by Brenda Ford
“She’s probably in bed,” I remind myself as I draw my own curtains. “Just where you should be as well. Rest well, tomorrow is a new day, and as today has shown, anything can happen.”
At least this time I can climb into bed knowing that I can sleep with ease. I don’t have the same frustration coursing through me like I did a while ago. Sure, there are still issues surrounding me, I still don’t know what’s going on with my life and my future, and I can’t really fathom what happened with Luna either, but I guess none of that matters. For a moment, I thought that I had lost Amelia, but it seems like I have her back now even more. Tonight was definitely the start of something new when it comes to us and I can’t wait to see where it goes.
Chapter Eight
Amelia
“Okay, so does anyone have any questions for me about what we have gone through today?” I ask, barely able to keep the shakiness in my voice. If I have thought that other classes were hard, well, I was very wrong. This has been the hardest class of my life so far. Knowing that Nelson is in the class room and that he has seen all of me is too much. I can’t handle it. I sure as shit can’t meet his eyes for even a moment. “Anyone?”
I spot a hand in the air and it’s Nelson’s which makes me want to groan aloud. He must realize that he’s the only person I don’t want to speak to today. Is he trying to torture me here?
“Er, yes…?” I ask him cautiously, being careful not to meet his eyes. It doesn’t matter though, there is still an intense blush radiating through me. If the whole class doesn’t sense the weird tension in the air, then it will be a miracle. It’s fucking impossible to keep myself locked away and calm. “What is it, Nelson?”
Even the mention of his name makes me weak at the knees. I have to blame myself what happened with me and Nelson at the window once Lux and the bullshit that he shot my way during that dinner. He got me all churned up and freaked out which is why I acted out. It wouldn’t be the first time that he’s sent my life off the rails. A few times I have acted crazy because of him. Once he got locked away it actually took me a while to get my life in order for Rosie’s sake… but I did, and I intend to keep it that way. I will not lose everything again for any man.
“I just wanted to ask you about this piece.” He points to the text book in front of him. “Do we need to know all of this for the test? Because I don’t know if I will be able to remember every word.”
I want to roll my eyes at this. He’s winding me up for sure. I know for a fact that he can remember this. I’m sure that he just wants to talk to me, to get under my skin, as if he isn’t already firmly there. Just as I part my lips to tell him that he does need to remember the whole text for the test and that he already knows that, the bell rings indicating the end of class. The tight knot of anxiety in my chest loosens as I accept that I have survived the most challenging class that I will ever teach. I have just about managed to come on the other side.
“Right, class, I better let you go. We can talk about everything next time around.”
I busy myself with the papers on my desk, trying to make myself look calm and collected, to hide how much I’m a mess inside as the class leaves, leaving me alone…
“Well?” I leap as his word shoot daggers into my heart. “What is it?”
“N… Nelson?” I can’t meet his eyes. If I couldn’t before then I definitely can’t now. “What is what?”
“I asked you a question and you didn’t answer it. I stayed behind to figure it out. I need to know.”
“The question about the text? Come off it, Nelson. You aren’t really going to tell me you don’t know the answer to that one? You know that you need to know it. You’re just acting out.”
“Okay maybe so.” He shrugs, unabashed even though I have blatantly caught him out. “But I need to talk to you somehow, don’t I? You seem to have been avoiding me all weekend.”
An iciness trickles down my spine as I realize that he’s actually going to try and talk about that here. What the hell is he playing at? I guess hiding away from him all weekend wasn’t the smartest plan after all, but I assumed it would give him the hint that I don’t want this conversation. It certainly isn’t appropriate for now.
“I… I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I gasp, glancing around wildly.
“Don’t worry, I made sure no one was listening before I said anything. I’m not that stupid.”
“No, I never thought that you were, I just…” God, this is a mess. “We can talk later. Not now.”
“Later gives you a chance to avoid me and I don’t want to let that happen. Me and you need to speak, and you know it. What happened wasn’t something that we can just ignore forever.”
The heat burns my whole body. I never thought that Nelson would be so forward about things. “Yes, it is.”
“Are you joking?” He rests his hand on my shoulder and I instantly try to snatch it away. If we get caught with him touching me at all I will be out on my ass with no job. My teacher training all out the window. “Come on, Amelia… sorry, Miss Clark, I don’t want to be rude in school.” His voice shoots right through me, even if it is a little too self-confident for my liking. “I just want a moment of your time, that’s all. That will be it.”
“Shouldn’t you be in class?” I demand, trying to distract him for a moment.
“Nope,” he replies, popping the p. “Free period. So, I have all the time in the world. I know you do too. Your next class isn’t for an hour so we can really hash this thing out and get to the bottom of it.
My shoulder slump forwards, defeated. “Fine, we can talk, but not for an hour. For five minutes. And once this conversation is over and done with, I don’t ever want to hear about it again. At school, at home, anywhere. This needs to be the end. I think you must know as well as I do that it’s gone too far.”
