When Summer Ends

by Isabelle Rae

  “What are you doing? Did you forget we’re on different teams?” I asked, looking at him as if he’d gone crazy.

  He smiled and shook his head. “No I didn’t forget, but I saw you’re on your last life. I didn’t think you’d want to be out already.” He shrugged.

  I looked down at myself to see I had only one yellow band around my arm, signalling my one life. “Oh, well… thanks.” I smiled gratefully.

  “No problem. Where’s your partner? Your team keep coming at us in pairs,” he inquired, scanning the trees cautiously.

  “No idea,” I admitted. “Nick ran off about ten minutes ago, and I can’t find him.” I sat down on a fallen tree, setting my gun and helmet down onto the floor next to my feet. “So what’s your teams plan? Lure your opponents into a false sense of security, then shoot them when they least expect it?” I asked, laughing.

  He grinned sheepishly. “Nah, we were paired up too, but I ditched Caroline.”

  Who’s Caroline? “Who’s that?” I asked, frowning.

  “Caroline… oh right yeah, Miss Teller to you,” he clarified, rolling his eyes.

  I felt the scowl line my forehead. He got paired with her too? I bet he asked for that so he could protect her and stop her getting paint in her perfect hair. Stupid freaking woman.

  “What’s with the face?” he asked, looking at me curiously.

  Oh crud! “What face?” I asked, pretending not to know what he was talking about, even though it was probably blatantly obvious that I was sending hateful thoughts the drama teacher’s way.

  “That face,” he waved his hand in front of my face, “the annoyed; I’m thinking about something really hard face.”

  I shrugged noncommittally. “No face. Why would you want to ditch her though? Shouldn’t you two be working together?” I asked, trying to divert his attention away from my jealousy.

  “She drives me crazy, flirting with me all the time.” Will shrugged.

  I laughed and shook my head. He really is weird. “I thought that was her place to flirt with you all the time, you never seemed to mind flirting when we were going out.”

  He smirked at me, his beautiful grey eyes boring into mine. “It was a little different between us, for one thing we were dating, so I wanted you to flirt with me,” he replied. The way he was looked at me made my body tingle. The look was tender and intimate, and so much like the way he used to look at me that it hurt my insides.

  “Well why is it different with her then? Shouldn’t you want her to flirt with you too?” I asked, trying unsuccessfully to look away from his face.

  He shook his head. “I don’t like it because I’m not interested in her.” His face looked a little pained; his eyes were a little tight.

  He wasn’t interested in her? Wow, he was using her for sex, nice. So he was back to his player ways, using the pretty blonde teacher. I’m sure that dating and using a colleague isn’t going to blow up in his face!

  “If you’re not interested in her then why are you dating her?” I asked. Part of me was annoyed that he was using someone, but another part of me was secretly relieved that he wasn’t into her. I knew he would settle down with someone eventually, but I secretly hoped he would wait until I was at college so it wasn’t rubbed in my face.

  “Dating her? I’m not dating her,” he stated, looking at me as if I was stupid.

  He’s not dating her? What the heck? “Seriously? It’s all round the school. You two are the newest hot couple and object of most of the gossip at the moment.” I watched as his face turned from confusion to shock.

  “I’m not dating Caroline, I’m not dating anyone,” he insisted, frowning. “I’m not interested in anyone else,” he added, looking at me intently, as if trying to tell me something.

  “So you’re just sleeping with her then?” I questioned. Each word felt like it burnt my throat on the way out. I didn’t actually want him to answer that question but for some reason, I needed him to.

  He frowned and looked at me like I had just suggested that we spend the day clubbing seals or something. “Seriously? Where the hell is this coming from? I’m not sleeping with her either.”

  “You two go home together and come in together every day,” I muttered, a little confused as to what was going on. For the last month I had seen and heard all about their little affair, and now he was denying it… Could Amy be right, and everyone was reading something into something innocent? I didn’t want to get my hopes up, but against my better judgment, I could already feel it happening.

  “Chloe, Caroline lives down my street. I give her a ride to and from school because she doesn’t have a car. I’m not interested in her!” He shook his head, seeming angry about it.

