by R. Linda
“It won’t always be like that, Bennett. One day you’ll have a girlfriend, and she won’t like me being in the picture and won’t want me around. I mean what person in their right mind would be okay with our friendship? It’s borderline dependant and not at all healthy.”
“Says who?”
“My therapist.”
“Fuck your therapist. I’m great with our friendship. Are you?”
She nodded and gave me a watery smile.
“Is Brody?”
She giggled quietly before it turned to tears. “Yeah, he is. He might not like this physical closeness too much, but he knows it’s not romantic.”
“You mean, he wouldn’t like you sitting on my lap right now, in a cramped car, crying while I rubbed your back.”
“No, but he’d understand and wouldn’t worry about it.”
“Then why are you?”
“Because Brody is one of a kind. No other person would be that okay with this. With us.”
“If they’re not okay with this, then fuck them too. I want nothing to do with them.”
“It really doesn’t worry you?”
“Not at all.” How could I make her see that she was more important to me than anyone else? More important than any possible girlfriend. More important than Christina.
“It doesn’t bother you what people think of us. I mean, Brody is my boyfriend, but to the outside world, so are you. The entire school thinks we’re dating.”
“If we were dating, there’d be a hell of a lot more of you moaning my name than crying,” I joked, wanting to get her to smile again.
She slapped me in the chest.
“Who cares what everyone thinks? Sure, we’re practically dating without the sexual benefits. Feel free to throw them on the table at any time, but it’s got nothing to do with anything. I love you. More than anything. In a completely platonic, non-romantic way. You’re my best friend, and I would lay down my life for you without blinking. So, stop worrying. You’re stuck with me forever.”
She hugged me, wrapped her arms around my neck as tight as she could. “How’d I get so lucky?”
“Because you’ve been through hell, and you deserve all the luck now.”
“I love you, bestie.”
I groaned. “I thought we had this conversation. Bros. We’re bros.”
“I like besties better.”
I kissed her head. “Come on. Let’s go watch a movie and fall asleep.”
“Sounds good.”
Chapter
Seventeen
Christina
The last thing I wanted to do on my Saturday afternoon was spend it at the club with John Sawyer and my father while they drank brandy and talked about who knew what.
But there I sat, in my pretty blue and white tennis dress, sipping lemonade with my father while we waited for Bennett’s dad to arrive.
“How’s work, sweetheart?”
“Great.” I forced a smile.
“John treating you well?”
“Sure. We don’t have a lot to do with each other.” Not now, after he unsuccessfully tried to touch my ass last week as he followed me into the staff room. I’d managed to grab his hand and twist his fingers until he cried out in pain. The guy was a sleaze, and I couldn’t see how he spawned someone as great as Bennett. They were complete opposites.
“Sorry we’re late,” John’s voice boomed from behind me.
We’re? I turned slowly, hoping not to see the one person I really did want to see. “Bennett drags his feet. He’s like a petulant child sometimes.”
Bennett’s jaw twitched, and his eyes darkened. He looked about ready to punch his father, and I wouldn’t blame him if he did.
“Bennett, good to see you, son.” My dad smiled and shook Bennett’s hand. “Sit down. Can I get you a drink?”
“That’d be great. Just a soda, thanks.” Bennett smiled an easy, carefree smile before levelling me with his gaze. “Ms. Brown.”
My throat felt thick, and my body trembled. He just had to call me that in front of our parents, one of whom was the school principal and my boss. I smiled. “We’re out of school now, Bennett. You can save the formalities and call me Christina.”
Bennett raised both hands, palm up, and shrugged. “Sorry, Ms. Brown, no can do. I was raised to show respect.”
The smartass winked. I cleared my throat and picked up my lemonade and gulped it down.
“Thirsty?” He smirked.
“A little.” I held his gaze, not wanting to back down from a challenge. I wasn’t going to let him get to me.
“How’s my daughter been treating you, Bennett?” My dad interrupted our unspoken conversation.
“She’s treated me very well. Gone above and beyond to make things interesting…in class. English is my favourite subject, actually, and,” Bennett lifted his hand to me, eyes still focused on mine, “Ms. Brown really knows her stuff. She’s quite proficient and has a great understanding of the work involved. She pushes the right buttons, challenges…us, and uses such creative energy that I can’t get enough. I find myself studying every day.” His tongue swept over his bottom lip. “Thirsty for knowledge and everything she is willing to teach.”
“Wow! Hear that, sweetheart? You’re quite the teacher. You might just increase your overall academic average next year, John,” my dad bellowed proudly.
Meanwhile, I squirmed in my seat, suddenly feeling very hot and uncomfortable, desperately needing some buttons of my own pushed. I drained my drink and called the waiter for another one.
***
After a delicious lunch, I was preparing to leave and wanting to put some distance between Bennett and me before I gave in to temptation and straddled his lap in the dining room, when John cleared his throat. “All right. Why don’t you two kids go for a wander around the club, entertain yourselves for a bit? We’ve got to talk a bit of shop.” He gestured to my father, and I wondered what on earth type of business they could be discussing.
