by Coralee June
I was quickly losing control of the classroom and knew that if I didn’t reign it in soon, we’d never get anything done. Blakely looked at me for a millisecond before bringing her attention back to Max. “I don’t think my boyfriend would like that very much,” she replied with a smile.
The class erupted into “ooooh burn” and cackles. Max picked himself up off the floor, and I had to fight back a pleased smile. That’s right, fucker.
“Who’s the boyfriend?” he asked with a frown, though he was trying to mask his hurt. I almost felt sorry for him—almost. I too would be devastated to have missed out on Blakely.
I tried to salvage the distraction with a stern frown. “We’re not here to discuss love lives, Mr. Hemsworth,” I growled.
Blakely ignored me and quickly answered Max. “An ex from Texas. We got back together and are going to make the long-distance thing work.” She gave him a convincing smile before scribbling something on her notebook.
I had to forcibly remind myself that this was a lie and that there wasn’t some bumfuck in Texas trying to take what was mine. “Fair enough,” Max said. “I’ll settle for friendship.” He then turned around to face me and grabbed the phone from my palm with a wink. “And if this Texas boyfriend fucks up, I’ll be waiting.”
You’ll be waiting a long time, Maximillian Fucking Hemsworth.
She broke the rules and stayed after class. I didn’t mind. Once the door was shut, I pulled her out of view from the window and picked her up to sit on her desk. Parting her legs, Blakely grabbed my tie and yanked me between her thighs. It was a compromising position, but my resolve was weak. “It’s kinda hot when you’re jealous,” she whispered, though her eyes were fixed on the door. We wouldn’t stay like this for long, but I was willing to saturate my skin with her presence for every available second.
“Boyfriend in Texas, huh? Is he as smart and good looking as I am, or should I be worried?”
I could tell by her grin and the way her eyes moved from the door and to my lips that she wanted to kiss me. “He’s really hot,” she whispered. “He’s nice. Kind. Smart. I think…” Her voice trailed off as a locker slammed shut outside. Our little bubble was one bad move from bursting. One casual onlooker. One random pop in from a coworker.
“You think what?”
“I think I’m falling for him,” she admitted before touching her lips with the tips of her fingers.
I sucked in a breath and once again hated this secrecy. It was so stifling and made me clench my teeth. I wondered fleetingly if the allure had something to do with how forbidden this all was, and even though it made it fun, it wasn’t worth the pain of not being able to touch her when I wanted to.
I wanted to kiss her on my desk and make her come on the stack of papers I needed to grade. I wanted to hold her hand in public. Wrap my arm around her shoulders in front of her brother and joke about our relationship with Rose. She didn’t deserve to be hidden.
Right now, she deserved to be rewarded for that admission. I knew it didn’t come easy to her. “I don’t want to say this here, because we don’t have time and it’s cheap and fast and not what you deserve, but I love you,” I rushed out before mentally kicking myself.
And then the classroom faded away. The time slowed. The secretive seconds and distance between us melted into hot lust. Blakely leaned up as I leaned down and somewhere in the middle, we met at the perfect angle for a kiss. As her hand rested on the waistband of my pants, each rise and fall of her chest had me aching to slide my finger inside of her.
“We’re so bad at this secrecy thing,” she groaned.
“Secrets are overrated,” I conceded before clinging to her lip with my teeth and pulling at the soft pillow of flesh. She tasted like mint, and my hands went to her neck just so I could feel her erratic pulse.
“We should stop,” she whispered while parting her legs wider. I pressed against the soft fabric of her black underwear. I’d probably have a wet spot on my pants for how heated she was.
“We should,” I agreed between kisses while palming her breasts.
“I’m going to stop. Any minute now,” she said again before grinding on my dick. The desk she was sitting on squeaked.
“One more minute,” I pleaded while sliding my hand down to her skirt and dipping inside of her heat. She was dripping.
“Fuck,” she said before pulling away. “I’m going to lunch because, if I stay here, you’ll lose your job for sure.” I took my finger and sucked on it, enjoying the look of her heady eyes and the taste of her on my tongue.