  I smiled. Amy was right. I was being jealous and reading something that just wasn’t there; he wasn’t sleeping with the hot drama teacher after all. I felt myself relax. There was just another nine months then the school year would be over. I would go to college and leave him behind at the school. Hopefully he would stay ‘not interested in anyone’ until then, and I wouldn’t have to see it at all.

  His angry expression faded, and he smiled too. His hand stretched towards my face. My breath caught in my throat thinking he was going to touch me; instead he pulled a leaf from my hair, throwing it on the floor.

  Suddenly something cracked amongst the trees off to our right. Will jumped up, grabbing me and spinning me around, one arm wrapped around me as he pulled me against his body. “Ow, shit,” he hissed as I heard someone laugh.

  “Mr Morris, why did you move her? I had a perfect shot!” someone whined. Will let me go so I moved back from his hard body, looking around, confused. Jimmy stood there looking a little disappointed.

  “She’s out already, no point in getting shot unnecessarily. I just took her last life,” Will replied, shrugging.

  “Oh okay, well we’re gonna move for the strike. You coming?” Jimmy asked, already running off through the woods without waiting for an answer.

  I looked at Will in confusion. “What happened?”

  Will turned around and showed me his back, which was splattered with blue paint. “I took one for you. You owe me now, Cutie.” He smirked at me.

  He got shot for me? Jeez that’s sweet! “Why did you do that?” I asked, shocked.

  He shrugged. “I wanted to take your last life, that ass looks way too clean,” he answered, raising one eyebrow at me.

  “Are you looking at my ass, Mr Morris?” I teased, willing myself not to blush as I said it.

  “You know I need to say no to that question, Miss Henderson.” he said sighing. “Anyway, I’ll give you a one minute head start, you’d better run.” He waggled his eyebrows at me, nodding his head off to one side.

  “Seriously?” He can’t really want to chase me through the woods so he can shoot me, can he?

  “Fifty four seconds.”

  “Are you kidding me? We’re supposed to be getting the flags,” I said nervously.

  “Forty six seconds.”

  Holy crap, he is serious! I grabbed my gun and helmet, turning around and running through the woods, laughing like a crazy person.

  “Time’s up!” I heard him call.

  I giggled and carried on running. A huge rock came into view up ahead so I sprinted to it, hiding behind it. I looked around wildly for him but couldn’t see him anywhere. I realised the rock I was standing against had another one running along the side of it touching at one end in a kind of V shape. I slipped between the two of them, sliding in a little so I was hidden from view on all sides except the front. I could hear him running and crunching on the dry leaves. Putting my gun down carefully, I clamped my hands over my mouth so I didn’t laugh.

  “Come out, come out wherever you are,” he sang, laughing. I giggled against my hand and pressed against the rock harder. He was close I could hear him breathing… maybe the other side of the rock. “Chloeeeee,” he called teasingly. I bit my lip, trying desperately not to give myself away. I wanted to finish
today with one life intact; Amy had bet me that I would be the first out, and I really wanted to win that bet.

  I heard him run off in the opposite direction so I breathed a sigh of relief. I crept towards the edge of the crevice and peeked around, checking the coast was clear. As I tentatively stepped a little further out, he jumped around the corner. An involuntary scream left my lips from the shock.

  “Found you! Turn around.” He smirked, raising his gun, pointing it at my crotch, obviously wanting to shot me in the butt.

  I laughed and stepped back into the crevice. “No way, you’re gonna have to make me,” I teased.

  He laughed and stepped forward. As he stepped forward, I stepped back further into the crevice. I matched my step to his, watching the enjoyment on his face as I lured him in further, heading towards where I’d left my gun.

  “I am gonna shoot you in the ass,” he insisted, raising one eyebrow playfully.

  My foot touched my helmet so I bent quickly and grabbed my gun from the floor, raising it at him. At the same time, he jumped forward, wrapping one arm around me and pressing me against the rock. His hand gripped my gun and moved it so it was pointing away from him. His hard body was pressing against mine securely. I was pinned against the wall, I couldn’t move even if I wanted to.

