Page 5 (2/2)

Marco seemed to process this "Well, what do you want to know?"

Deciding that today was a good day to try to be brave, I asked, "Why don’t you talk about your faave o there" "I don’t really get along with them," he admitted

"All of them?" Since I caed from his didn’t sit ith me I kne happy my family made me I wanted Marco to be equally happy

"Nonna, randfather And not my uncle Gio His wife is nice Him, not so much"

I didn’t like the sound of that at all and I wanted to know otten out of him in the past, so I decided not to pushin on the debate tea of the year I said no and noish I hadn’t I need to grow soot them You just to need use them This supposed shyness of yours is all in your head"

"And how did you get so shter and drew to a halt I stopped with hihtly as he stared at me intently "You’re the first person to ever say that tothe shiver that chased down ave hi look and skirted around hi ere outside of I looked up at him, my expression completely serious "You don’t have to be book smart to be clever, Marco"

Marco stared down at hed as he lowered his tall body onto the step next tothrough azed out into the street, seeht Finally he asked quietly, "And you think I’

I did think he was clever And talented And so much more than he even realized

His lips twitched "I don’t think I’ve said anything clever to you"

"You have a dry, clever sense of hu him with my arm While he smiled at me in return, I continued "You always think before you speak Soent people in the world haven’t learned how to do that"

His eyes washed over me and my insides dipped like I was on a roller coaster We’d never been this close to each other before

"I bet your parents tell you you’re smart all the time," he muttered

"Yeah, they want ood You should believe in yourself"

I ht at that an to sweat as the blood rushed into be brave sometimes"

Before Marco could reply to that, I leaned forward and pressedso hard inover the sound of its beating Marco stiffened beneath my kiss, but I didn’t pull back Instead I put more pressure behind it Seconds later, I felt the heat of Marco’s hand on ainst mine

I didn’t have tiling, and all I wanted was to sink deeper into him and feel his hands all over my body

My hands suddenly had a life of their own, one co to rest on his knee, while the other cupped the nape of his neck

He squeezedon the sound Alainstbolt of lust that hit s made me stiffen in shock

Just like that, I found myself pushed away as Marco abruptly stood up

I looked up at hi hi them down over his face Then he dropped his hands and his taut features were revealed to aze

Before I could say a word Marco strode down the steps and disappeared up the street

CHAPTER 4

The fourth-year class erupted into boisterous conversation as soon as the bell rang Chairs scraped against the wooden floor, jotters were stuffed into backpacks, and friends who had been separated inplan reunited as they headed toward the door

I had finished a year of teacher training at the beginning of the summer, and noo months into my probation year Once this year ended, I’d be fully qualified After that ca position

I felt confident that I knehat I was doing, but every now and then so out and there would be this moment of panic I couldn’t let that kind of self-doubt win, and I definitely couldn’t let it show Kids were like predators – show a sign of weakness and they’d take you down

My eyes caught Jarrod Fisher’s as he lazily put away his things His friends, two ofon him From what I had heard they followed Jarrod’s exah his friends were obnoxious brats I’d heard stories from the other teachers, however, that Jarrod could be a menace He swore, he talked back, and he disrupted lessons

I wondered as causing hiot his cheeky side, but never an aggressive manner

"Jarrod, estured to his friends to leave the roonored leader

As per usual I didn’t let that fly "Boys Out Now"

The boys threw me dirty looks but turned and walked out of the classroorabbed his backpack and ca on his lips At fifteen he was already well over six feet With his dark skin and light eyes he’d reminded me of a certain someone from my past the moment he’d entered o, that resemblance seemed so, but perhaps just as angry underneath his cocky charm Soer in a boy so young Sometimes it was difficult to try not to care about that and just teach hilish