by Dyble, S R
“Is that why Maddison isn’t here today, you both think that was my girlfriend?” Kit began laughing and it lit a burning anger within me.
“I’m glad you think it’s fucking funny, you’re lucky you left with her otherwise your secret would have been out and you’d have been shown as the evil cunt you are,” I hissed and got up to walk away, only for Kit to grab hold of my hand.
“Wait,” he smiled cockily and I lifted my other hand to push him away but he caught that one as well and now he had both my hands.
“Let go of me, you cunt!”
“Jesus, you get so riled up, like a little hellcat.”
“Don’t push me, Kit, let go of me now.”
“Or what?” Kit pulled me towards him and held me tightly against his body and I struggled.
“Let me go!”
“People are starting to stare, Eve,” he said close to my ear and I hated that it caused a ripple over my body.
“Why won’t you just let me go?”
Fighting against him was futile, he was so frikkin’ strong.
“Because you haven’t heard me out yet, she’s not my girlfriend…”
“Yeah, right!” I struggled some more but instead of being let loose, my body just turned in his grasp so my back ended up against his front and he held me there against him with his arms around me.
“What makes you think you have the right to manhandle me like this, you prick!”
“I’m trying to calm you down…” he said against my hair.
“By doing everything I’m telling you not to do!”
Kit chuckled. “Your accent becomes even stronger when you’re angry.”
He let me go then and I almost fell by pushing away from him but he caught me and stood me up straight before standing back and assessing me with a smirk on his face.
“She isn’t my girlfriend. She’s a friend.”
“I’m guessing you have a lot of friends...”
“Not that my sex life has anything to do with you, but yes.” He said dryly.
“You can’t just treat women like that.”
“You’re scolding me now? First, you stick your nose into my business and then you give me shit about it?” He actually smiled, which riled me up more.
“Just don’t use her again, okay?” I told him.
“Yes, princess.”
“What’s with the nicknames?”
“I told you, you’re cute.”
He laughed at me as I continued glaring at him.
I took the opportunity to sit on a section of grass that had just cleared and naturally Kit followed me.
“Did you get some good shots?”
“Yes,” I said and reluctantly handed him my camera because he gestured for me to give it to him.
“We won’t get to use any of them though, we didn’t get any of the permission slips signed from the parents of the kids…”
“I’ll get them signed.”
I heard the camera beep, kneeling down beside me, he pressed the next button.
I studied him whilst taking a drink from my bottle.
“These are really good.”
“Yeah, because you’re in them, right?” I rolled my eyes and remembered the photos I’d taken of just Kit.
He’s wasn’t supposed to see them!
I moved forward to grab it from him but he pulled it away, questioning me with his eyes.
I looked directly at him and told him to give it to me.
“Why? I’m not done yet.”
He started flicking through them again, holding me back with his other arm and I felt my body tightening with embarrassment.
That was it, I could see him looking at them now and he looked back at me. I reached for the camera again and demanded him to give it back but he frowned and held it up again. This time I pulled myself onto my knees and reached further.
“Give me the fucking camera!” I snarled.
Shit! I somehow lost my balance and I felt myself falling into him but he caught my arm just before our heads were going to hit. Sitting me upright, he asked if I was okay and I couldn’t help but look into his piercing eyes now that they were so close to mine. For a moment it was like there was only the two of us for miles and I glanced down at Kit’s lips. Just as realisation hit and I moved back, Kit’s hand rose up and captured my face. His eyes stared into mine as he moved slowly and kissed my bottom lip and my eyes closed on their own accord as a wash of butterflies went through my body.
It was so gentle, Kit moved his hand around my back and I felt tiny and weightless beneath his touch. I didn’t ever remember being kissed like this in my life, he kissed me in a way that easily had me yearning for more. I was ready to straddle his lap when thought of him touching Maddison flicked through my head and I pulled away and held my fingers to my lips. They felt puffy like silk after the contact.
That shouldn’t have happened.
I hated Kit, how did that happen?
I quickly got up and grabbed my bag, staring at him.
“I’ve gotta go,” I said before pushing myself to my feet and rushing away.
“Eve!” he called after me, I knew he was coming after me but I quickly dashed across the road before the lights could change. He couldn’t cross once they had changed and I didn’t look back at him.
I couldn’t even count the number of curse words running through my head, how could I have been so stupid?
I was late to class and apologising to Chris, I took a seat before an even later Kit did the same but first, he walked over to me. I was praying he wouldn’t say something in front of everyone but he only gently placed my camera on my desk then took a seat beside Nick. I felt his eyes on me the whole time and found it hard to concentrate whilst trying to come to terms with what the hell I’d done.
“Eve, wanna give me a hand?” Chris invaded my thoughts and I had to think about what he was asking. I stood up and walked over to the huge screen he’d pulled down.
“Let’s see if we can identify the effects and edits made on these shots. Eve, can you just circle them with the mouse when we’ve pointed them out?”