  His eyes locked onto mine, his face merely inches away, I could feel his breath blowing across my lips. He didn’t move, just looked at me with a slightly pained expression. My heart was going crazy, I couldn’t think about anything other than how close he was.

  I raised my free hand, gripping the side of his jumpsuit and pulling him impossibly closer. His whole body was pressed against mine. “Chloe,” he groaned, looking at me pleadingly. His eyes flicked down to my lips for a split second.

  Oh please kiss me, Will, please. Please don’t pull away like last time. There’s no one to interrupt this time, please just kiss me before I spontaneously combust!

  “Kiss me,” I whispered pleadingly.

  He squeezed his eyes closed, looking like I had just shoved a knife into his stomach. It was as if I was torturing him or something. He opened his eyes and gulped. “Close your eyes,” he whispered.

  I did as he asked immediately; barely able to breathe I was so excited. I felt his hand touch the side of my face and trace across my cheek, slowly moving along the edge of my jaw line. His thumb traced across my bottom lip, making me part my lips and moan breathlessly. My whole body was vibrating with excitement. It was erotic and sexy and almost too sweet to bear.

  His hand moved down to one side of my neck, cupping it softly. His weight shifted against me, and then his soft lips pressed against my forehead. I tightened my grip on him, tilting my head up, waiting for his mouth to move down to mine.

  He moved back ever so slightly, his hand dropped from my neck. I opened my eyes to see him looking at me with his jaw clenched tightly. His eyes were dancing with excitement, but his face was hardened. I inched my face closer to his, needing to feel his lips against mine.

  He shook his head. “I can’t,” he whispered, looking at me apologetically.

  You have got to be kidding me! He was still pressed against me making me hot and bothered. I ignored his protest and inched my mouth closer to his again.

  “Please, Chloe, I can’t do this. You’re a minor, please don’t make me do this,” he begged.

  My eyes started to fill with tears. “I’m not making you do anything.” He was so close, closer than he had been for six weeks, but it still wasn’t close enough.

  “Chloe, you might not think you are but trust me, it’s hard enough for me on a normal day, but this is like torture. I don’t want feel like a paedophile all the time, but I just can’t help it when I’m around you.” His hand ran down my side slowly, making me shiver.

  “You’re not a paedophile, Will,” I protested.

  He bent his head forward and kissed the tears away as they fell down my cheeks. “Technically I am, because I shouldn’t keep looking at you the way I do. I shouldn’t want to kiss you and hold you. I shouldn’t want to be near you, and to be the last thing you see before you fall asleep. I shouldn’t, but I just can’t stop. I’ve tried, honestly, I’ve tried so hard, but I just can’t.” He frowned and tightened his jaw.

  He still looked at me like that? He still wanted me? Oh my goodness, is he serious? Had Amy been right and I was just too hurt to see he still liked me?

  “Seriously… you… you still like me?” I asked. Hope bubbled up inside me.

  He shook his head fiercely, and it felt as if he’d ripped my heart out all over again. “I don’t like you, Cutie. I’m crazy in love with you,” he replied quietly, looking almost ashamed to admit it.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  He loves me? He really loves me?

  I didn’t know what to say. I could barely breathe. Did he really just tell me he was in love with me? Hope and happiness was trying to consume me, but I didn’t let it. He’d built up my hopes so many times before… what if this was just another one of those times? What if he suddenly changed his mind and took it back?

  I wasn’t good enough for him, he was incredible and so special that he deserved so much more than me, he deserved everything. He deserved someone like Miss Teller who was perfect, and classy, and wasn’t a stupid little school girl that could barely even look at him without blushing.

  He looked at me curiously. He looked a little scared actually, and I wanted to reassure him. I wanted to scream that I loved him too and that I wanted him so much, but nothing was coming out of my mouth.

  His face fell even more at my silence. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. I’m so sorry,” he said, looking at me hurt and sad. “I shouldn’t have told you that, I’m your teacher I should be responsible and try harder. Maybe I’ll quit my job or something so I can stay away from you,” he mumbled, stumbling over his words because he spoke so fast.

