Page 167
I hadn’t noticed them while my head was spinning.
“But that wasn’t why I was late. I got you something.” He slid his hand into his pocket. His sweatpants’ pocket.
“Why aren’t you in uniform?”
“I didn’t know you were such a stickler for the rules, Aphrodite.”
“Like I said before...I don’t want you to get kicked out.”
“And like I told you on Friday...I’m not going anywhere. The teachers don’t mind what I wear when I’m winning games.”
Yeah, fair.
He lifted his hand in the air, dangling a gold necklace between us. “This is for you.”
I reached out and touched the small diamond in the center. My fingers slid up the chain to touch the tiny golden bird that was like a link in the chain. My eyes lifted to his.
“A dove,” Adonis said. “It’s a symbol for Aphrodite.”
I stared back at the dove. The chain was thin and elegant. And something about the offset dove was really striking. I’d never seen anything like it before. And it seemed really expensive to give someone that you only just asked out. Wait. “What stores are open this early?”
“What?”
“You said you were late because you were getting this. Where did you get it?” It wasn’t even in a box. He’d just pulled it out of his pocket.
“Why, do you only wear stuff from Tiffany’s or something?” He smiled at me.
“No. I don’t care where it’s from. I’m just wondering if you stole it.”
He laughed, but didn’t respond.
“Adonis, did you? Steal this?”
“Why do you always assume the worst of me?”
“Why don’t you ever answer my questions?”
He smiled. “Turn around,” he said instead of acknowledging my suspicions.
“I’m not wearing a stolen necklace. Seriously, show me the receipt.”
“Now you want to know how much it costs? That’s rather rude to ask about a gift. You private school girls...”
I shook my head. “The box then.”
“If I had a box in my pocket, I probably would be kicked out of school. People would think I was walking around the halls with a hard-on.”
“Adonis,” I said as firmly as I could muster. But I was having a hard time keeping a straight face at his strange excuse.
“Aphrodite, the necklace is mine. And I want you to have it, so now it’s yours. End of story. Turn around.”
I didn’t.
So he unclasped the necklace and slid it around my neck from where we were standing.
I stared up at him as his fingers trailed along my skin. He closed it in the back and tilted my face up to his. “A perfect fit.” He placed a soft kiss against my lips as he ran his thumb down my chin and neck, stopping at the base of my throat.
I swallowed hard.