Page 84 of Time To Learn

“Wait!” I call out, but she only picks up her pace. It doesn’t take me long to catch up, and as I reach out my arm to stop her, my heartbeat settles from the mere touch of her hand inmine.

My heart may be quiet, but my body isn’t. Nor is mymind.

“Laura, please. You can’t say something like that and then just walkaway.”

The words come out harsher than I want them to, but I can’t keep myself in check.

“Fuck your past, and fuck this friendship thing,” I mutter as I turn around to stand in her way. Her eyes widen in surprise as I shake my head at her. “Admit it,” I taunt her, “it never would’ve worked anyway.”

“What do you mean? Of course it would—if we both wanted itto.”

Wanted. Past tense.

She tucks some wild strands of hair away from her face, her eyes flickering between me and the ground. I can hardly see her anymore—it’s grown so dark—except for her eyes. There’s a storm swirling inside them, making it difficult to keep up with her emotions.

Confusion, hesitation, longing.

Passion.

It’s the last core emotion I see that I choose to hold on to. The one that speaks so much clearer to me than the others.

Passion is something I understand. It’s physical, an impulse that I know how toease.

Her revelation—her admission about falling in love with me—flitters through my head, and I can’t help but smile at her. I’ll make her change her mind. She hasto.

“Don't do that,” she snaps, a small frown forming between hereyes.

“Don't do what?” I smirk.

She jabs a finger in my chest, but I catch her hand, holding it firmly against my beating heart.

“That. Don't pull out the dimples on me. It's notfair.”

I bite my cheek, trying to hold down the laughter that wants to burst from my mouth.

“Whynot?”

“Because it makes me lose my train of thought every time you do that. I forget where I am, and what I'm supposed to be doing, and I don't likethat.”

Now we're getting somewhere.

I lower my head an inch and lick mylips.

“Is that so bad?” I ask, my voice a little rough.

She nods, the frown remaining on her beautifulface.

“It's very, verybad.”

“Why?” I persist. I need to know. I need her to be honest withme.

She huffs as she looks away. The silence stretches out between us, and it’s killing me to be so patient.

She surprises me when she inhales deeply and then answers my probing question.

“Because it makes me want to do things with you that I have no business thinking, or even wanting, for that matter.”

It's my turn to frown as I try to bank down the simmering heat in mycock.