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"Hey, before you wake the of yours inside" He walks toward his house so I follow him inside and into the kitchen

My heart is still pounding against uish if it's the after in Will's presence

He pulls so out of his satchel and hands it to me "Your keys" he says as he drops them into my hand

"Oh, thanks," I say, somewhat disappointed I don’t knohat I expected hination letter

"It's running fine now You should be able to drive it home tomorrow" He makes his way to his couch and sits

"What? You fixed it?" I say

"Well, I didn't fix it I know a guy as able to put an alternator on it this afternoon"

His co lot comes back to mind Somehow I doubt he would have an alternator put on any other student's vehicle

"Will, you didn't have to do that," I say as I sit beside hih I'll pay you back"

"Don't worry about it You guys have helped me a lot with Caulder lately, it's the least I can do"

And yet again, I'm at a loss for what to say next It feels like that first day I was standing in his kitchen, contee I know I should get up and leave, but I like being here next to hiain I finally find the confidence to speak again

"So, can we finish our conversation from earlier?"

He adjusts himself in the couch and props his feet on the coffee table in front of us "That depends," he says "Did you come up with a solution?"

"Well, no," I reply, just as a possible solution coainst the back of the couch and s we have just get oing to take this new suggestion of htly

"I wouldn't be opposed to the idea of getting a GED"

"That's ridiculous," he says, eyeing me sharply "Don't even think like that There's no way you’re quitting school, Lake"

I'ain

"It was just an idea," I say

"Well, it was a dumb one"

We both think silently, neither of us coainst the back of the couch as I watch him His ar His jaw is clenched tight and he's absenter wearing the clothes he wears as a teacher Instead, he has a plain white fitted t-shirt on and grey jogging pants that are al For the first tiht, I notice his hair is wet I haven't been this close to hiet what he smells like I inhale as I take in the scent of his aftershave It sht before it starts to rain If thunder had a sine Will would s creaht below his left ear My hand instinctively moves up to his neck as I wipe it away He flinches and turns toward er as if to provehier across his shirt, wiping off the excess shaving cream

Our hands come to rest on his chest as we continue to look at each other in silence My pal against , but it feels incredibly right

He allows my hand to remain on his chest as it moves up and down to the rhythm of his breath The look in his eyes is the exact look he had when he atching h this tile to control the powerful urge to lean in and kiss him I’ve wanted to talk to him like this for over a month now I still had soI didn’t exist I’ht, the isolation will return I decide to tell him what I’ve wanted to say to him for weeks

"Will?" I whisper "I'll wait for you-until I graduate"

He exhales and closes his eyes as he strokes his thu wait, Lake A lot can happen in a year" His pulse increases against my palm

I don’t knohat comes over me, but I lean closer and turn his face toward mine I just need hiaze Instead, his eyes focus on his hand as he slowly hback I've missed his touch so much

I watch hiers underneath the strap of es His s off of the table in front of him and turns his body toward me His expression seems full of conflict as he slowly leans in and presses his lips against my shoulder I wrap my arms around him as I inhale His breath becomes heavier as his lips move across my shoulder and onto my neck The room starts to spin, so I close my eyes His lips make their way to my jaw and closer to ain and he's watching ht moment of hesitation in his eyes just before his lips close over mine

In the past, his kisses have been very delicate and ser behind hirasps at my waist I return his kisses with the sah his hair and pull hiins to ease his body on top of mine, his lips break away and he sits back up