Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 83221 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83221 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Me: Not quite. I need you to track one of my students.
Jude: That sounds illegal.
Me: Discussing a double homicide isn’t?
Jude: What’s the name?
Me: Willa Reyes. I think Darren might be hurting her and her stepbrother is shady as shit. I’d feel better if I knew where she was at all times.
Jude: Do I want to know?
Me: Nope. Just track her phone. I have her number if that helps.
Jude: Yeah, man, send it. I’ll be cashing in a favor soon. You owe me. This shit is big.
Me: I’ve got your back.
I know this is all kinds of wrong, but so is everything I’ve done this week with Willa. If I’m going to be wrong, I might as well be really good at it, too.
Now that I have Willa, I’ll be damned if I let anyone hurt a hair on her pretty head.
Willa
I’ve been drifting today, head high in the clouds as I keep letting my mind wander to last night. Not the part where Darren burst into my room, nearly scaring the crap out of me.
The other part.
Callum.
I’d gone through a rollercoaster of emotions, up and down and upside down. It wasn’t until he had his mouth on me and assurances rumbling from him that I fully realized something.
He’s completely and utterly lost with me.
It’s far from one-sided.
We’re in this together.
This morning, when I woke up, I was greeted with a sweet text.
I want and need you, sweetheart. Don’t ever forget that.
Even though his words and subsequent spanking helped drive home the fact that we’re good, it really wasn’t until that text that it sank in.
Callum Park likes me. Really, really likes me. And I like him. This thing between us is a powerful storm that keeps spinning ’round and ’round, gaining traction and speed. There’s no stopping it. It just is.
We. Just. Are.
The students I walk past in the hallway all seem so immature. Laughing and joking about dumb stuff. I’ll bet none of them are secretly seeing a man—a teacher—like Callum. None of them lost their minds with pleasure the way I did. I just know it. It’s a vibe I’m getting.
No one gets it but him.
We get each other.
“Not so speedy today, speedy,” Spencer says, coming into step beside me. “You’re walking like a turtle. You okay?”
I’m rudely kicked out of my daydream. I can’t be mad, though, because Spencer is a friend. I have friends now.
“I’m fine,” I say, smiling at him. “Just tired.”
“Same.” He groans and shakes his head. “I had to schmooze last night.”
“Schmooze?”
“My dad announced his running for attorney general.”
I stop to grin at him. “Congrats. Are you excited?”
“I’ve been told to be on my best behavior.” His blue eyes gleam with wickedness. “It’s like they don’t even know me.”
“Spencer,” I admonish. “Don’t do anything dumb.”
His grin turns into something equal parts boyish and terrifying. “Never.”
“Ew, Spence, go away. You can’t dick down every girl at school. It’s gross.”
We turn to the sound of a female voice. Gemma prances our way, lip curled up in disgust at her cousin—er, nephew. Spencer laughs at her and shrugs. I’m assuming the insult is for him, not me, so I smirk at him.
“For fuck’s sake, Gemm. You can’t turn this one. I like her.” Spencer pulls me over to him, making an over-the-top move of hugging me and sniffing my hair. “She smells like honey.”
Giggling, I try to shove him away, but he’s really strong. Someone starts playfully punching him from behind, which has him releasing me. Dempsey shoves Spencer away and flashes me a bright grin.
“You’re welcome.” Dempsey winks at me and then he turns to Gemma. “You can’t sink your claws into her. It will get you nowhere.”
Gemma huffs, crossing her arms over her chest. “You guys get to be friends with the new girl, but I don’t?”
“Lovers,” Dempsey corrects as Spencer says, “Yup.”
“I’m not new,” I mumble. “You guys just didn’t see me until now.”
Gemma gasps, clearly affronted by my words. Dempsey punches Spencer in the arm like this is all his fault. Spencer narrows his eyes at me, carefully taking in my words.
“We see you now, speedy,” Spencer says. “You’re one of us.”
I feel the power of his words. He doesn’t even know I’m in a relationship—that is what this is, right?—with his uncle, yet here he is claiming me as a friend in their little group. My heart warms at the sense of belonging rushing through me.
“Come on,” Gemma says, taking hold of my elbow. “If we don’t leave now, Dempsey will start humping your leg.”
“Fuck off, womb leech,” Dempsey chirps.
“Back at you, genetic garbage can.” She laughs and then gives Spencer the finger. “See you idiots at lunch.”
They take off in the other direction while me and Gemma walk toward the science building. Even though she and Dempsey are juniors, I have a couple classes with each of them. My next class is with Gemma.