Bennett raised his eyebrows and shrugged. “Ms. Brown, want to play a game?”
He tilted his head in the direction of the court, but the playful smile on his lips told me tennis was not the game he intended to play.
“Maybe later. How about a walk around the grounds?”
“Sure. I’d like to pick your brain about the book we’ve been reading, Dangerous Liaisons, if you don’t mind?” He schooled his features into an innocent expression.
That was not on our reading list.
“Not at all. If you’ll excuse us, we’ll give you some privacy.” I smiled at my father and John before standing and following Bennett out of the dining room.
“That was fun. Don’t you think?” he asked when we were away from people.
“What? Are you trying to get us busted?”
“There’s nothing to bust.” He tilted his head and dragged his gaze slowly down my body. “Well, not in that way.”
“You’re going to get us in trouble. Come on.” I walked off, leading him further into the grounds, through the gardens, the maze, past the fountain, to the back corner where not many people ever ventured. It was shielded from the view of the main house by the maze and the giant evergreen trees.
I leaned my back against one of those trees, and Bennett came to stand in front of me. “Are we going to have a dangerous liaison, Ms. Brown?”
He leaned in and placed his hands on my hips, and I’d have been lying if I said I didn’t react at all. My body acted on its own and arched into him.
I placed a hand on his chest. His very firm chest. The same chest that starred in my dreams again last night. My fingers spread out, and the thumping of his heart told me he was just as excited, or nervous, as I was.
No.
We couldn’t do this. It wasn’t right. We’d been doing well. And with barely seven weeks to go, I didn’t want to ruin it now. I pushed on his chest.
A low rumble echoed in his throat. “I don’t know if I can last another seven weeks.” He buried h
is face in my shoulder, and I knew I needed to push him away, make him wait another seven weeks, but his breath on my neck gave me chills, and then he spoke again. “Just one taste.”
I didn’t move. I didn’t say yes. I didn’t say no. I waited in anticipation for his next move. My nerves were on high alert, and I felt every brush of his fingers on my waist, every whisper of his breath on my skin, every scratchy piece of bark digging into my back. And then his tongue…
The things he could do with his tongue.
He swept it across my collarbone, dragged it slowly up my neck. My head fell to the side, allowing him better access until he pulled my earlobe into his mouth with his teeth.
My eyes rolled back into my head, and I moaned, enjoying every sensation flowing through my body, right down to the tips of my toes.
“Bennett.” I managed to find my voice. “You have to stop.” I pushed his chest gently, not really trying to stop him at all, even though I knew I should.
“Don’t want to,” he whispered against my ear, sending a shiver down my spine.
“We can’t,” I said more firmly, and he backed away.
“You’re right. Seven weeks is a long time, though.” He ran his hands through my hair and took four steps back, putting a considerable distance between us.
“It will be worth it, I promise.”
His eyes lit up, and he groaned. “That’s not fair. That just made it harder.”
I laughed. I loved that he wanted this as much as I did. I only hoped it wasn’t because it was forbidden. I wondered if when the time came, and I was no longer his teacher, he’d lose interest.
He sat on the grass under the tree opposite me and crossed his legs at the ankles. Arms behind his head, he leaned back and closed his eyes. His biceps bulged, and I wanted to throw caution to the wind and climb on his lap. But common sense prevailed. Barely.
I sank to the ground and watched him.
“Stop staring,” he said.
“I’m not.”
“Are too. It’s creepy.”
I laughed, and he suddenly sat straight up and looked me in the eye.
“We need to talk,” he said. His serious tone made me nervous.
“I don’t like the sound of that.”
“It’s not bad, but you need to know a few things if this is going to continue after graduation.”
I folded my legs under me and picked at a blade of grass, twirling it between my fingers. “I’m listening.”
“Audrey.”
“I’m sorry about yesterday. Really.” And I was. I never expected her to react that way to a simple request. I was starting to see the true effects the fire had on her, the more time I spent teaching her.
“I know, and that’s sort of what this is about.”
“Okay,” I said slowly, confused as to what he was talking about.
“She’s strong, a fighter, but she’s also fragile.”
“Got that.” I nodded.
“She’s also the most important person in my life. She’s my best friend. Pretty much my only one.” He paused and took a deep breath.
“I understand.”
“You don’t. Our friendship is…” he searched for the right words, “complicated, and different to most. We’ve grown closer than what friends normally would.”
“You love her.” It was a statement, not a question, as it suddenly dawned on me how strong his feelings for her were. I swallowed the lump in my throat and pressed a hand to my stomach to ease the queasy feeling. I was his second choice. He wanted me only because the girl he loved was off limits.
“I do. But, not like that. Not anymore, anyway. It’s platonic, I swear, but the fact remains, Audrey comes first. Always. You need to be prepared to share me with her. Don’t ever make me choose, because I can guarantee I won’t choose you or anyone else over her.”
His admission hit me like a tonne of bricks, square in the chest.
He’d always choose her.
Over me.
Over anyone else.
Audrey always came first.
