I meet his gaze directly.“Move.”
His mouth curves into a smirk, and I know without a doubt he’s enjoying this.
For a heartbeat, I think he won’t move, that he’ll keep pushing, testing that line again.
But he steps back, giving me space to leave before I do something stupid.Before I stay...or worse, soften.
Sleep refuses to arrive.The room is dark and quiet, but my mind is anything but.Every time I close my eyes, I’m immediately back there.On his floor.In his space.Too close.Too aware.
My mind keeps replaying everything I don’t want it to.
The heat of his thigh pressed against mine, grounding in a way that felt wrong to notice.The weight of his presence at my back, close enough that I could feel him without touching.His fingers twisting in my hair as if they belonged there, as if my body had already agreed to something my brain was still fighting.His breath brushing my neck, soft and infuriating, sending my pulse into chaos like it didn’t know how to behave around him.
I stare at the ceiling and swallow hard.
I hate that it stays with me.That it followed me home, crawled under my skin, and now refuses to come off.I dislike that my body remembers it so vividly, as if it’s recorded every moment and won’t let it fade.
And I hate myself the most for the thoughts I can’t turn off, for wondering what would happen if I stopped fighting them.
Chapter 6
Reece
Themomentshestepsthrough the school gates, I’m already tuned in.
She’s wearing that red skirt again.The one that flares when she walks, the one that should be harmless but isn’t.My fists clench because I know she doesn’t mean to fuck with me, which only makes it worse.But, fuck, it does something to me.
I watch her, books hugged tight to her chest, held there ready to raise if anyone gets too close.Her red hair pulled back in a ponytail, soft as sin.I know it fucking is, because I touched it yesterday.I couldn’t help myself.Those red locks were a temptation I didn’t try to fight.I just had to touch them.I can still feel them sliding through my fingers, still remember how my chest tightened when she froze under my hand.
Sam Carter is sunshine and sweet-girl energy with teeth.All control, hiding beneath flawless skin.Every glare she throws my way sinks into me and stays there.My blood runs hotter when she’s near.My heart kicks into overdrive.My dick gets harder too, no matter how much I tell myself to rein it in.
Fuck, what I would do to her if she ever gave me the chance.
Never has a girl had my head this twisted.Never have my thoughts been this locked on to one chick.I’m supposed to be wired for chaos, for easy distractions, for moving on.Instead, I’m stuck walking around half feral, dick hard, ready to rub one out the second she crosses my line of sight.
She hates me.I can see that every time she looks through me instead of at me.
She’s the one thing I shouldn’t want and can’t stop fucking wanting, anyway.
She pretends she didn’t feel what happened yesterday in my room.The way she burned under my hands.The way she melted and then ran.
Her pulse fluttered under my touch.Her breath hitched when my thigh brushed hers.She wanted to pull away but didn’t.Not right away.
And it’s been fucking with me ever since.
She disappears into the building, and I don’t even hesitate.
I pass Jace the blunt we’re sharing, fingers brushing his as I shove it into his hand, already pushing off the wall.He calls after me, some smart-ass comment I don’t bother catching, because my focus is already locked in one direction.
Her.
I have her schedule memorized.Better than I should.English.Bottom floor.Same room every Wednesday morning.No one hangs around down there this early before first period.
But I know Sam.
She always goes early.She gets there before the noise, before the chaos, before anyone can distract her.She sits, opens her bag, lines her shit up neatly, and gets organized as if the world won’t fall apart if she’s prepared enough.
Her head is down.She has no idea I am behind her.