  He’s thinking of quitting his job? I gripped the side of his jumpsuit as he went to pull away from me. “You really love me?” I whispered, not trusting my voice to speak properly.

  He gulped and nodded. “Yeah, but I shouldn’t have told you, I need to keep it to myself and deal with it like I have been doing for the last few weeks.”

  I smiled. I couldn’t fight the feeling anymore, my whole body broke out in goosebumps. I felt my eyes filling with happy tears again as I realised that I couldn’t not try to be with him if he wanted me. He’d probably rip my heart out again when he changed his mind, but I couldn’t help but get my hopes up.

  “I love you too, Will,” I replied honestly.

  His whole body seemed to tighten. His eyes widened in shock before a heartbreaking smile stretched across his face. “You do?” he whispered, pressing me against the rock tighter.

  I bit my lip and nodded. Surely it’s obvious that I’m hopelessly in love with him; he had to know that before I said it. How on earth could he have missed it? It probably couldn’t have been more obvious than if I’d written ‘I love Will Morris’ on my forehead.

  He sighed, his arm tightening on my waist. “I thought I’d blown my chance, I honestly thought I’d lost you, Chloe. It scared me to death. I’ve been miserable without you for the last few weeks.” His grey eyes locked onto mine making me feel like I was weightless.

  I couldn’t talk to him anymore; I needed his lips against mine. My body was almost desperate for him. “Shh, it’s time to stop talking now,” I whispered, echoing the words I had said to him once before. I ran my hands up his chest, slipping them around his neck, tangling one hand in the back of his hair. He moaned in the back of his throat, and it felt like my body caught fire.

  His mouth was inching towards mine so slowly that it felt like the anticipation would kill me, but the moment was so perfect, private, and romantic that I wanted it to last forever. Finally, his mouth reached mine, his lips pressed against mine softly, and I felt like I could breathe again.

  Oh God, I’m kissing him again! I’d forgotten what it
felt like when he kissed me, how incredible it was. My whole body was burning with passion, and I couldn’t get him close enough, he seemed to feel that too as he pressed me harder against the rock, his hands tracing slowly down my back making the hair on the nape of my neck prickle.

  His tongue traced along my lip so I opened my mouth, eager for more. His tongue slipped into my mouth, massaging mine softly. I moaned into his mouth as his incredible taste exploded on my taste buds. He kissed me deeply as I tightened my arms around his neck not letting him go anywhere, not that he was trying to but I just needed to be sure.

  He pulled out of the kiss just as I was getting slightly dizzy. I thought he was pulling back, but he didn’t, instead he kissed down my neck, nibbling on the skin lightly, actually making me go weak at the knees. I moaned breathlessly as he kissed back up my neck to my ear.

  “I love you, Cutie,” he whispered.

  I grinned happily and tightened my hand in his hair. “I love you too,” I mumbled, barely able to talk through the rush of feelings and sensations pulsing through my body.

  He pulled back, grinning from ear to ear as he brushed my hair back from my face softly. “I’m so sorry I hurt you, but I promise I was trying to do what was best for both of us. It almost killed me to say that we couldn’t be together. The look of hurt that was on your face, I swear it’s been haunting me. I’m so sorry, Cutie; can you forgive me and give me another chance? I’ll never hurt you again, I swear. Please?” he begged, resting his forehead to mine. His eyes burnt into mine showing his sorrow and regret.

  I smiled and pressed my lips against his again for a couple of seconds. “Definitely,” I confirmed, giggling and blushing. I was so happy I actually felt a little lightheaded.

  He grinned and made what sounded like a victory growl as he wrapped his arms tight around my waist and lifted me clean off of the floor, spinning in a small circle making me giggle like crazy. He laughed and let me slide slowly down his body until my feet touched the floor again. He was grinning wildly and crashed his lips to mine again; kissing me so passionately that it was almost too sweet to bear. When he pulled away, I couldn’t keep the happy smile off of my face. This amazing guy wanted me; he loved me and wanted to be with me.