It wasn’t something I was prepared to hear. It wasn’t something I was sure I could be okay with.
I liked Bennett, more than I should, and the thought of him being more invested in his friendship with Audrey than me hurt.
I nodded, wondering for the hundredth time what was so special about this girl that she managed to capture his heart and his undying loyalty. “Right. Well, it’s not like this thing between us would ever get more serious than sex anyway, so it doesn’t matter.” I shrugged, hoping he wouldn’t see the hurt I was feeling.
“Don’t be like that. It’s not that bad. Honestly.”
“You just said you’d never choose anyone over her. How can I compete with that? How can I be okay with that?”
“I’m just putting it out there. Trying to be honest. She’s the biggest part of my life. And if we’re to pursue this in seven weeks, like I really fucking want to, I want you to be aware. We spend a lot of time together. Talk every night. If Brody isn’t around and she needs someone, I’m the first one there, always.”
“I get it. But I don’t know if I’m okay with that.”
Bennett folded his hands in his lap. “Well, there’s seven weeks for you to decide what you want to do. Until then, I won’t bring it up again.”
“Okay.” I stood and brushed the grass off the back of my skirt. “Are we done?” I wanted to leave. To put some distance between us. I was trying to be a better person, someone who deserved his affection, and he tells me I’ll never be that because Audrey is so fucking perfect.
Bennett stood as well and rocked on his feet. “I guess.”
“Good.” I turned to walk away when he called my name again. Closing my eyes, I prepared myself for whatever other rubbish he could start talking about.
His fingers wrapped around my wrist, and he tugged me to face him. His hands were in my hair, and before I could take a breath, his mouth was on mine, moving roughly and passionately as his tongue explored my mouth. Against my better judgement, I melted under his touch, my hands grabbing at his shirt, trying to pull him closer when there was no space left between us. He backed me into the tree, his hands moving down my body until he lifted my legs around his waist.
My skin was on fire, my nerves on edge as we kissed, hidden from the view of our parents and the rest of the club. It was so wrong but felt so right. My body responded to his barest touch in a way that had never happened before. His lips peppered kisses down my throat until I grabbed his ponytail and pulled his mouth back to mine.
We were explosive together. Things between us could be phenomenal, but I couldn’t share him with another girl. The thought of Audrey immediately stamped out any feelings I was having like a bucket of cold water on my head. I broke the kiss and untangled my legs from his waist.
Bennett set me down gently and took a step back. Flushed cheeks, rapid breaths. He was just as turned on as I was, only I had the sense to stop it. Not before I lost my job, but before I lost my heart, which I quickly realised, as I watched the man before me, I was already in danger of doing.
“What was that?” I growled and shoved him away.
“A pretty spectacular kiss.”
“Why?”
“Just in case you want nothing to do with me in seven weeks.” He shrugged. “See you around, Ms. Brown.” And then he walked away from me.
Probably straight to Audrey.
Chapter
Eighteen
Bennett
Five weeks to go.
It was only five weeks until graduation. Work was flat out, but I was enjoying it. I liked working on the cars—it gave me a sense of accomplishment when I fixed something—and I even helped out behind the bar when Jeremy got desperate. Ryder showed his face now and then, but not nearly as much as he used to. The preparation for exams was getting more intense. I tried to focus on my studies, but I struggled. English was the hardest. Obviously. For more than one reason.
I
wondered if Christina was messing with me on purpose. Those tight dresses seemed to get tighter and shorter. Her heels got taller. And her lips got more and more blood red as the days went on.
“You’ll never guess what I saw last night,” Audrey said as she climbed into my car. I was taking her to Storm Cove for the day. It was Saturday, and Brody was working, so we were going to hang out and eat ice cream.
“Before or after we talked on the phone?”
“Umm. Before.”
“And you’re only telling me now?”
“Yes. Because I didn’t know how you’d react. You’ve been quiet lately, and I wasn’t sure whether that was good or bad. So, I wanted to tell you to your face.”
My hands tightened on the steering wheel. “What?”
“Christina with Mr. Hamilton. I guess they’re, like, dating now,” she said slowly, her voice barely a whisper.
“Good for her,” I ground out. My fingers tightened, and I was afraid I’d crush the steering wheel if I squeezed any harder. I guessed that settled it, then.
I was counting down for nothing.
“Really? You don’t care?”
“We had sex, Audrey. Not a relationship. And it ended five weeks ago. It was nothing.”
“I just thought…”
“Nope. Don’t care. In fact, I have a date tonight as well.”
Lie.
I really needed to stop lying to her.
“You do?”
“Yes.”
“With who?” Her eyes lit up, and she smiled. “Tell me it’s not someone from school, though, please.”
“No, of course not. Ummm…” I searched my brain for a girl I knew who I could possibly convince to go on a date with me tonight. How pathetic was that? I was trying to find a girl I had no interest in to go on a date, to make my English teacher jealous. “Maya.”
“Who’s Maya?”
“She works in the clothing store.”
“Oh, you mean the one you haven’t worked at since you started helping out at the garage?”
“I have exams. I need to focus. Can’t do both.”
