Lessons of the Heart (9 page)

“But we’re not. We’re just two people who want to get to know each other.”

“And the attraction?” I ask, biting my lip.

His eyes flash again. “Please stop doing that. It’s distracting.”

I release my lip from my teeth. “Sorry.”

“For now, we’re just going to have to push aside the attraction. Do you think we can do that this time?”

I nod. “I just don’t want it to be weird between us because I find you very smart and funny and I do enjoy talking to you.”

“And I enjoy it too. So we’re agreed then.” He sticks his hand out to me and I take it while ignoring the shock that flows between us.

“Agreed. Friends.”

He pulls me to him and presses his lips against my temple.

“Friends don’t do that,” I mumble into his shoulder.

I can feel his lips curl into a smile against my head. “Starting now.”

He releases me and I instantly miss the contact. I move towards the end of the hallway before holding my hand up to him.

“You better wait a minute before leaving otherwise it’ll look like we were doing something back here.”

He laughs. “We were.”

I roll my eyes at him. “But Chase doesn’t need to know that. God, he’s the last person who needs to know that.”

At the mention of his name, James’s stance instantly changes. Tension rolls off him and his jaw twitches with a restrained anger.

“No. We definitely don’t need him finding anything out.” He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. “You better go before I forget our agreement again. Are we still on for Saturday?”

I shake my head. “No. Saturday would be a bad idea. But I’ll help you during the fourth period if you still need it with the computer program. I’m almost caught up with Mrs. Davis’s work so it should be fine.”

He nods and moves closer to me. “I’ll look for you then.” He opens his mouth but then shuts quickly. It takes all my strength to turn around and walk back to the booth, knowing that I’m leaving behind the one person who has made me smile all night.

“Stomach problems? You were gone for quite a while,” Chase says, withholding a laugh.

“Funny. There was an issue with the toilet. Had to find someone to fix it. But thanks for thinking the other thing. That doesn’t make me feel gross at all.”

This time he laughs loudly, causing a few eyes to turn in our direction.

I slam my books shut and gather them together. “I need to get going. We have school tomorrow and it’s getting late.”

Chase looks at his watch and nods. “Shit. Yeah, I was supposed to call Drake fifteen minutes ago.”

We walk toward the door and I can’t help myself from looking over my shoulder to James. Chase looks over his shoulder too and waves slightly.

“Hey, Mr. Dumont,” he says.

James waves back. “Hi, Mr. Woodward, Ms. Fosse. Have a good evening.”

“We will,” Chase replies, pressing his palm into the small of my back.

“You okay?” Chase asks in my ear. He must have felt my muscles tense up. I didn’t exactly do a very good job at hiding my discomfort.

“Yeah, I'm all right. Just got a chill is all.”

We exchange goodbyes at our cars and I let out a sigh of relief. As Chase drives away, I see James out of the corner of my eye walking out the restaurant door. He glances my way. A wry smile plays upon his lips as he climbs into his truck, leaving me standing in my open door dumbstruck and wanton. He pulls out of the spot and heads down the road in a thunderous roar.

Images flash through my head of things we could do in that truck, places he would take me, and secrets we would discover about each other. I shake my head and climb into the seat, gripping the steering wheel tightly.

“Fuck.”

I drive home feeling frustrated and confused, yet giddy and euphoric as I remember the feel of his lips against mine. My whole body ignites again with longing for his lips and I wonder just how this new arrangement of ours is going to work. Until then, I’ll have to occupy myself somehow.

Tonight sounds like a good night to try to go blind.

“S
O, HOMECOMING QUEEN NOMINEE, WHO
are you going to the dance with?” Penny asks me. She’s at her usual perch on my bed, flipping through her magazine yet not really paying much attention to it. I think she just needs something to keep her fingers busy. I’m sitting on the floor next to the bed, looking through my phone.

“No one. I’m going solo.”

Penny throws down the magazine in a huff. “You can’t go by yourself. It’s not right, especially when you’re going to be royalty.”

“Pfft. Whatever. Who says I need a date anyway?”

She stands and walks to my mirror, fluffing her red hair before tucking it behind her ears. “What about Chase?”

I turn to face her. “What about Chase?”

She rolls her eyes and sighs. “You can’t avoid him forever. And I know for a fact that he asked you to the dance.”

I fall back on the floor and toss my arm over my eyes. “Just because he asked doesn’t mean that I need to go with him. Maybe I don’t want to lead him on. Maybe I really do just want to go by myself.”

Her red lips twist to the side. This is not good. “The only reason why a girl says she doesn’t want to lead a boy on is because she’s waiting to ask someone else.”

I pull my arm up and look at her. “Seriously?”

“So, who is it you’re holding out for? Do I know him? Of course I know him. He must be in our school and we know everyone. Is it Lyle? Drake? Matt?”

“No, no, and hell no. It’s no one you know.”

