mentioned it on the phone once or twice since he’d first brought it
“I’ll be there.”
up. That he’d received an invitation. That they were excited about it.
Then he snapped the phone closed and sighed. “Sorry,” he said,
Personally, I couldn’t imagine my mother being excited about
tucking the second cell into the pocket of his suede jacket, which anything, let alone anything that had to do with me. But the guilt hung off his closet door. “That was Lawrence and Trina.”
whenever I thought about telling him to stay away was overwhelming.
I raised my eyebrows at him.
“No,” I admitted.
“The elder regents,” he explained. “They’re the only ones that
“You know what? I don’t want to talk about this,” Thomas said
have that number.”
lightly. “I asked you here because I knew you’d had a long day and I
“Because . . . ?”
thought I’d help you destress.”
“They pay for it. That was why I freaked when I lost it. I had to get He smiled and stepped behind me. Slowly he slid my jacket off
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and let it fall to the ground. My breath caught in my throat as he Briefly, anger flashed through his eyes. “I’m not lying. I love placed his hands on my shoulders. Softly, he touched my neck with you. I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t.”
his lips and my eyes fluttered closed. A thrill of anticipation rushed Yeah, right.
through me. There was so much wrong with this that it made me
Then I saw the sincerity in his eyes, and felt guilty for my disloyal want to be there even more.
thoughts. Okay. Did he want me to tell him I loved him back? Did I Thomas tugged slightly on my shoulder and I turned around. We
love him back? I had no idea. Should I say it if I wasn’t sure? Would kissed deeply—slowly at first. I trembled as I grasped at the back of he flip out if I didn’t?
his shirt, holding on. I was all nerves and excitement and curiosity
“I—”
and I just wanted to keep touching him. He held me tightly in his
“Don’t say anything,” Thomas said. “It’s okay. I just want to be arms and pulled me closer and closer into him until I heard a noise with you.”