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CHAPTER 1

Carter stands there in faded black clothes, his pants two sizes too big His dark hair is slicked away from his eyes, damp with sweat or rain I can’t tell which His cheeks are rosy as if he’s been running My gaze drops to Carter’s feet as I pull away fro closer to the door If Carter had smacked it into us, there would have been confusion and a way to cover up the kiss But this? There’s no way it looks like anything else

Carter won’t fall for the ‘oops, I fell on his lips’ defense He’s intelligent, and I respect hiument, so I don’t make excuses There are none I tuck a strand of hair behind ht to my other foot

Nate ss hard, caught between breaths as Carter walked in The two of the at one another in horror It feels like the longest twenty minutes of my life, but it couldn’t have been more than a few seconds

Resisting the urge to hanga sucker-punched expression Itoward him, I say casually, “Hey, Carter! I was just headed out Come with me” It isn't a question It’s a demand—and based on the circumstances, it’s a little insane

When he stands there blinking, unable to close his gapingat Nate, I side step between them He shakes his head and frowns, “Kerry, what the hell—”

Carter doesn’t get a chance to finish I sigh exasperated, as Nate remains paralyzed This kiss will cost hi ht now I need Carter’s feetdown the hall

I’ it Grinning, I go up on the balls of my feet and press my lips to his Carter blinks, shocked, but he doesn’t pull away A shleaf

I feel Nate’s gaze on the side of my face and inwardly squirm Maybe this was stupid Okay, it was du to think I’h, I suppose that's exactly what I've been doing Nate’s still glaring at us, not happy, but re mute

Carter kisses me, or stands there stunned—it depends on how you look at it—with his hands at his sides Heat rushes to his face, flushing it with eht he’d kiss me back When he doesn’t, I pull back

Bearab his hand and pull “Co this class I need you” I don’t say anything else I don’t elaborate

Nate is silent, rooted in place, with his brow furrowed and his hands at his sides I get the distinct impression he has no one to talk to—at least, not about the crazy-ass bus girl that landed in his bed before he discovered she was his student Nate seems isolated That’s probably what drew me to him in the first place, ht, and he was giving off the same vibe Like calls to like

I toss the thoughts to the back ofabout Jax being an ass “This whole stupid thing is a mess, and I can’t back down Actually,” I pull Carter into the empty classroohts on I can't force my eyes off the floor even as my eyebrows inch into h because I don’t knohat to say I want things back the way they were

I miss him