“You look heartbroken,” I assessed sarcastically.
He rested his arms on the tiles and flashed me his straight teeth. But this wasn’t a smile, it was a warning. “And you look like an animal out of its natural habitat. Missed me that much, Ms. G?”
“You didn’t come to school today.” My voice was grave.
“So? School year is practically over, and it’s not like you give a shit. I’m just a fling, remember? Your words.”
Touché.
When I arrived here, I wasn’t above begging. But now that I was in front of him, at Vicious’s house, an overwhelming need to protect myself took over again. I couldn’t ask him what his game was yesterday when we were at his mother’s office.
“So, you’re all packed for Texas?” I changed the subject. He’s moving away to college, I reminded myself. This is over.
He laughed, pushing himself upward and rising from the pool. His sculpted body shone under the sun, making him look like a Calvin Klein ad. He stood next to me, so close the scent of chlorine wafted into my nostrils.
“Not yet.” He took a step in my direction. I stumbled back. He took another step closer, ignoring me.
“I need to buy another suitcase.” His hand disappeared inside my curls. This time I leaned into his touch. Such a loser. Already a goner again.
“I thought men traveled light.” I swallowed.
“We do, but I’m sure you’ll be taking all kinds of girly shit with you when you move in with me.”
Dumbfounded, I narrowed my eyes at him, fighting a grin.
“Jaime,” I warned. From what, I wasn’t sure. I didn’t want it to be a prank. I realized as soon as he said the words that I wanted exactly what he’d just said. A lot. A new beginning. Away from All Saints High. With him.
It didn’t make sense. It was wrong. It was going to lift a shit-ton of eyebrows. A college kid moving to another state with his twenty-six-year-old teacher? It had disaster written all over it. But I wanted this disaster. I wanted to bathe in it and love it and live it. To make this disaster my chaotic reality.
“Mel,” he answered, smiling. “Truth or dare?”
“Truth.” I bit my lower lip, peeking at him from under my lashes. If Vicious saw this, he would have probably puked.
My breaths were coming in shallow pants. My heart was in my throat. I hadn’t felt this alive since the last time I was on stage. I was going to say it, and fuck the world and what it’d think about me.
I placed my hands on top of his, still nestled in my hair, holding me still. “The truth is…I love you.”
There was a hint of a satisfied smile, but it was quick. Like I was still in trouble. I felt like the scolded student.
He nodded, his wet hair dripping on my face as he hooked an arm around my neck and jerked me into his face. “See? Was that so hard? Still in one piece, aren’t you, baby girl?” He raised an eyebrow at me in a smart-ass expression, and it was sexy as fuck. “I love you, too, Mel. Fucking crazy about you, actually. Now pack up.” He bit my lip playfully, smacking my ass at the exact same time.
“Excuse me?” I laughed. “What? Where? How? When? School’s not even over yet.”
There were four more days left of school. And I still hadn’t said yes to moving to a whole other state with him.
“Yeah, but you have a job interview at a ballet academy in Austin tomorrow. Don’t wanna be late, yeah? Bad first impression and all.”
Jaime knew. He knew I pocketed this dream in the back of my jeans, but still danced every day in front of the mirror. That I carried it in my heart like a little souvenir, and that I wanted the memory to become something real, now more than ever.
Just then, a horn honked in the distance, and I heard Vicious grit behind his fancy Mercedes steering wheel. “Tell her to move her ass, or I’m sending you both to the airport in a cab.”
These high school kids.
They had planned it all along.
They outsmarted Mrs. Followhill and me.
I laughed, collapsing into my boyfriend’s arms. “Damn you.”
Two years later…
“YOU FORGOT THE MILK.”
“You forgot your underwear.”
I frown, pushing down my black tights. “I’m wearing underwear.”
“Exactly.” Jaime pushes me to bed in one effortless movement.
I collapse onto our flimsy mattress. He follows, crushing on top of me, covering my face and neck with wet, hot kisses. Breathless giggles escape my mouth while his fingers push my tights away.
“I’ll buy some on my way back from my shift,” Jaime growls into my ribcage.
My shirt is already tossed aside, and he is sucking on my nipple so hard my skull prickles in pleasure. I sigh and rake my fingers through his tousled blond hair. He’s been taking shifts at a local Starbucks after class. His parents cut him off after we announced we were moving in together. Tough luck. With my work at the ballet academy, his school and Starbucks job, and everything else on our plate, we have very little time to give two shits about what other people think or say.