She got up from the desk and pushed at my chest. The space between us was torturous. It was all so new; I didn’t feel like I was adequately acquainted with every freckle on her face or the curve of her breasts. Every moment of my day was filled with wanting to know her better, and I wasn’t sure this desperate newness would ever fade.
I watched her walk to the classroom door with her messenger bag slung over her shoulder, and when her hand landed on the handle, she paused. “I love you too,” she whispered so low I almost didn’t hear, but my chest swelled with pure, blinding happiness long after she disappeared into the hallway.
I love you, too.
I love you, too.
Mine.
Mine.
Mine.
“Good girl,” I whispered into my empty classroom.
27
Blakely
“I’m not going to the fall formal, Maximillian. My boyfriend is in Texas. I don’t see the point,” I argued for the fifteenth time while slamming my locker shut. He’d been hounding me for weeks, begging me to attend with him as friends. The only thing friendly about his persistence was the smile on his face.
Maximillian’s blond hair was a mess today, and he tugged at the strap of his backpack while he grinned. Handsome, cheeky little devil. “It can be casual! Let me talk to your boyfriend. I’ll assure him that my intentions are pure,” he teased. He was continually mocking me about my elusive Texas boyfriend, and it annoyed the hell out of me. Maximillian knew. He knew. I knew he knew by the way he taunted Decker—Mr. Harris—relentlessly. And yet he never said anything.
“Nah. I’ve got plans tonight anyway. I don’t even have a dress!” That was a lie. I had a dress. It had been hanging in my closet since I got here, just waiting for an opportunity to be seen. The only problem was, the only person I wanted to wear it for couldn’t actually take me out on a date.
“You should just go naked,” Maximillian offered, and I gave him a pointed look. He held his hands up in surrender. “Fine. Be lame. Don’t go to the dance that literally everyone is going to be at, you rebel hipster loner.”
“Have fun with Taylor!” I called over my shoulder while heading to Physics.
That night, Lance was off with Sean again. I still hadn’t met this mystery boyfriend, but I didn’t mind. The more time Lance spent at his apartment, the more time I had with Decker.
I was sitting at the kitchen table when Decker walked through the front door, carrying his leather bag. His eyes lit up the moment he saw me, and I took a moment to appreciate the black suit he was wearing. He’d undone his gray tie some and unbuttoned the top of his button up shirt, revealing some of his delicious chest.
“Hey,” he said. “It’s not too late for the dance if you still wanted to go.” I warmed at his thoughtfulness but shook my head. He’d told me numerous times that I could go to the dance tonight, though I knew the idea of me spending any amount of time with Maximillian drove him mad. I appreciated that he reined in his jealous tendencies, but still didn’t want to attend. Time with Decker was precious, and I was determined to enjoy whatever I could.
“I was thinking,” he said with a grin. “We should have a dance of our own tonight.”
“Oh, really?” I replied while closing the textbook in front of me and grinning back up at him.
“Really. Go put on a pretty dress, though you don’t need it. I’ll get the music going.”
“None of that old s
chool shit, Mr. Harris,” I chided before disappearing into my room. The dress I wanted to wear once belonged to Mama. It was deep blue and short. The fabric was soft, and anytime I put it on, I felt pretty. I loved how it lightly clung to my skin and draped along my torso. Mama got it from one of her boyfriends. She hated that the bust was too large for her and that it fit me perfectly; she was always self-conscious about her breasts. I cherished the satin dress. Not because of its origins or because it reminded me of her, but because it was one of the few precious things I owned that genuinely made me feel beautiful.
I slipped it on and found some nude heels Lance bought me to pair with it, then applied a little makeup. I stared in the mirror for a moment, trying to remember the last time there was such a sparkle in my eye. Moving to Memphis looked good on me. Decker Harris looked good on me.
When I made my way back into the living room, the lights had been dimmed, and soft music was playing through the speakers. Decker lit a single candle on the mantle, then turned around to face me once he could hear my heels clicking on the wood floors. As I’d hoped, his jaw classically dropped, making a blush hit my cheeks. “You look incredible. Breathtaking. I’m-I’m speechless here.”
