggle.
“Ha! That’s awesome. What did he say?”
“That it explained a lot,” I said. “I think he was a bit bewildered with all the attention of the girls.”
“Well, he’s a delish young teacher. What did he expect?” She smirked. She shook her head. “Holy shit, Wrenn. This is so . . . rebellious of you. I never would’ve imagined you getting with a teacher.”
“I haven’t gotten with anybody. Not since Toby, anyway. And it’s not like that. I really like the guy,” I said quietly. The question was, did he like me?
“Toby?” asked Kass. “Was he your boyfriend back home?”
I nodded. I’d been convinced that I was in love with Toby, and looking back, I think I was. That made it so much worse when he broke up with me. When things get difficult, you don’t expect someone you love to abandon you. But that’s what happened. Abandoned by my family, and then by Toby.
“You never talk about your family,” Kass said slowly. She eyed me as if she were not sure how I’d react.
And there it was. The questions began. It was inevitable that it would come up sometime, but the thought of telling her still made me feel sick. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust her, or I worried what she would think; it was more the way I felt when people knew that about me.
“My parents and brother were killed in an accident,” I said.
Her eyes widened and she moved closer to me, her arm wrapping around my shoulders.
“My brother and mom were killed instantly, my dad died a few hours later.”
“Oh God, Wrenn.” She hugged me. I felt relieved that she knew. “I can’t even imagine how hard that would’ve been.”
“It was. My life before was completely different from how it is now. Toby, my boyfriend, pretty much stopped seeing me because he didn’t know how to act around the girl who’d lost her family.” I laughed, thinking about how awkward everyone else had acted. “I mean, I’m the one whose family died, yet they can’t handle it?” I shook my head.
“And then you came here.”
“Yes. Layna thought I needed to be around her. At seventeen, I could’ve stayed at home, but there were way too many memories...” I swallowed as tears stung my eyes. I missed them all so much.
After our deep and meaningful conversation, Kass and I watched movies and chatted about anything and everything. She was in the middle of telling me about the plans she and Trina had for the holidays when my phone beeped. She stopped midsentence and stared at me.
“Is it him?” she pressed.
I fished my phone out of my purse, my hands shaking. It’s probably just Layna. Why the hell would he text me?
I stared at his name on my screen for a good ten seconds before opening the message.
Can I call you?
I texted back.
I’ll call you. Give me five minutes.
“He wants to speak to me,” I whispered, feeling sick.
Kass jumped off the bed and ran over to the balcony. “Go out here. I’ll go downstairs and get us something to eat. Come down when you’re finished.”
I waited until she had left the room before tiptoeing out onto the balcony. The concrete was freezing against my bare feet, but I barely noticed. All I could think about was what he wanted to say to me.
I pulled up his number and pressed Call. Holding the phone against my ear, I clutched at my stomach, waiting for him to answer.
“Wrenn.” God, he sounded amazing.
“Hey,” I said, sitting down on one of the wicker lounge chairs outside the door.
“You’re right. We do need to talk, so if you’re still up for the movie, we’ll go. I think the sooner we clear this up, the better.”
My stomach flopped. The sooner we clear this up? That didn’t sound promising. That sounded like a mess he wanted sorted out before anyone else saw it.
“Okay. I will see you there at seven? We can talk after the movie.”
“See you then,” he said, his voice soft.
***
I trudged downstairs.
Kass frowned when she saw me approaching the kitchen. “That was fast,” she observed, handing me a bowl of ice cream.
I sat down at the table and nodded. “He wants to talk to me tomorrow so we can clear this up.”
“Oh.”
“Exactly,” I agreed. I pushed the bowl away and dropped my head onto the table. “Kass, I’m an idiot.”
“It’s okay. Listen to what he has to say before you get yourself worked up.”
“No, it’s not okay. I’ve made a complete idiot out of myself.”
“Did he kiss you back?”
“Huh?” I asked, not seeing her point.
“When you kissed him, did he kiss you back? Even for the slightest moment?”
I thought back. I’d instigated the kiss, but he had definitely reciprocated it. That was not all one-sided. There had been something between us.
“What is the point? What do you want from him, Wrenn?” she asked, pointing her spoon at me.
I couldn’t answer that. Did I want him to risk his career, sneaking around with me? No. But I couldn’t ignore my feelings either.
Chapter Twelve
Dalton
I stared at the phone after she’d hung up, telling myself over and over that this was the right thing to do. The kiss had been amazing—she was amazing—but it couldn’t happen. If only for the fact that I was her fucking teacher, this was wrong.
It didn’t feel that way, though. When we were together it felt equal. She was as bright and mature as me. That wasn’t saying much, but she wasn’t your average eighteen-year-old.
Eighteen. I was only twenty-three. She was only five years younger than me, a socially acceptable age difference. The surge of anticipation that had rushed through me when I’d found out she was eighteen had shocked me. I liked Wrenn a lot, but it was only when we kissed that I realized my feelings for her extended beyond attraction. Her comment about how, had things formed differently, we could’ve both been in college at the same time had gotten under my skin.
She was right: I wouldn’t have blinked an eye about asking out a pretty freshman.
God, those lips—so soft and smooth. And the way she’d touched my face had made me numb. My body tingled just thinking about her.
Stop! This wasn’t going to happen. Tomorrow, you are going to tell her that, and then you will distance yourself from her.
Except something told me Wrenn wasn’t going to be so easily swayed. And I knew it wouldn’t take much pushing for me to snap. I have to stop thinking about this or I’m going to go insane.
Opening the fridge, I grabbed a soda and sat down at my computer. I logged into Skype to see if Cam was around. He wasn’t, so I sent him an email.
Dude,
How’s it going? Let me know when you’re around and we’ll Skype.
Say hi to Amy.
Dalton
I’d just clicked send when a notification buzzed through from Cam saying he was online. I clicked Call. His face popped up, and I laughed. His usual shaggy blond mop of hair was styled into place, and he wore a suit instead of his usual T-shirt and jacket.
“Nice look,” I snorted.