Next she moves.Head held high.That stubborn chin lifted.Every step defiant.Fierce and absolutely gorgeous.
The noise fades as she approaches me.
I barely hear the laughter, the whisper.The low, drawn-out “fuuuck” from some loser who’s staring too long.A few fuckers too slow to look away.I see one of them tracking her hips, and my hands curl into fists instinctively.
Don’t they realize I’ll tear their fucking eyeballs out?
I stop breathing as she walks to me.Her hair’s catching fire in the morning sun, and every step she takes lights me up from the inside out.
She’s a slow burn that becomes a raging inferno.
Her hair’s half-up, some strands spilling loose.A black tank top hugs those curves I already know by heart.Faded denim shorts that make my brain short-circuit.Skin I want to taste, freckles I want to count, and I’m so fucking gone for her it’s not even funny.
I don’t wait.I meet her halfway, my hand sliding to her waist.She’s warm under my palm, her body already leaning into mine, her breath catching the second I pull her close.
Her eyes flick upward.Her fingers grip my shirt.
“Hi,” she says softly.
I grin.“Were you worried I wouldn’t show?”
“No,” she lies.
But she’s already melting into me, and I’m already hard.Shit.This girl’s gonna be the death of me.And I’ll thank her for every second of it.
I kiss her like I fucking mean it.Deep and dirty.Tongue sliding in, hand running up her back to tilt her mouth closer, until there’s no space between us.Just her lips, her taste, her body pressed tight against mine while I lose my damn mind.
We break apart, gasping.
She glances around, flustered, as she tucks her hair behind her ear.
“Let them fucking look,” I mutter, dragging my thumb across her cheek, slow and sure.“Did you tell Lola or Aubrey?”
She shakes her head, teeth biting into her bottom lip.“No.”
“Do you feel bad?”
“A little.Liz left yesterday, but still, they’re my friends.I probably should’ve said something.”
I don’t answer.I grab her hand and thread our fingers tightly, not giving her a second to overthink it.
Her fingers twitch in mine, but she doesn’t let go.Not when the first heads turn or when the whispers start curling through the air.
It’s almost nine, and this place is already crowded.
I can sense her nerves.Shoulders are tight.Her steps are quick.She’s holding her breath too long.But I stay steady, anchoring us both through it.
The moment we cross the gates, everything changes.Every stare feels more intense.Every new glance cuts deeper.
And when we reach the hallway, it gets worse.
Eyes turn to us.Girls whisper behind their hands.Half of the football team pauses, jaws slack, heads turning.Nicole’s frozen at her locker, mouth half open.Tia’s caught mid-step on the stairs, staring as if we’ve broken something sacred.
I won’t stop.Let them choke on it.Let them see what’s really happening.
Up ahead, I see Noah and Jace in our usual corner, talking shit with Aubrey and Lola.Just another Thursday morning lineup...until the hallway goes quiet.
It’s subtle at first.The kind of silence that sneaks in when something’s about to happen.Heads turn.Voices quiet down.And that’s all it takes to grab their attention.
