“Gemma!” A girly voice filled the hallway, and Gemma’s shoulders nearly fell to the floor at the sight of Sloane. She rushed over and grabbed Gemma right out of my grasp. I huffed as she began pulling her toward the south wing girls’ restroom with a uniform and Gemma’s bookbag in hand.
I glanced at Brantley, and he shrugged. “She came to me, looking for Gemma. Figured we could use her help in getting you two out undetected.” He shifted to Cade, and then they both turned toward me. “What are you doing, bro? You’re being…”
“I know,” I snapped, looking at Gemma and Sloane once more. Sloane was giving her a disapproving look as she ran her finger over her neck, right over the spot that I’d sucked on as I came inside her warm walls earlier in the night. Heat went to my groin before I heard an annoyed sigh.
“For fuck’s sake.” Brantley stalked off, leaving me staring at Gemma like she was the only goddamn thing that I cared about on this earth. I was in over my head.
Before I knew what I was doing, I stalked over to her and pulled her out of Sloane’s arms. The hallway was quiet. The only eyes were Cade’s and Sloane’s, but I didn’t care if the entire school was watching. I wanted them to know she was mine. Only this time, it wasn’t for show. I might not have even cared if the SMC had formed a circle around us. I would still grab her just as fiercely, and I’d still tip her head up to meet me halfway.
“What are you doing?” she asked, eyes bouncing back and forth.
“I don’t have many choices, Gemma.” I dipped in close. “But right now, I’m choosing you before I can’t any longer.” Then, my lips fell to hers, and everything else ceased to exist. She was willing, too. Her mouth parted, and her tongue moved against mine. I pulled her into my body, crushing us together. Kissing her was like a gift. Or maybe it was a punishment.
Either way, I didn’t care. I’d kiss her every day until I no longer could. And then, I’d find a way to keep her. I’d find her one way or another and make her mine again.
Chapter Fifty
Gemma
“Oh my God.” That was the seventh time Sloane had said that in the last thirty seconds. I’d started counting after the third time. “I knew there was more going on than that one kiss and some lame tutoring sessions.” Sloane handed me a new pair of underwear and a freshly cleaned bra, and I turned around to put them on. She glanced at my wrists once before quickly moving past that and focusing on Isaiah’s kiss. “I cannot believe you and…” She swooped up my uniform and threw it into my backpack, handing me a new one. “Did you want to have sex with him? Did you want him to take your virginity? Did he even know he was taking it?!”
Sloane kept asking me questions, but I couldn’t answer her. Every time I would open my mouth, she’
d ask another question. It wasn’t until she took out her makeup and started covering up my hickey that I finally answered her. “Yes,” I said, feeling my stomach dip as I thought back to last night. Butterflies filled me up, and I had to fight to keep my feet on the ground. I was so twisted around all things Isaiah that there wasn’t much room for anything else in my head. It was…him. And only him. “I did want to have sex with him, and yes, he knew that he was taking my virginity. The entire school knew I was a virgin, because of Bain, remember? I didn’t exactly deny it.”
Sloane blew minty breath out of her mouth so fast that it tickled the hair on my neck. She dabbed some more makeup on the sponge thing and got back to work. We were both tucked back into a stall in the girls’ restroom, and I knew the morning bell would ring soon. “I’m just surprised.”
“Surprised?” I asked, buttoning up the rest of my blouse before pulling on my maroon blazer. “That he would have sex with me?”
Her hand stilled, and she looked me dead in the eye. “No. Not at all.” She glanced away. “It’s no secret that Isaiah isn’t a virgin. He’s definitely made himself known in that department.” My cheeks burned, and I bit my lip. It didn’t even cross my mind last night that he was much more experienced than I was, but it was obvious. He knew how to make my body succumb better than I did. “It’s just different with you. From the moment you walked into this school, he’s been different.”
I bit my cheek as she pushed my hair over my shoulders and ran her fingers down the strands. “Or maybe he’s just finally showing who he really is.”
She hummed under her breath, handing me my now-zipped backpack. “True, and it’s no surprise that it took you to get it out of him.” Her cheek lifted. “You’re pretty great when you let people in. You know that, right?”
A closed-lip smile fell to my face as she opened the stall door just as the morning bell was ringing.
“He seems consumed by you. Like you are the center of every room you’re in. His eyes gravitate toward you. It’s not evident to most, but I can see it. I see the way he looks at you. It’s the same way Cade used to look at Journey. Like he’s afraid you’re going to slip through his fingers at the last second or something.” That’s because I will, and he knows it.
Sloane paused before placing her hand on the restroom door. She glanced over her shoulder, and her smile turned down into a frown. “And that’s why you need to be careful, Gemma. I don’t know why you two seem to be keeping so many secrets, but that’s exactly what got Journey a one-way ticket out of this school.”
I nodded, and she intertwined her arm with mine as we began walking toward our classes. Just before the hall was swarmed with wandering eyes and the clanking of shoes against the tiled floor, she whispered into my ear. “Just know you can always come to me, okay? I’m here for you, no matter what. Secrets or not.”
I nodded, shooting her a smile that was actually genuine.
Sloane and I both missed breakfast this morning and rushed straight to our first period. It was likely all in my head, but I felt like everyone knew what Isaiah and I had done last night. I felt different, but I knew it was in a good way, because any time I would feel the twinge between my legs, my stomach would flutter, and I’d have to bite my lip to keep myself from smiling.
I wasn’t sure what this meant for us. I didn’t think either of us knew. The only thing I did know for certain was that I was half-dreading the moment our tutoring ended. Whenever the SMC decided Isaiah’s grades were better and his behavior had improved, gaining their trust back, he’d be taken off probation, and he would no longer be dangling over the edge. Which meant that I would no longer need to tutor him, which would also mean I would no longer be a cover for him if he was caught in the hall after hours, coming back from following Bain. I wasn’t sure how that would affect him when it was all said and done. What if he got caught sneaking out after I was gone? And what was going to happen when he handed me payment for our deal? Would I leave without telling him goodbye? Would it be easier that way?
My stomach ached at the thought, so I quickly pushed it aside as I sat down at the art table for class. No. I wouldn’t go there right now. I peeked behind me only to see Cade and Brantley sitting at the table that they shared, but no Isaiah. When Cade caught me staring, he winked at me, and I shot him a tight smile and quickly turned around and opened up a clean page in my journal and began sketching with my pencil.
The room was loud and chaotic, and my head was no better. Everything was jumbled, and I was antsy. Antsy to see Isaiah. Antsy to be alone with him again. Antsy for the future.
Just as Mrs. Fitz walked in and began shuffling things around on her desk—the same one I was on last night—the room grew quiet. I began lowering my pencil when I felt the shift in the air. The corners of my lips curved, and I closed my journal.
Two smoldering blue eyes were staring directly at me, and the way he walked into the room, commanding everyone’s attention, had my heart galloping. His long lean legs in his dark pants, the white dress shirt unbuttoned at the top along with his tie hanging loosely around his neck. The tan of his skin caught my attention, and my mouth went dry, remembering just how hot it felt rubbing against mine last night. I couldn’t believe the way my body reacted to him. I couldn’t believe what he’d done to me and how mind-numbing it was.
He was in front of me within seconds, pulling out the chair as it screeched along the tiled floor. Mrs. Fitz looked up and shot him a look.