I nodded and headed over to the Mac he had set up, there was no chair so I had to bend over to use the mouse.
Chris waited a moment then started talking about each photo, the changes were identified quickly at first and I circled them.
“Can you click onto the next one, Eve?” Chris asked.
This time the class took longer and my back was starting to hurt, the silence grew and I wondered if I should stand up properly.
“Are you gonna stare at her ass the whole time, Chris, or help us identify the changes?” I heard Kit bite and my face lit with heat as I stared at the screen.
Chris chuckled after the sounds of shocked students settled for him to speak.
“Eve, you wanna take a seat for me?”
I didn’t know if I should turn around or run for the door, I was so embarrassed.
“Seems Kit is a little protective over you, sweetheart. I wasn’t staring at her arse, mate,” he replied and I reluctantly turned around to the whole class who was ready to burst out in laughter. I glared at Kit, daring him to speak again with my eyes.
“Really? From where I’m sitting there was no missing it. Plus, do you call all your students sweetheart or just the gorgeous ones?”
That was it. I rushed over to my desk and grabbed my bag and camera. Just as the class started erupting in chatter again, I left.
For a year, I’d been the girl no one had bothered, the girl nothing really exciting happened to. Kit had been here five minutes and had undone it all. He had exploited me like a laughable concept, I was furious as I left college and headed for the bus station.
“Eve, wait!” Somehow Kit was following me and I wanted to scream, I started running in a bid to get away from him. I felt like an idiot but I really didn’t want to talk to him.
“Eve!” he shouted after me again as I ran around a building in an attempt to get away from the busy shopping cr
owds and be quicker.
He called after me yet again but this time he was much closer and I screamed and clawed at his hands as they wrapped around me and picked me up.
“Damn it, Eve, stop running like a little girl!” He pressed me against the wall and encased me there. Both arms were stretched and pressed against the wall – keeping me there. I pushed against him but it was no use, he was rock solid.
“Let me out!” I shouted.
“What the hell is wrong with you? Calm down!” he growled.
“What the hell do you think? You humiliated me.”
“What? For telling our tutor to stop checking you out? Or because I said you’re beautiful in front of the class?”
“Stop it, it’s not funny.”
“What’s not funny? I’m not laughing...”
“Let me go,” I pushed against his arm again with little effect on my part. Somehow as I struggled to get away, he pulled me back towards his body and held me there.
“You are beautiful. You have no idea how, after only a few days, you drive me crazy.”
“I drive you crazy? You’re the most annoying-”
“Jesus, Eve, you have no clue, do you? Just let me take you out, please? Maybe then you’ll get it.”
He let go of me and I faced him again.
I frowned. Take me out? I remembered the humiliation I had just felt in class and I never wanted to feel like that again.
“Look, I’m not a mug. I know what you did to Maddison and to, no doubt, a load of other girls you have following after you. I think it’s best if I avoid you and you avoid me. We clearly can’t get along.”
“You don’t even wanna be my friend?” he asked.
“You wanna be my friend?”
That was it?
A wave of embarrassment hit me when I realised that was maybe all he wanted…
He just looked at me as if it was obvious.
I’d been such an idiot, of course, he only wanted to be friends. I only had to remember he slept with Maddison to know I was only friend material. The thought riled me up and I folded my arms across my middle before walking away.
“Whatever, Kit, I’m going home.”
I was relieved that he didn’t follow me but when I glanced back, he was still standing there watching me walk away.
* * *
I was praying to just forget the whole ordeal but the next day Chris pulled me and Kit into his room, alone.
“What the hell is going on with you two?”
Neither of us answered for a while. I glanced over at Kit, he wasn’t even looking at Chris. He was sitting on a table eyeing the décor as if it was the most interesting wall art he’d ever seen. I didn’t have to know him well to know he was fuming. I wondered if Chris knew it too. Then I wondered if he knew and was doing this on purpose.
“Nothing. We just don’t like each other very much,” I told him.
“So, you’re not together or anything?”
“Didn’t she just tell you what the deal is? What has that got to do with anything?” Kit asked, he was now looking at Chris as if he wanted to punch him.
“Seriously, mate. I’m not your enemy.” Chris answered.
“Really?” Kit replied, then looked at me and back at Chris as if suggesting something. What, I had no idea...
“You really wanna make sure no slip-ups happen again, Kit. You were already lucky to be accepted after the shit you pulled last year.”
Last year? Kit had been here before?
“Nothing else is gonna happen.”
What the hell did that mean?
I stared at Kit who left quickly as soon as Chris was done with us.
At dinner time I met up with my auntie. It was a rare thing…
She wanted to talk wedding plans with me.
Auntie Sharon was my dad’s sister, I didn’t see much of her and I couldn’t help but wonder if it was because I reminded her of my dad. She brought along my invitation to her wedding that was that weekend. I didn’t know why... I was going to be one of her bridesmaids, that was enough of an invitation.
