She hadn’t heard her name whispered once in all the hot gossip. Maybe she was actually spared being associated with the drama. Additionally, she’d made it to her favorite class. She had some new sketches to show Ms. Mendez and thought they might be good enough to add to her growing portfolio. She was running a little late, but that concern flew out of her head when she rounded a corner and came face-to-face with Nolan.
He stopped when he caught sight of her.
She stopped too, digging her thumb deeply into the strap of her backpack.
They stared at each other.
Students passed through the halls, blurred figures in her peripheral vision, bodies hurrying to their classes, oblivious to them.
The final tardy bell chimed on the air.
She was officially late to her favorite class, but still, she could not move. It was like her feet were planted to the floor.
Silently, without a word, Nolan stepped forward, his strides slow and even. Hayden held herself motionless, mesmerized by his movements.
He stopped in front of her.
Her chest lifted on a breath.
He stretched an arm between them, his hand seeking, finding, grabbing hold of her hand hanging at her side.
She should pull away.
His fingers squeezed hers. His gaze left her and scanned along the hallway.
“C’mon,” he murmured, giving her hand a tug.
“What?”
“This way.” He nodded to a door down the hall.
It wasn’t like her to go along with what some guy wanted.
She came first. She put herself first . . . and that hadn’t changed.
But she wanted to go with him. Wherever he was taking her, she was wholeheartedly okay with it. Even if it did make her late for the only class that she enjoyed in school.
She nodded once and it seemed to be the answer he was waiting for.
He pulled her down the hall after him, his strides swift. It took two of hers to match one of his. His hand felt warm and strong wrapped around hers. Nice. It felt nice, and she hated herself for noticing. Not that she was a hand-holder, but most guys had sweaty, clammy hands. Except him.
“This is an interesting turn of events,” she mused.
“What do you mean?”
“Here you are getting me to skip class. Who’s the bad influence now?”
He shot a grin at her over his shoulder and she grinned back at him, a frisson of pleasure skipping down her spine. If she wasn’t careful, he would weave some spell over her. She’d be little better than her mother then. Her smile faded. That wasn’t happening. No way in hell.
“Nolan? Where are we going? I’m going to be really late for class—”
“So am I.” He opened the door to the empty science lab and tugged her inside the room after him.
“Yeah, but I actually like this class.”
He dropped his hand from hers and closed the door behind them.
So that was good, at least. They weren’t touching anymore. Her hormones could settle down a little—hopefully.
She crossed her arms over her chest and continued, “I didn’t think you were the kind of guy to break the rules. I mean, have you ever been tardy in your life?”
“I’ve broken a few rules.” His voice held a touch of defensiveness.
“Is that a fact?” She laughed once, but the sound came out nervous and uneasy—not at all what she intended. Immediately she thought of their kiss . . . again. Okay, it was never far from her mind.
She remembered it distinctly. Felt it. Still tasted it. He broke a rule then. He had a girlfriend and he’d kissed her.
“I just wanted to apologize to you for the other night. And before that, actually,” he said.
She flinched. Oh, he was going there.
They were going to hash this all out right now. This should be interesting. She didn’t have a lot of experience with people willing to talk about their feelings and examine their actions. She especially didn’t have anyone in her life who ever apologized.
“Why are you apologizing?” She shrugged. “You shouldn’t. I was the one who crossed the line.” The one who kissed you.
“What are you talking about?” He looked genuinely confused.
“What are you talking about?” she countered.
“I’ve been a real jerk about you and my sister. You can hang out, be her friend, give lessons . . . whatever. I know I said that to her, but I didn’t say it to you. Not directly. I won’t stand in the way of you two being friends. I never should have tried. And I’m sorry about calling you a bad influence and judging you.”
“Oh.” She processed that. So this wasn’t about what happened between them Saturday night. She felt like such an idiot. He probably wasn’t even thinking about their kiss.
He canted his head to the side. “What did you think I was apologizing for?
“Um.”
Understanding lit his eyes, followed by a slow grin. That grin was lethal. “Oh. You’re talking about the kiss. You thought I was apologizing for that?”
“No!” she shot out, indignation rushing through her.
God.
The kiss.
They were really, really going to talk about it, and all because of her big mouth.
Heat swamped her face.
“We’re not talking about this.” She started for the door, her hand closing around the knob. She needed to get to class. She wanted to show her new sketches to Ms. Mendez. That’s what she cared about. Not him.
She needed to get away from him.
His voice stopped her, as deep and dark as his eyes. “I wasn’t apologizing for the kiss. Because I don’t regret it.”
Her hand shook as it closed around the knob. “Well, I hope you didn’t break up with your girlfriend because of that. It was a mistake.”
“I wouldn’t call it that.”
She looked over her shoulder. “I kiss boys all the time. So I kissed you.” She shrugged. “It doesn’t mean anything. Don’t make what happened into something more.” She flung the words at him like arrows, hoping they would strike and kill any idea he had that there was something romantic between them.
She knew what she was doing. Pushing him away was for the best. There was no future in them. Maybe they’d fool around, but nothing would come of it. It would complicate his life, thereby complicating hers. He wasn’t the kind of guy who did casual hookups.
“Sure. Okay.” He sounded almost bored and unimpressed with her mini speech.
“You broke up with your girlfriend,” she accused.
“Yes,” he admitted.
“That wasn’t because of me, was it?” She held her breath, dreading that he would tell her breaking up with his girlfriend had everything to do with kissing her.
He took his time replying. “Do you think it’s because of you?”
She didn’t know. She didn’t want it to have anything to do with her. “It shouldn’t be because of me. I hope it’s not. I don’t want to be in the middle of you and your girlfriend’s—”
“Ex-girlfriend. I don’t have a girlfriend anymore, remember?”
Oh. God. “I just want you to say your dumb breakup wasn’t because of me.”
He cracked a smile. “Well, you can be relieved. It’s not because of you. Priscilla and I weren’t working out long before you and—”