He does a mock salute which almost makes me laugh. He’s such a cheeky bastard and it might be the unraveling of me if I let him. Instead of allowing that laughter to break free, I tuck my head down and move towards my office, knowing that it will be the only place that we can have anything like privacy.
Privacy with Nelson Smith is a dangerous game, but by this point I don’t have a choice.
“Okay, so what is it?” I ask as firmly as I can manage, folding my arms over my chest as I do. It’s a barrier, there to protect me from him, but it can’t hide me away from the palpable atmosphere surrounding me, locking us together in a way that really can’t be possible in my work place. “What do you need to know?”
“What happened…” He steps closer to me, filling in the already small gap between us in my tiny room. “It was the hottest thing ever and I know you think so too. I want to know more…”
My head fills with a fog as my eyes automatically rise upwards to meet his. Everything about this moment is wrong and oh so fucking dangerous, but Nelson has me wrapped in a bubble with him, blocking out the rest of the world. It takes every scrap of strength that I have to press my palm to his chest to stop him.
“Nelson, it was just a… a moment of madness, that’s all. Nothing to get all worked up about.”
“So, it didn’t mean anything? Is that what you’re trying to tell me, Amelia, because I don’t buy it.”
My mouth is dry, my lungs ragged and in pain, my heart absolutely pounding hard against me. Of course Nelson doesn’t buy my words. I wouldn’t either. It’s so damn obvious that I want him so badly.
Instead of arguing this with me, Nelson crashes his lips to mine, and he kisses me. And this isn’t just any kiss, it makes my body on fire instantly, my whole body going up in flames as we connect. His lips send a flurry of tingles through my face and down the rest of my body, intensifying more when his tongue snakes into my mouth. His hands circle around my hips and he presses me up against the desk while he presses himself against me. I feel his thick cock, screaming out for me and all I want to do is let him in. The devil on my shoulder wants me to give in to the lust, to just allow him to fuck m
e because it’s been so long since I’ve felt this way… but unfortunately – or fortunately depending on which way I want to look at it – a small bit of rationality remains.
“S… stop,” I gasp, pushing him away. “We can’t do this. Not now. Not here.”
“But you want it,” he informs me, refusing to be pushed away by me. “I know you do.”
I want to deny it, just to send him away, but is there any point when he already knows? I couldn’t make it any more obvious that I’m on fire for him. “I just don’t think you should be here.”
“In your office? Is that the problem? Because I can wait.”
A sense of pressure overcomes me. It’s like the heavy weights from Nelson’s gym set have been put on my shoulders and they are pushing me to the ground. The walls are closing in on me and I need to be in this space alone so I can organize my thoughts properly. I have just basically risked everything for one kiss and now I need to gather myself up. Thank God I have an hour to get myself in order for my next class.
“You can keep trying to fight this,” Nelson continues. “But that doesn’t mean you don’t feel it. You know that as well as I do. We will end up back in this situation before you know it.”
“We can’t,” I hiss, starting to get irritated now. Or perhaps it’s just the anxiety manifesting. “We can’t let this carry on. It’s already gone too far. You are a student of mine…”
“Not for much longer. Not long until that would be an excuse anymore.” He brushes his fingers over my hips, and I have to admit that it’s damn near impossible to shake him off. “There won’t be anything more in our way.”
“It’s not an excuse, it’s something that we really need to consider. Don’t you think? I’m pretty sure it still isn’t aloud when you have left high school. It seems like the sort of thing that could land me in jail.”
I don’t know if I’m getting through to Nelson at all. He’s just smiling at me as if he sees right through me which is very annoying. I guess I have lost all authority over him now. That’s something that I won’t ever be able to get back, no matter what I do. Years to build up and moments to tear back down again.
“Just get out, Nelson. Get the hell out of my office now.” I point to the door. “Please, just go.”
He holds up his hands in a surrendering gesture. “I’m going, don’t worry. But this won’t be the last of us.”
As he finally walks out of my office, leaving me alone like I wanted him to, I slump in my chair all confused and dejected. What the hell is going on here? How am I losing my mind over this guy who won’t even be here much longer? All my radical thinking is gone, and I need to get it back.
“Forget about Nelson,” I whisper to myself. “Right now, you need to make sure that Lux doesn’t do anything to ruin Rosie’s life any more than he already has.”
Chapter Nine
Nelson
I can’t wipe the big grin off my face. It’s been there all day long and I can’t see it going now. Ever since that hot kiss in her office earlier today, I am simply on fire and eagerly waiting for the next installment. Sure, I was supposed to wait until I am done with high school but she’s making it damn near impossible. First, with that gorgeous little show that she put on for me last night and second, how she acted in class. She might have been acting like she wasn’t looking at me, but I kept feeling the prickles of her darting eyes.
Amelia Clark might want to act like she can resist me, but she can’t. We both know what’s going on.
“Hey, Nelson,” my older brother, Wesley, calls as he enters my room. “I’m headed out to get some food. You want to come with me? I haven’t seen you eat anything other than ramen noodles recently.”
