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“Oh yeah?”
“Yes, it’s true. He’s her first.” I snap my lips shut, worried I said too much.
“Will she be mad if he shows up?”
I’m not sure.
“No one can predict anything when it comes to Iris.”
I nod, glad that he gets it. “She’s hard to pin down.”
“I’ve realized that.” He brushes his mouth against mine, and I can’t help but sigh when he pulls away. “We’re in dangerous territory, Will.”
“What do you mean?” I’m frowning, confused by what he’s referring to.
“All alone in this bedroom. No adult supervision. Nothing but long, quiet hours stretching out ahead of us.” He’s smiling, his expression downright devilish. “We’ll probably get up to no good.”
“You promise?” That’s exactly what I want.
“I can definitely make that promise.” He cups my chin, tilting my head back, his mouth on mine once more and I lose myself in his kiss. The taste of his lips. The delicate yet incessant strokes of his tongue. I can’t get enough. I never want him to stop kissing me and it goes on for what feels like hours.
It’s both too much and not enough, and when we finally break apart to catch our breath, I say the first thing that comes to my mind. “We’ll have to keep this a secret.”
I feel his muscles stiffen beneath my hands and he slowly pulls away to study me. “Keep what a secret?”
His voice is careful, but I hear the unease there. My heart trips over itself and my brain scrambles to come up with a reason. I can’t tell him the truth.
Can I?
“Don’t you think it would be fun?” I try to lighten the mood. I think of Iris and her secret affair and how fun she claims it is to sneak around. “Besides, I have a reputation to uphold.”
He completely pulls away from me and I instantly miss his touch, his warmth. “What the hell is that supposed to mean? You don’t want to be seen with me? You don’t want people to know?”
Anxiety makes my thoughts turn into a jumble of nonsense. I’m handling this all wrong. “I just—everyone knows who Willow Lancaster is. And that she’s a good girl—that’s my reputation. The teachers, the staff, pretty much every student on that campus—that’s how they think of me.”
“And what? I’m a bad boy who’ll dirty up your pristine reputation? Are you saying I’m beneath you?” Oh, he sounds angry.
“No! Not at all.” I rush toward him, but he deviates to the side at the last second, escaping my touch. I watch as he makes his way to the other side of the room, propping his shoulder against the wall and curling his arms in front of him. His defenses are totally up. It’s just …
“Use your words, princess. Go ahead and tell me that you don’t want to be seen with me. I’m pretty sure I understand where you’re coming from with this.” His voice is snarky, with a heavy dose of disgust added in.
My shoulders sag and I close my eyes for a moment, trying to collect my thoughts. To tell him the truth could cause me nothing but trouble and I’m not sure if I want to risk it.
Telling him the truth could also make everything better between us too. I don’t know what to do. It almost feels like it’s too late. I already screwed everything up.
“You should probably go back to your room,” he murmurs, his voice cold as ice.
“You misunderstood me, Rhett, I swear I—”
“Go to your room, Willow.” His voice is firm, his face like a mask. “We’ll talk in the morning.”
I stare at him, the truth on the tip of my tongue, but in the end, all I can do is swallow the words down, offer him a tiny smile before I turn on my heel and leave his room.
The slam of his bedroom door makes me jump, and I scurry to Iris’s room, closing and locking the door. Tears are already falling down my face as I make my way to my bed, collapsing on top of it and burying my face in the pillow. I sob and sob, trying to be quiet, but it’s no use. I can’t contain my tears.
Just like I can’t contain my emotions.
Eventually I feel tentative fingers touch my back and I turn on my side to see Iris sitting on the edge of my bed. Her hair is mussed and her eyes glow with concern. She doesn’t say a word but seeing her there, knowing she wants to comfort me, makes me cry even harder.