“Aha! There is someone you’re waiting for! I knew it. Who is it? Tell me, tell me, tell me.”

“Fuck!” I yell. “It’s no one, okay? I’m not holding out for anyone. I just want to be single. Is that so unusual?”

“Yes,” she simply says.

“Whatever.” I stand and pull her out the door. “Well, if we want to make our hair appointments we need to get going. Stupid dance won’t wait forever.”

“Come on, lame ass, let’s get moving so you can fly solo.”

I smooth a hand down the front of my dress, thankful that I remembered to wear a button down shirt on the way to the salon. The emerald green satin dress hugs my curves in all the right places and highlights the flecks of gold in my hazel eyes. My hair is twisted into an elegant updo, soft and curly while accentuating my long neck. An emerald pendant necklace with matching earrings completes my outfit.

“You look incredible,” Penny says, entering my room.

“So do you. Don’t let Liam see you. He’ll probably kidnap you and tie you to his bed.”

There’s a twinkle in her eyes and she smiles brightly. “You think?”

I make a gagging gesture. “Gross. Forget I said anything.”

And, on cue, Liam walks into my room but stops short in my doorway.

“Holy shit, Penny. Are you trying to kill me?”

“What?” she says innocently, spinning in a slow circle to give him the full view.

She’s wearing a short, backless, silver halter dress, coming down to her mid-thigh at most, complete with platform silver strappy heels. Her hair is also swept up with several braids integrated throughout. Gold hoops and a gold necklace she got from her parents are her only pieces of jewelry and really, she doesn’t need anything else.

Liam grabs a pillow off my bed and holds it in front of him. “I need to go now.” He turns and leaves, making Penny laugh quietly.

“Burn that pillow when you’re done with it,” I yell at him. “I don’t want it after your boner’s been rubbing up against it!”

I grab my purse off my dresser and smile. “Ready?”

Penny nods. “Now I am! Mission accomplished.”

I roll my eyes and usher us down the stairs. “My poor brother. I don’t even want to think about what he’s doing in his room right now.”

“Maybe I should go in there and find out,” Penny says.

I shake my head and keep her on the stairs.

“Don’t even think about it. Just walk. We’re going to be late.”

“Well if you had a date he could have picked you up and we wouldn’t have to worry about it.”

“I told you I don’t need one,” I say. We round the corner into the living room where my parents are waiting for us.

“You girls are positively stunning,” my mom says, clasping her hands in front of her.

My dad holds up his camera. “Let’s take a picture by the fireplace before you go.”

We both groan but comply, knowing that it’s just easier to give in. After several different shots and nearly going blind from the flash, we climb into Penny’s car and head towards the high school.

“Aren’t you going to be cold standing out there during the football game?” I ask her.

“Aren’t you?”

“I have more dress on than you do,” I say. “Besides, there’s no way in hell that I’m standing out there the entire time. I’m only going out at halftime to be introduced and then I’m hightailing it back inside where it’s warm.”

“And duh, what do you think I’ll be doing?” she says with a laugh.

“Good point.”

We walk into the warm comforts of the school, noticing how much the homecoming committee has decorated in the few hours we’ve been gone. Blue and white streamers crisscross above us with several balloons hanging from the endcaps of the lockers. We stash our purses and head to the gym to see if they need any help.

“And now your Somerset High homecoming royalty,” the announcer screams through the speakers.

The wind has picked up and I’m desperately trying to keep my dress from flying up Marilyn Monroe-style. I look back at the others around me, ten of us total, as they seem to have the same issue. Well, the guys don’t, obviously. The majority of them are on the football team so they’re in their sweaty, smelly uniforms.

Unfortunately for me, I end up paired with Chase. I swear someone has it out for me. Either that or Chase bribed someone on the committee to make sure he escorted me onto the field.

“You look beautiful, Britt,” he whispers in my ear.

“Thanks.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to-”

“Chase?” I say, cutting him off.

“Yeah?”

“We’re getting ready to walk out there.”

His face falls slightly but recovers right away. “Oh, right.”

They announce our names and we walk on the red carpet to midfield. When we turn to face the crowd, I give them my best pageant wave.
Elbow, elbow. Wrist, wrist.
With a fake smile plastered on my face, I scan the crowd to look for the familiar faces among them. I find our small group of friends quickly. It’s not difficult when Justice is holding a sign with our names on it and whistling the loudest. I laugh and look around more to find my parents, who are sitting right beside Penny’s.

But then my eyes find someone else. Someone whose smoldering stare is holding my gaze in place, making me unable to move or focus on anything else.

James.

He stands out plain as day to me, even though he’s with the rest of the faculty near the parent section. But he doesn’t blink as we look at each other. We haven’t had another incident like the one at Sammy’s again, and I’m thankful and sad about that. Part of me wants to run to him every time I see him in the halls or pass him in the teacher’s lounge. Another part of me wants to keep him at arm’s length because I know my treacherous body won’t be able to control its desires again.