“I told the kids I have to run to the store. I tried to wait until nine, but I couldn’t hold back.”
“I’m glad you called. Did you talk to Henry?”
“Yeah. I didn’t straight up admit to anything, but I stressed how important it is to keep what he thinks a secret, and that it’s not what he thinks. That’s my fear, that people will see this as something scandalous, and maybe it is, but—”
“It’s not. It’s real. Do you think we can trust him?”
James nods.
“Maybe I won’t kill him, then…even if he wants to fuck my man.”
James rolls his eyes, but his cheeks pinken. “I think Henry would fuck anyone.”
“Ithink you don’t know how irresistible you are.” His smile hits me straight in the chest, and I hope I won’t ruin it with what I’m about to say. “I dropped your class. I know you didn’t want me to, but it’s time.”
He sighs, closing his eyes, not looking at me as he speaks. “I’m not worth that.”
Jesus. Is that really what he thinks? Is that why he was so adamant I stay in his class? “You are to me. You’re worth everything to me.”
James’s brown eyes pop open, glassy and unsure. “I don’t know how to do this. I’m going to ruin it.”
“No, you’re not, and besides, neither of us knows how todo this. We need to talk and figure out what to do. I want you, James. That won’t change.” It won’t ever change.
“I want you too. You’re…unexpected.”
I grin. “Keep going.”
“Cocky.”
“Thank you.”
He chuckles. “Seriously, though, I still think we need to be careful. I don’t know the protocol for dating a student who dropped my class—or a student in general. I imagine there’s nothing official, but it’s probably frowned upon. And I still have to worry about the kids. Things are just starting to come together with them both, and I don’t want to risk messing that up.”
“Okay.” I nod. “So we don’t see each other at school. I think that’s important. I like making you lunch, though. It means something for me to be able to provide for you that way.”
“I like it too,” he admits. “What if I give you a key to my car, and you put it there?”
“That works. I like it. Will you feel comfortable being out with me in public? I know we talked about me coming to Nash’s games.”
“I doubt we’ll see anyone there, and it’ll mean so much to Nash, so yes. He’d like—we’d both like—for you to be there. I don’t know about dates or anything like that right now.”
“That’s fine. We can take that part slow.”
“And the kids should only think we’re friends for now.”
“I can handle that too.” None of it is ideal, but we can make it work. At least for a little while. Eventually people will have to be okay with us. I didn’t stay in his class, and for all they know, this started afterward.
“Okay,” James answers. “I might not be good at this. My head plays tricks on me sometimes. I’ll be afraid of gettingcaught and worry about everything that can go wrong, but…I’m trying. I’ll always be trying. Just please don’t give up on me.”
I know how much it took for him to be able to say that. I’m not sure if he’ll ever understand how much it means to me that he’s trying. He’s doing this for me, for us. “I’m not going anywhere,” I promise. Leaving someone I care about isn’t me. It’s not how I’m built. I’ll love him forever if he lets me.
“Even if I didn’t listen?” he asks, offering a small smirk.
“What did you do?”
“I’m still wearing it…the cage. I tried to take it off, but I didn’t want to. It felt like having you with me, which was strangely comforting.”
“Jesus.” My dick chubs at hearing that. “Such a dirty, slutty boy.”
