Forbidden Desire

I stopped at her door on the way to my room when I went back upstairs but stopped short of opening it. Things had already changed. Where before I would’ve knocked and walked in without a second thought, I now felt like that easiness between us was gone.

I shook my head as I made my way to my room. I’ll get things back on track somehow; I’ll show her that I love her in other ways. I’ll spend the rest of my life doing it, and I’ll find a way never to make her cry again.

Tyler

I went downstairs the next morning, still no wiser as to how to handle the situation with Lora, but told myself I’d work on it in the car on the way to school. That was before I got to the kitchen where she usually beats me by a few minutes, and there was no sign of her. I tried not to show the panic I felt in my voice when I asked Justine where she was.

“Where’s Lora, is she not feeling well?” It hurt my gut to think that she might be avoiding me, no way am I going to let that shit stand. I might not know how to proceed, but I knew the worst thing we could do now was pull away from each other.

Justine smiled up at me as she took a sip of the herbal tea she’s so fond of; something she says settles her stomach with the pregnancy. “She left about five minutes ago.”

“Left? With who?”

“One of her friends picked her up. I have to say she looked much better this morning than she has in the last few days. I think she was having boy trouble.”

She said the last in a conspiratorial whisper, and I tried not to squirm. If only you knew. “Which friend?” I tried to pretend nonchalance, but inside I was a mass of angst. Lora wasn’t close enough with any of the girls at school to accept a ride with them. She was friendly enough, but I knew she saw most of them as superficial and fake, something I agreed with.

“Oh, some boy in the grade above hers. I didn’t see him before she ran out the door.”

“You let her get in a car with a stranger?” I damn near yelled the house down and was out of my seat breakfast forgotten.

“Tyler calm down, she said he was a kid you knew, that you and he are friends, what’s wrong?”

“What’s his name? Who is it?”

“Paul something or other I can’t remember now. Why is something wrong?” I hid my clenched fists and growing anger from her by picking up my backpack and throwing it over my shoulder.

“Where are you going? Aren’t you going to have breakfast?” I heard her mumble something to the housekeeper about teenagers as I headed out the door. I’m mad as hell and don’t know why. That’s not exactly true, I do know why. Where does she get off doing this shit? True I turned her down, but did she really think I was going to let her throw herself away on one of my asshole friends? Is she crazy?

I broke the speed barrier on the way to school and cased the parking lot looking for Paul’s car. The fucker wasn’t here yet. I pulled my phone and called hers; the shit went to voicemail. I saw a few of the campus lizards, aka girls who put out because they think it will make them more popular.

I ignored them and kept circling the parking lot before pulling into the space next to the one Paul the asshole usually use. They pulled up five minutes later, and the smile on Lora’s face as he talked to her made me see a curtain of red before my vision cleared.

I stepped out of my car and walked over to his. “Hey, bro, what’s up?” Where did you take her?”

“We went to grab some breakfast at the diner what gives?”

“Stay the fuck away from her. She’s not one of your jump-offs.”

“Chill, you know I’ve been crushing on your sister for a while now.” He smirked at me as Lora came around the back of the car to join us. “What’s going on?” Before I could answer, Paul, filled her in. She hadn’t even spoken to me, not even enough to say hi.

“Your stepbrother was just warning me off of you.”

“I’m old enough to make my own decisions. So I’ll see you at lunch?” She leaned in and kissed his cheek, and I couldn’t help it, I pulled her away from him and dragged her off, damn near kicking and screaming. “What the hell do you think you’re doing? You’re not seeing him.”

“I can see whomever I want; it has nothing to do with you.” I towered over her, counting to ten as I tried to calm down. I felt eyes on us and knew this was not the time or place. “Don’t do anything stupid. And what the hell is on your face? Go wipe that shit off.”