“Come dance with me, Decker,” I said while holding my hand out. He didn’t need telling twice.
Decker sauntered over, then wrapped his arms around me. I nuzzled his neck, breathing in the deep scent of his cologne while swaying to the music. “This is just what I wanted,” I whispered as his hand drifted lower to cup my ass.
“I would have picked you up in a limo if this was our dance. I would’ve been nervous out of my goddamn mind, too, wondering how a nerd like me scored a date with you. You would have been way out of my league,” Decker replied before spinning me around and crushing me back to his chest.
“I doubt that. Have you seen yourself?”
“Have you seen yourself?” Decker asked. “You’re beautiful, Blakely. I can’t stop staring at you. And it’s not just these plush lips,” he kissed me for emphasis, a light peck that I wanted to drag out but he cut off too soon. “It’s not your delicious curves”—his hands ran down my sides—“or your long legs,” he added before lightly touching my thigh.
“It’s not?” I asked.
“No. It’s your selflessness. Your fire. Your intelligence. Your heart. Fuck, you have an amazing heart once you let people in.”
“You’re going to give me a big head, Mr. Harris,” I teased before running a hand through his dark hair. It was so soft. “I wish our timeline would have aligned better. I would have gladly fumbled through an awkward high school dance with you.”
“My younger self would have been fighting a boner all night,” he joked.
“Your older self seems to be having the same problem. Need some help with that, Mr. Harris?” I asked with a teasing grin before trailing my hand down his chest and past his waist until I was cupping his hard-on over his pants.
“Fuck, you kill me.” He groaned before taking a deep inhale of my hair. “I know you’re on the pill, but I’m going to grab a condom and bend you over the kitchen table,” he rushed out before backing away. “Give me five seconds.”
Decker disappeared down the hall, and I smiled after him, the thrill of the moment coursing through me. How did I get so lucky? How did something so disastrous and ugly turn into the best move of my life? I had a brother that I liked, maybe even loved. I had Decker. I was at my dream school on track to graduate with honors. Everything was just perfect.
And then the door jiggled. Fuck.
Lance was here. Right now. Right fucking now.
I turned on the lights and quickly blew out the candle just as Lance opened the door and entered the loft. I fixed my face into a fake smile while greeting him. “Whoa! Look at you! Hot date tonight?” Lance asked before dumping his bag on the floor. I heard Decker’s door shut and breathed out a sigh of relief. Crisis averted.
My brother looked effortlessly handsome with his graphic tee and faded jeans. He ran a hand through his hair and let out a low, polite whistle while gesturing for me to spin around. I curtsied and humored him, feeling giddy at how sweet he was being. I couldn’t help but wonder how it would have felt to have his sort of enthusiasm growing up.
“It’s the fall formal tonight, but it seems my date has stood me up. Was just about to go get changed and watch a movie.”
Lance’s jaw dropped. “Who in their right mind would stand you up?” he asked while rubbing his hands together. “Oh gosh, I’ve been waiting for this moment. I get to beat some dude up for breaking my sister’s heart now, don’t I?” he asked with glee while pacing the floors. “Give me a name. I’m so excited! I get to be the protective big brother now!”
I giggled at his elation while taking off my heels. Usually, others might have said that my romantic night with Decker was ruined, but I actually wasn’t bothered by Lance’s intrusion. “There will be no beating anyone up,” I chided. I felt terrible for yet another lie but didn’t see any other option. I was actually pretty proud of myself for coming up with something so quickly. “I didn’t really want to go anyway. Besides, look at me. He’s already missing out. I think the absence of my presence is punishment enough.” I winked to feign confidence and put my hand on my hips.
Lance grinned. “I like the way you think, Blakely,” he said before making his way over to the kitchen and grabbing a Coke out of the fridge.
“I thought you were staying at Sean’s tonight,” I asked.
