Chapter 7 #2
“Well…basically, I was sitting in class minding my own business when Axel and the other guys surrounded me and started harassing me. Axel wanted me to pull up my skirt and sit on his lap.” My cheeks flushed hot, and it took every ounce of control I had not to wiggle with the awkward conversation and the reminder of what Nash did next.
“Axel grabbed my shoulder, and I told him not to touch me and jerked away. That was when Nash arrived and told him to leave me alone. Axel called me a derogatory four-letter word that starts with S and made a suggestive comment about how he liked that.” I held my hand out to indicate Nash, who looked utterly bored and unaffected by what was happening.
“Nash may have overreacted, but in all fairness, it was four-on-one, and he was defending me from bullies.” I almost choked on the last word.
If there was one bully in this school that liked to harass me, it was him.
Why on earth was I defending Nash? Had to be because of Myles.
“I see,” Dean Henry said, sitting back in his chair as he steepled his fingers and tapped them together.
Even that simple act was threatening. This man held my entire future in his hands.
He could kick me out or remove my privileges to the art room, or he could saddle me with Nash, which seemed like a fate worse than death.
“So, this is my dilemma. We don’t condone fighting no matter the reason,” he said.
Good thing he didn’t know about me and Vicky then.
“You also don’t condone sexual harassment.
According to the rulebook, it holds a higher penalty than fighting due to the fact that all the students, regardless of gender, are under one roof.
I read the entire rulebook twice. I did not instigate, ask for, or want Axel or his friend’s attention, and if Nash hadn’t arrived, then they could’ve done more right then or cornered me after class, and this conversation would be very different. ”
Dean Henry smiled. “You are a smart one, Ms. Davies. Just be careful, and don’t think that you will be able to use your mouth to get your way out of every issue.”
I didn’t know if he meant for that comment to come off as creepy, but it did. “Fine, I’m going to assign both of you to one hundred community service hours of work here on the campus.”
“What? I don’t have time for that,” Nash practically yelled, and I wanted to smack him for the millionth time.
“And why am I being punished? I was the one harassed,” I asked, just as horrified.
“Mr. Collier, you can choose the community service work, or you can be suspended for three weeks. Take your pick. Ms. Davies, you’re being punished as a proxy for the rest of Nash’s sentence that I’m knocking off.”
“What? That’s…that’s…un-freaking-believable,” I growled and glared at Nash, who smirked at me. “I get harassed, he attacks them, but I get punished, too? How is that fair?”
“I think you would know by now that life is not fair, Ms. Davies.” I bit my lip with the remark that hit way too close to my heart. “I’d choose your friends wisely, Ms. Davies. I’ll have someone from maintenance get in touch with the both of you. You’re dismissed.”
“What about Axel and his goons? What are they going to get?” I growled, my temper flaring red hot.
“Mind your tone with me, Ms. Davies. I have been understanding so far, but my patience does have a limit. What Axel gets is not any of your concern, but rest assured they will be dealt with and that is all you’re entitled to know.
” He waved his hand toward the door, and Nash was up and out of his seat in a blink.
Damnit.
I managed to wait until we were out in the hall before I turned on Nash. “This is all your fault.”
“I think Princess protests too much about spending time with me,” he said, the corner of his mouth turning up as he leaned in close. “Admit it. You’re falling for me. When you’re holding Myles, you’re thinking of me.”
“Don’t you wish,” I said and crossed my arms, hating that even though his words were not true, his closeness still affected me. I purposely took a step back from him, but that only made him laugh. “Aren’t you supposed to be Myles’s friend? Why do you seem determined to hurt him?”
“Hurt him? Me fucking you wouldn’t hurt him,” he said, snorting as he walked away. What the hell did that mean? How did someone even process that comment? I hitched my bag up on my shoulder and watched Nash walk away.
Arms circled my waist, and I yelped. “I heard ya been a naughty girl, Snowflake,” Myles whispered in my ear. Instantly, my body warmed all over, and I closed my eyes and leaned into his touch.
“It wasn’t my fault, but I did stop Nash from murdering Axel, which still landed me in hot water.” I slowly turned around to face him. It didn’t seem to matter how many times I saw him—just looking into his eyes made me smile. “How did you find out so quickly, and why are you out of class early?”
Grabbing my hand, he pulled me down the hallway away from the office to a much quieter area.
I’d never explored this part of the school—there was no need to—and I didn’t even realize there were classrooms until now.
The kids inside seemed like underclassmen as we passed, but there was an empty room at the end of the hall.
He walked me inside and closed the door.
Myles dragged me into his arms, and my bag dropped to the floor as he kissed me.
His lips were as insistent as his hands and just as hot as his mouth.
It didn’t seem possible to be addicted to kissing someone, but it appeared that Myles’s lips were my new obsession.
I found myself doing something I never had before—I let go and allowed my mind and body to relax and be consumed with more than worry or work.
“Yer so beautiful, Snowflake. I can’t stay away. Maybe I should have my schedule changed so that I’m in class with ya,” he said against my lips and then kissed me before I could answer. That was not a good idea.
Wrapping my arms around his neck, I kissed him back, matching his excitement. With a thud, my back hit the wall, and his hands slid down my sides to my waist, sending my pulse skyrocketing into the stratosphere.
“Fuck, I missed you,” he said, panting and leaning his forehead against mine.
“Can you really miss someone when it has only been a few hours,” I asked, and he smiled, making my heart flutter.
“Ya sayin that ya didn’t miss me?”
The truth was, I did, but I didn’t need him getting any cockier than he already was. “How about you answer my questions first,” I said as he laid another soft kiss on my lips.
“Ugh, fine. Someone in my class was late coming in. Said they saw Axel coming from Morris Ward Hall and asked if he was alright. He said Nash beat the shit out of him. I doubted Nash would do that without good cause, and that meant it had something to do with you. So I asked to be dismissed.” My brow furrowed.
“Don’t be frowning at me. I’m doin’ fine in Social Studies.
Now….” He stepped in as close as he could get, his body pressing against mine, making my breath hitch with the feel of him so close. “Did ya miss me?”
“What do you think?” Smiling, I kissed him and held on tighter. His hands slid further down until he was gripping my hips, and my breath stopped.
“I’ll wait forever to have ya, but ya just might kill me in the meantime. Yer all I can think about.” He kissed across my cheek and down my neck. “Let me play with ya some, just a little. I want ya to see there are other ways to have fun without unpackaging the unicorn.”
“The unicorn?” I burst out laughing until tears rolled down my cheeks.
It had been so long since I laughed this hard, but Myles brought it out in me.
Since we met, I’d been caught between loving the feeling of normalcy and a soul-crushing guilt.
Even though in my heart I knew my mum would want me to be happy, shaking the pain of her sacrificing herself to keep me safe was easier said than done. “Does that mean it’s magical?”
The wicked look in Myles’s eyes had me sucking in the laughter and shivering instead. “I can make it magical for ya.”
“You’re crazy, and please, for the love of God, never refer to your dick as a unicorn again,” I said and shook my head. “I’ll think about it, but no pressuring me.”
He lifted his hands from my hips and held them up in surrender. “I promise, but trust me, yer gonna be addicted.”
That was partially what scared me. My day already didn’t seem complete without seeing Myles. If we got any closer, would I lose myself? I was just starting to figure out who I was. Could I afford to let that happen?
“Come on. I better get ya out of here before I can’t think straight at all.
We can do lunch.” Grabbing my hand and bag, Myles dragged me out of the classroom, and I was left speechless and off balance.
He smiled at me, and I returned the gesture, but I couldn’t help wondering what Nash had meant. Fucking Nash.