“Guilty.” I raise my hands. “Look, I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean to lie to you. It just … happened.”
“Like you just happened to fuck your goddamn teacher.”
I shrug, and she rolls up a paper in her hand and slaps me on the head, making me laugh. “Are you outta your mind?” she yells. “Do you even know how stupid this all sounds?”
“Yes! Stop,” I say, still laughing, trying to snatch the paper, but she’s way quicker than I am.
“You fucked your fucking teacher. If that isn’t fifty shades of fucked up, I don’t know what is.”
“Well … he does like kinky shit.” I burst out into more laughter when I see her face all scrunched up.
“Oh my god, that is not the fucking point!” She smacks me again. “You lied!”
“Okay, I get it, and I’m sorry,” I say, finally managing to steal the paper from her.
“I just caught you kissing our goddamn teacher.”
“I know, and I’m fucking embarrassed.”
She frowns. “Then why are you even coming close to him? Why even put yourself in that position? It only makes it harder.”
“Well, I can’t not come to class, can I?”
“Not. What. I. Mean.” She takes the paper back and tucks it into her backpack.
“Yes, we kissed. And it’s probably not the last time either.”
She cocks her head. “That’s what I mean. It’s not an accident if it happens twice.”
“Okay. You’re right. I can’t resist him.”
“And he can’t resist you either …” she muses. “So what are you gonna do now? You can’t continue this. You know it’s not allowed.”
“I know, but … I don’t know if I can stop. If I really want to.”
She’s quiet for a second, but the look on her face says it all.
“Can you forgive me for lying to you?”
Her lips turn to thin lines. “I don’t know …”
“Do I have to beg you?” I pout, which makes her forcefully push away her smile.
“Fine, I forgive you for lying, but that doesn’t mean what you’re doing is okay.”
“I know, but please don’t judge me.”
“I’m not judging. I’m disappointed. I’m worried about you,” she says, swallowing. “I thought you lost your virginity to some random guy, not our damn teacher. This is so awkward. Like how are you gonna sit in class knowing he’s seen you naked?”
I raise my brows and slam my lips together, shrugging.
“You haven’t even thought about it? What about the consequences? What if someone finds out?”
“You found out …” I mutter.
“Exactly. So basically, you’re already screwed.”
“Please, don’t tell anyone,” I plead, putting up my pouty face. “Please?”
She sighs. “You’re asking me to be your accomplice?”
“I’m only asking if you can just pretend you never saw anything.”
“But I did.” She raises one brow.
“Please …” I grab her hand. “Promise me you won’t tell anyone.”
“It’s against school policy. It could get you kicked out. It could get him fired. Why do you wanna risk it?” she asks, cocking her head sympathetically.
“Because I …” I look down at the floor. “He gives me something no one else ever has. I need it.” I look up at her. “Please understand. This is the only way I can deal with my life right now.”
“With him?”
“I need this. I need … whatever it is that he’s offering.”
She lets out a short sigh and nods slowly. “All right. I get it.”
“So you’ll keep it a secret?”
“Fine, yes, but I don’t wanna be involved in anything.” She grabs my arm. “I’m not gonna vouch for you if shit goes down. I can’t lie for you. I can keep it a secret, but I’m not gonna put my reputation or my spot in college on the line.”
“I understand, and I won’t ever ask that of you. I just want this to stay under the radar. That’s all.”
“All right.” She nods. “God. I’ll need some bleach to rinse that image from my eyes.”
I smile. “At least you didn’t see us fuck.”
“Oh, god, don’t start.” She turns around but pauses, only to grab my arm again. “But he did have a nice ass, right?”
I grin. “Like Christian Bale nice.”
She laughs but then shakes her head. “I thought I wanted to know what was under there, but now, I don’t.”
“That’s just because I tapped that.” I wiggle my brows, making her roll her eyes.
“Oh, shut up.” She playfully shoves me, and I shove her back.
“So … just for the record … we all right?”
She turns her head toward me. “Were we ever?”
“No …” I say, and since we both know exactly what we mean, we burst out into laughter as we walk through the hallway on our way to the most awkward class we’ll ever have.
* * *
An hour later
Thomas has been staring at me since class started. I know that type of stare, and it isn’t good.
It’s not the usual I-want-to-fuck-you-to-death stare, but one I’ve never seen before, and it resembles more of a I’m-going-to-lose-my-shit-in-front-of-everyone stare.