I discretely glance at my watch to see that it’s almost half past eight. This ‘date’ with Amelia is going to be the most important one in my life. There is no way that I can’t be here. Plus, it might give her the impression that I have lost interest now just because she’s kissed me which couldn’t be further from the truth.
“Nah, I’m okay. I’ll just make myself a sandwich later. Thanks for the offer though.”
“Nelson, I really think that you should come out with me. You’re becoming a hermit.”
“Huh?” I barely even bother to acknowledge him. I just need him to go now before he ends up seeing something that he shouldn’t. “What are you talking about? I was out over the weekend.”
“But you used to be out a lot, which is why it’s so noticeable. Has something happened with your mates?”
“No, all is good, Wesley. I’m just… tired, that’s all. I have a lot of studying to do.”
“I don’t buy it, Nelson, you aren’t acting like yourself. I know you and this isn’t you.”
Amelia’s light comes on which means it’s getting closer to crunch time. I need to find a way to get him out of here now. I rise up from the bed to give Wesley my undivided attention for just a moment.
“Do you remember when you were coming to the end of high school?” I remind him. “How stressed out you were that time? Huh? We all had to walk on egg shells around you. That was your way of dealing with it and this is mine. I’m just stressed out and trying to get my head in the game, that’s all?”
As soon as I have finished saying those words, I glance behind me. No one is at the window yet, which is a great relief. But she would still come at any moment which could land me in real trouble. If she sees Wesley here, those curtains might close at the speed of light, especially after what happened today, and if Wesley sees Amelia, his sharp brain will put two and two together and he’ll guess what’s going on.
“I just want to help you, Nelson. That’s all. If you need some assistance with your work…”
Fucking school work. As if this really has anything to do with that. Then again, Wesley was always very anal when it came to his education, which has done him well now but was hard at the time.
“I just need some space at the moment, that’s all, so if you could give me that, it would be great.”
I feel bad being so cruel to Wesley, particularly when he’s being so nice to me, but it’s all that I can do. I edge him towards the door and say my goodbye as I slowly close the door behind him. He might be offended, but I’m hoping that my speech about him will remind him that absolutely none of us are perfect.
“Shit.” I rest my head on the cold wood of the door wondering what the hell I’m doing. I seem to be continually pushing everyone away just so I can have time with Amelia despite the fact that she keeps suggesting that she doesn’t want me. Much as I know that isn’t true, the stuff she said about jail might put her off me…
But then I turn, and I see her there by the window waiting for me, shoving any logical thoughts out of the window. It doesn’t matter what I’m risking for Amelia, she’s totally worth it. I mean, just look at her. She is a goddess. A woman who has been brought in this world to be worshipped by me.
With a smile, I cross the room and slide up my window, something that I haven’t done before and I indicate for her to do the same thing. At first, she looks panic struck and shakes her head no, but I keep on making the same gesture. I will get that window open because it’s what we both want. There’s no point in holding back and waiting any longer, because we have over stepped the line now, so why not carry on?
Amelia is tentative as she finally opens the window. I’m pretty sure she thinks that I am going to have some very loud and inappropriate conversation over the windows, but that isn’t the case at all. There is a tree between our houses, and I intend to climb it to get to her. This is something that I have considered for ages, but never done. I’m glad to finally have the chance to put this plan in action.
I spent a lot of my childhood up the trees, I was the rough and tumble kid who always had scrapes on his knees, so this isn’t much of a climb for me at all. Plus, all the working out helps because I’m strong enough to swing myself easily between my bedroom window and hers… much to her surprise.
“
What the hell are you doing?” she snaps. “You could have gotten yourself killed!”
“I’m fine.” I dust myself down. “I just wanted to talk to you and that’s the only way. With my house filled with my brothers and your daughter being here… this is the only way to keep it a secret.”
“Oh God,” Amelia groans. “You’re acting like this is some kind of clandestine affair.”
“And isn’t it?” I hook my hands around her waist which she tries to pull back from. “I know that we should wait, but honestly does it matter? It’s only a matter of days now until I’m done…”
“Of course it matters. How do you think it will look for me to have a student sneaking in my room? The fact that you climbed a fucking tree to get here will only make it worse.”
“But no one saw me.” I shrug. “It’s fine. I’m not stupid, Amelia. I know that you have a lot at stake.”
“I’m really supposed to be Miss Clark to you,” she argues weakly.
“Oh, you can be Miss Clark if you want. I like that as well.” I smirk. “You like Amelia too, I can tell.”
I am in her bedroom. The one that I have been staring in to and fantasizing for months, I’m really here at long last, but I can’t look at the room at all because all I can see is her. Those piercing eyes, the smile that gets my heart pounding, the little upward curve of her cute button nose…
“You can’t tell me that this isn’t a time to talk about it either, because we’re completely alone. There isn’t anyone here to overhear us or catch us or anything. We aren’t in school now.”
“We talked,” she offers. “We did discuss at school. Don’t you remember?”
“I remember us kissing and that being the most incredible thing in the world. I haven’t ever felt that way before.”
“Stop it…” She moves backwards, shaking her head at me. “Stop saying these things.”