Lance faced me just as his face fell, and I watched as he started staring at his feet. “Ah, I decided to come home. Missed my baby sister too much,” he deflected. I wanted to pry but didn’t want to be too intrusive. It seemed like he wasn’t unwilling to open up about his relationship. I had no right to complain though. I decided not to press him on it even though I wanted to. I was starting to understand why Decker felt so protective of Lance. I had started to feel the same way. Lance was so bright and joyful; he was the type you wanted to hold tight and shelter from the world. Sometimes I even fleetingly wondered if he would have been this optimistic ray of sunshine had he been raised by Mama.
“Oh! I spoke to your dad’s parole officer and managed to get a case opened on his disappearance,” Lance said. “I know we’ll find him soon, Blakely.” My heart swelled again. I hadn’t heard from Dad since the night he warned me away. I was worried about him but felt helpless to do anything. The system was flawed and didn’t care about an ex-felon. We hadn’t seen more of those men around, but I had a feeling this wasn’t over. Like most of my life right now, I was in a state of limbo and waiting for the other shoe to drop.
“Thank you, Lance. I can’t say it enough. It means a lot that I don’t have to go through that alone,” I choked out.
Lance circled the kitchen island and wrapped me up in a hug. “You don’t have to do anything alone anymore, Blakely. I’m here for the long haul.” Moisture collected in my eyes, and I swatted it away when our embrace ended. “Anyways,” Lance began, all tenderness in his tone now gone, “a dress like that shouldn’t be put to waste. How about we go to dinner? Where the hell is Decker?”
As if on cue, Decker appeared out of his bedroom and came sauntering down the hall. He looked frustrated as he ran a hand through his hair. He’d changed out of his suit and into jeans and a t-shirt. I wasn’t sure which outfit I liked more. “Was just grading papers,” he supplied lamely.
“Well, stop. We’re taking Blakely out to dinner,” Lance said before clapping his hands.
Decker’s face twisted up into a look of agony as he responded. “I’m not sure. I have a lot of work to get done,” he replied. I knew that he didn’t have anything to do tonight, but the idea of sitting with Lance and me while I was wearing this dress would be awkward and torturous. I had to fight back a snicker.
Lance wasn’t easily deterred. “Too bad. We’re going out,” he replied. “Go put on one of those fancy suits you own and meet me here in ten minutes. I have a perfect place.�
�
Tonight had definitely taken a different turn, but I was excited. I was actually looking forward to a night with both Lance and Decker. Since we got back from Chicago, we’d all kind of separated to do our own things. Decker and I were so focused on keeping our relationship a secret, that we had inadvertently kept our distance from Lance in the process. I decided that this would be very good for us.
“Sounds like a plan,” I agreed readily.
Lance took us to a high-rise restaurant at the top of a five-star hotel. It was fine dining at its best. The waiters put a napkin in my lap and held the chair out for me. It was a five-course meal, and by the third course, Lance and Decker were giggling like a bunch of schoolgirls as they drank wine.
“Do you remember that girl you dated in high school?” Lance asked while taking another sip. “You had me break up with her because you were too scared to.”
Decker stuttered, his voice a little too loud for the fancy setting. I had a feeling that they often got like this when they were together. Boisterous. Loud. Lost in their own world and memories. It was beautiful to watch. “She told me she practiced witchcraft. I didn’t want her placing a curse on me,” Decker explained in rapid-fire.
“Well, we both know how well it worked out for me,” Lance said while rolling his eyes. I took another bite of salad before resting my chin on my fist. I found myself feeling a little jealous of their long-lasting friendship. Would we have had stories like this if I knew Lance sooner?
“Don’t remind me. She set your hair on fire in Mrs. Anderson’s English class!” They both roared with laughter, and I joined in.
As if remembering that I was still there, Lance turned to me. “What is the worst date you ever went on?” he asked with a mischievous chuckle.
I actually wasn’t willing to divulge the details of the worst date I had ever been on. And because it was a lighthearted dinner, I decided to tell them the story that was easier to swallow. “I once dated the quarterback of our football team, and if you know anything about Texas football, you’d know that being on his arm was a huge deal in our tiny town,” I began. I could still remember Kenneth. He was handsome and smart. Kind, but a little odd.
