“When are you going to forgive Maxen?”
“Never,” she snaps back.
Oh, geez. I am so not down to listening to the girls’ bullshit boy problems.
“Well, there’s your answer,” I tell them with a proud smile as the bell rings, hoping it’s enough to cut the topic short. “Now, what do you ladies say about me walking you to class?”
Tora turns back to her locker and pulls out her books. “We’re good,” she says, speaking for the group, but there’s one other who I’m still yet to ask.
I curl my arm around Elle and look down at her to find her big blue eyes already looking up at me. “And what about you?” I murmur low, loving the light flush that appears on her cheeks.
“Are you going to carry my books?” Elle questions, raising a brow and testing me as a slow smile spreads across her lips
“Do you want me to carry your books?”
Elle studies me for a moment, biting down on her bottom lip before something flashes in her eyes. “I do,” she tells me, making me wonder if we’re talking about something much deeper than carrying a bunch of books.
Elle’s hand finds mine and a determination comes shooting through her gaze and I realize that I wasn’t imagining this, she wants this just as I do, but there’s still something holding her back.
I smile down at her. If this is something she’s willing to at least try and explore, then I want to know how exactly I’m going to make that happen. “Lead the way,” I tell her before turning back and sending a quick, playful wink to Tora knowing just how annoying she’s going to find it.
Elle turns and starts making her way up the hallway. I hurry to keep up with her so that I don’t have to drop my arm from around her shoulder. “Were you being serious?” I ask her. “Do you want me to walk you to class or would you prefer to get out of here for a bit?”
Elle smiles up at me and once again, she knocks the breath right out of me. How is it possible for one person to have so much beauty? “I know a place, but first, I need coffee.”
Why is my heart racing like this? “You’ve got yourself a deal.”
I let my arm slip off her petite shoulder and keep my cool when she allows my fingers to trail down her arm. My fingers brush over the softest skin I’ve ever felt until they’re folding into hers, right where they need to be.
I lead Elle across the road and we walk for fifteen minutes until we’re entering Carter’s Coffee House. Elle practically dives for the counter, desperate to put her order in and I quickly realize that she’s one of those people who are unable to function without their coffee.
We talk about generic stuff as we wait for her order and just like the night of Crystal’s party, I find I like it more than I probably should.
“Alright, where to?” I ask as she gets her coffee in her hand and takes a sip before mentally drifting away with a look of complete pleasure, which has me growing hard. I mean, am I fucking jealous of a coffee right now?
Elle’s hand falls back into mine as I discreetly adjust myself with the other. “Follow me.”
We walk back towards the school and just when I think she’s about to step over the boundary line and take my ass back to class, she pulls me along, deeper into the trees before she proudly presents me with a small creek that runs along the back half of the school.
“Well, this is cool,” I tell her in awe, glancing around and watching the morning sunlight dance across the rushing water.
Elle beams and it’s as though she’s waiting for me to tell her just how good she did. “Yeah, this place is pretty awesome,” she tells me. “Phoenix and I discovered it years ago and now I just come here when…you know, when it’s all getting too much.”
“Wait,” I say, looking over at her with a curiosity that I’m not sure I’m entitled to. “That leaves me with so many questions.”
Elle cringes and I wonder if maybe she thought she could get away with throwing loaded comments like that out into the world and not have me wanting to ask questions. “Are you serious right now? You don’t actually know?”
I shake my head. “I’m not one for listening to other people’s gossip.”
“But still,” she laughs. “How long have you been going here? How is it possible for you not to know?”
I drop down onto a big ass rock and wave my hand around, gesturing for her to get on with her explanation. “I’m all ears,” I tell her with a grin. “So maybe start with why the hell you were hanging out with Phoenix. You realize who she is, right? She’s not exactly great company.”