I snorted. “Derek, honey. You don’t have a choice in my life. You were the one to see to that.”
With that, I waved my sandwich at him and took off, heading into the school.
Ugh. Why did that man make me so fucking mad?
He’d literally lost the chance to treat me like anything but a friend.
***
Derek
I’d played the system a bit and called to ask when school let out. Then when I’d gotten there, I’d met with the school resource officer to help me find out what class Avery was in.
Eventually when class did finally let out, I was waiting outside her classroom door for her to exit.
She was the last one out, and where everyone else came out talking and laughing, Avery wasn’t doing either.
And she was also all alone.
I frowned when she didn’t first see me, following behind her as she made her way out of the school.
Her eyes were downcast as she navigated the hallway, weaving in and out of the people there as if she didn’t want to be seen.
The thing was, she wasn’t seen.
It was like she was invisible.
Today she wore a black pair of leggings, a black t-shirt that fit her but was still big, and a black pair of Keds.
Her long black hair was up in a high ponytail and her glasses were purple.
I didn’t know what it was about those purple glasses, but they’d driven me nuts when she was sitting in the front seat of my cruiser earlier.
I moved through the throng of curious students as I followed behind my girl to the front doors.
Once there, she hesitated.
One way would lead her to the front where my bike was parked. And the other way would lead her to the back where the buses loaded.
I could see the hesitation on her face so clearly that it made me smile.
Finally, she turned right, which would lead her to the buses.
“You’re going the wrong way,” I called out.
She froze mid-step, turning around slowly to blink owlishly at me.
Her mouth formed into a little tiny O, and I couldn’t stop myself from grinning wide.
Her eyes narrowed at my smile and her arms crossed defiantly over her chest.
The move put her breasts, which weren’t substantial by any means, on display. They were squeezed and pushed up, reminding me of the dress she’d had on last night.
“What are you doing here, Roberts?” she snapped.
I felt the kids around us start to take notice, as did she.
She growled in frustration and turned on her heels, marching this time to the front where my bike was parked.
She marched up to it and stopped, waiting for me to catch up.
I wasn’t far behind when I reached around her and picked up the helmet off the seat.
“Put this on,” I ordered.
She did, fitting it onto her head as if she was pissed.
Which she might have a right to be.
“Umm, hey, Avery.”
Avery turned to look at a girl that was in a cheer uniform, then turned away without replying.
“Is this your brother?” the girl teased.
Avery turned then, her eyes hot as she stared at the girl.
“You damn well know that I don’t have any brothers and sisters,” Avery snapped. “Just as you know that I don’t like you. So why are you talking to me?”
The cheerleader laughed, which pissed me off.
She looked like a vindictive little bitch.
“How’d it go in the counselor’s office today?” the cheerleader pushed. “Are you having issues again?”
I caught Avery’s arm and squeezed. “You ready?”
Even though I wanted to hear the answer to the question the cheerleader just asked, I had a feeling I wasn’t going to be able to listen to the answer.
Because that cheerleader was pissing me off, and her words weren’t even directed at me.
“Ready?” I asked.
Avery’s jaw was tight as she nodded once.
“Let’s go then,” I said, getting onto the bike.
She followed shortly behind me, her feet hesitant as she moved.
“There are some foot pegs.” I picked one ankle up and put it on the peg. “There’s one in the same spot on the other side.”
Since my bike really didn’t have the room for an extra ass to be sitting on it, I had to urge Avery closer.
“Closer,” I ordered. “Press your thighs against mine.”
She did, trying to leave room.
But in the situation we were in, I wasn’t going to let her leave any room.
First, I didn’t like the way the bitchy cheerleader was sneering at Avery. And second, I wanted her pressed against me.
It was possible that I’d taken advantage of the situation and forced her to hold on to me, but dammit if I didn’t want her wrapped around me like a weed.
Avery did as instructed and practically pressed against me from thighs to chest.
“Now hold on,” I ordered.
She placed her arms around my waist and held on, and I started the bike.
The very few people who weren’t paying attention to us as we got on the bike now were, because my bike was loud as hell and drew even the faculty’s attention that were busy heading to their cars.