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"Hi Um, your front door ide open, so I hope you don’ttoward the now closed door
"No problem Glad you lad shethe walls if she weren’t here
"Are you ready to get to work?" She kicks at her backpack "I brought so you knohat you need to do"
"Yeah, I totally knohat to do" I wave a hand, dis her worry as I approach her She takes a step back and I brush by her, wishing I could reach out and grab her Kiss her
This is the weed talking It has to be
She squints at rab the folder I keep with ht?"
"I’" I turn to face her onceatover, the weed, having Chelsea standing here in front ofout of control
She makes a face at my choice of words, then leans over and unzips her backpack, digging inside for all the work she wantset a better view, and when she turns she catches"Are you checking me out?"
I decide to be straightforward No bullshit gaht "Yep" I lift hs a ton For whatever reason, the weed has loosened ue, which is not a usual side effect "You have a really great …"
"A great what?" She stands to her full height, hands on her hps as she waits for ," I finish, not wanting to focus on her butt and nothing else There’sWant ain It’s cute, s she doesn’t like just to see her do it again "There’s a really good Chinese place that delivers I love it You like Chinese?"
"Sure" I shrug, ignoring ht about now I’d eat a piece of cardboard, I’ood You have the nu look, nibbling on her full lower lip in that innocently sexy way she has Watching herand pulling with asp just before I soothe the hurt withlike I’ic over ure out how Or why
She s table and setting it doith a loud thuh it "Their food is pretty cheap and I know just what to order I’ll even pay"
"Hell no" I grab her wrist when she pulls out her cell fro her "You are definitely not paying for it I will"
"But I don’ther I wonder if she’s as aware of me as I am of her "I’m the one ants Chinese"
"I want it, too" I circlepulse beneath my touch I want more than just Chinese food, that’s for da one thing and reallyanother
At least, I a out ofhtest of caresses I swear I feel her shiver, and when I look at her, I find her staring at obble ood" I let hThe tension between us is fking ridiculous If nothing happens tonight, I’o whack off after she leaves, like soed pervert in need of constant relief
I want her but I don’t I’h, and it’s not just froh on Chelsea
Chelsea
He’s pushing through his assignht he would I kneas sh to see he just lacked focus or flat-out didn’t apply hie does that to a person It’s all so much, sometimes too much, and students either thrive or they fail
I’d thrived The structure, the coiven ht into my classes headfirst and never looked back No one cared how old I was here; none of my past mattered I could blend in, become someone new, souilt of er with my father Deep down inside, I’irl who’s afraid to really live for fear she’ll get hurt
Boys are trouble, row up to be men and become even more trouble Stick with yourself, sweetie Count on only you Everyone else will just disappoint you
Mom had whispered those words of so-called wisdoh school I’d known there was trouble in e From the time I was eleven, when I became privy to a secret phone call between my dad and one of his mistresses, I kneas unfaithful to Mom
He didn’t love her And if he didn’t love her, he didn’t love me That’s what I believed at fifteen I would listen to Mom talk about hoful men were, how bad they treated women She would talk that hen she wason her
Then he’d sweet-talk her, convince her she was the only one for hie her tune Her reaction to him, the constant push and pull between them, left me a confused mess most of the time, especially over boys and relationships
I don’t really talk to my dad He’s tried He’s calledup when I hear the recorded e from the jail He has to know I don’t want to have contact with hi ht by ht before he was convicted for his crione to visit hiet out He’d be acquitted He’d been so sure, so convincing, I believed hio to court I wanted to watch Wanted to be there when he was set free and we could celebrate together She told ht not be able to handle it