“How’s college?”
“It’s okay. I’m passing everything, so that’s good.”
We were on the grass eating our dinner. My auntie Sharon was everything an auntie usually wasn’t.
She was very young, for a start. Every time I saw her, I felt as if we were friends just hanging out. She was a very calming person to be around and I wished I saw her more.
As we sat talking, I noticed Kit walking by, he was with Nick and a few other people from our class. I was surprised to see Maddison was one of them although we had somehow become texting partners as well as project partners and she now knew Kit didn’t have a girlfriend. She was probably on a mission to get herself that title…
I didn’t understand some girls, a player was a player... There was no changing them.
Kit stared as he passed, and I stared back. He had been so serious since the talk with Chris, he was like a statue around me - always there and watching but not talking and I assumed he didn’t wanna be my friend after all.
“Eve?” my auntie called as if it wasn’t the first time.
“Yeah?”
Her eyes had followed mine and she looked back at me with a grin.
“Who’s that?”
“Just someone from college.”
“He looks far too old to be in college, he looks like a man.”
“You never say anything about me being in college, do I look like a child then?” I snorted.
“No,” she laughed. “You should invite him to the wedding, you need a date.”
My eyes widened before I shook my head hard.
“No, that wouldn’t be a good idea.”
“You’re not friends?”
I shook my head which caused her to frown as if she felt sad.
“What?”
At first, she shook it off but I persisted, I wanted to know what was bothering her.
“It just bothers me how little contact you seem to have with people. You only seem to have one friend from what I gather.”
Lilly was my only friend, and that was only because she was my best friend before my family had died.
Unfortunately, Lilly couldn’t make my auntie’s wedding, with her being on holiday.
I desperately wanted her at the wedding too because she eased my social awkwardness.
I didn’t answer my auntie, instead, I looked down into my lap.
“He seems to like you, he hasn’t taken his eyes off you.”
I couldn’t help but turn around and stare at Kit even though I probably should have taken more care. He was indeed looking, at least until he went inside with everyone else.
“What’s his project?” my auntie asked.
“Huh?” I missed what she’d said after staring at Kit.
“You said you were given fitness to photograph, what’s his project?”
“Oh.” I felt embarrassed from the way my auntie was looking at me, she’d seen my staring at Kit and grinned at me again.
“Weddings, him and his brother got weddings…” I said before taking a drink.
Her eyebrows lifted like a lightbulb had gone off in her head.
“No!” I said before she could suggest it.
“Do they already have something else arranged?”
“Not that I know of, but I’m not asking them to-”
“I think it would be a great idea.”
“You would,” I laughed.
“Just think about it? I have some spaces available where some of my guests have cancelled. You could invite them not only as your friends but you could help them out, too. You don’t want them to fail their project, do you?”
I eyed my auntie. “What are you up to?”
“Nothing!” she smiled. “I just think it would be nice for you to have some male company at my wedding…”
“Male company?”
She nodded as if it was no big deal but I knew what she was gettin
g at.
“I’ll think about it, but if I do invite them it is purely on a friend basis, nothing else.”
I did think about what my auntie had suggested. After all, Kit did say he wanted to be my friend and for some unknown reason I was curious about him. Although he drove me insane, being around him was something different for me.
Probably because for the first time since my family had died my life wasn’t boring. It was seriously sad that arguing with Kit made my life more interesting…
“Of course! Just friends, and they can get photos. Just tell them that I want dibs on the photos they do get,” she grinned and I nodded.
Shortly after we cleaned ourselves up, placed all of our rubbish in the bin and said our goodbyes before I headed back to college.
Somehow, I ended up sitting next to Kit in class. I was working on my research collage when Maddison walked in with both Kit and Nick. Nick sat beside her and naturally Kit sat at the only other chair left, which was next to me.
“Hey Eve, we’re all going out Saturday night. You should come,” Maddison smiled.
Oh.
“Thanks. I’d say yes but I’ve got my auntie’s wedding that day.”
“I was actually gonna ask if you lads wanted to come to get some shots but if you already have plans, no worries,” I brushed it off and didn’t even look up at either of them.
“Us?” I heard Kit ask.
I looked up at him.
“No, the other two lads at our table,” I said sarcastically.
He smirked and I looked away, his smile was seriously addictive and I wasn’t going to melt in its presence like every other girl.
“You mean like a date?” He sat himself up from his slouched position and waited for me to look at him.
“You’re as bad as my auntie...”
Shit, I shouldn’t have said that.
“What did your auntie say? Is that who you were with at lunch?”
“Yes, and she wanted me to bring a date to her wedding.”
“I like your auntie already.”
I could feel Maddison’s eyes like lasers, listening in on us and I glanced up at her from my work.
“Did she happen to mention his even better good-looking brother?” Nick grinned from across the table and I couldn’t help but laugh.