Page 18 of Black Waters

Chapter Four

Exiled

As I walked Whit to class, she complained I looked tired and that she was starting to worry about me. “Link, talk to me.”

“I am, baby, but you’re not wanting to hear that I’m fine.”

“You are mistaken. I do want to hear you are fine. I also want to believe it!” Whitney marched into her classroom, leaving me in the hallway… grinning. Damn, it’s true. Redheads are feisty as hell. And I like it!

“Hey.”

I turned around. Connie stood there, seeming raw and vulnerable. Her shoulders were scrunched, and her eyes lacked the ability to commit to one location. Shit.

“Is Whitney mad at you?”

I shrugged. “On occasion.”

I felt like shit. I had told Crash I would put space between Whit and me. It was easier said than done. I loved the girl. But I also was falling for the beauty before me. Connie had been showing me signs of really caring for me, potential for a healthy relationship. With all the madness around me, I craved the calm Constance could offer.

“Uh.” Connie nervously shifted her weight. “It’s, uh, you said, umm, I’d see you tonight? Maybe a happy Friday?”

I’ve got this girl believing the only way to get me is to tempt me with sex? How shitty of a boyfriend am I? “Constance,” I said quietly, “I want to see you but not have sex with you.”

Her bottom lip trembled.

“No! I do want to have sex with you!”

I could not believe how loud I yelled that. The hallway went quiet, and my voice seemed to echo off the lockers. Constance hid in the books she held to her chest. “Reether, is everyone staring at us?”

Everyone in the hallway was absolutely staring.

“Nay.”

“Are you lying?”

“Never,” lied I, as I frantically hand motioned for people to get back to their own business.

Luckily, students had swiftly returned to their normal activities by the time Connie peeked out from behind her books, sighing with relief. Pretty hazels looked at me. “So, I, uh, am a little confused about tonight.”

Now knowing how deep Whit really was in all that was transpiring, I didn’t want to leave her side for longer than I had to. Shit. “What I meant to say was, I want to see you, Connie—but not only for”— I leaned in to her— “for sex. Having sex with you is awesome. I just can’t. Not tonight.” Smooth, Reether. What every girl wants to hear.

She fidgeted with the books in her arms. “Oh, umm, okay.”

“Actually, why don’t you come with? I’m having dinner with Whit. Her parents are still out of town.”

I didn’t want Constance in danger but figured we were safe in public.

Constance lit up. “Yeah? You want me to come with?”

I put my arm around her to walk her to class. “Of course. Unless you’ve dumped me and forgot to text me about it?”

Her head leaned to me. “Nope. No text. Just a happy girlfriend.”

I pulled her from the student hallway traffic and took her books from her. I wanted them out of the way, so I put them on the floor. Wanting to feel Connie closer to me, I held her face. “I don’t deserve you, not with how I’ve treated you, but I promise to make it better. I promise to be a good boyfriend from now on. Okay?”

Rising to her tippy toes, she threw her arms around my neck with such heart. “Yes, that is okay with me, Reether Jones. I love you.”

When she pulled away, mortified to have said such loaded words, I pulled her back to me and wrapped my arms around her waist. “Look at me.”