It was like I shot him down and his dominance aura ended. He looked so shocked, staring into my eyes and obviously wondering why I looked at him like he was a sexy piece of meat.
"What's the matter, are you insecure?" I asked him suddenly, not recognizing the smooth way my voice sounded.
He cleared his throat and weaved his pencil through his fingers. "You're so bold now." He said back.
I felt myself get closer to him but I couldn't control it. "How's that?"
"Suddenly thinking I'm handsome." He said back, his booming huskiness completely knocking me away. The dominance was back, and it was fighting mine.
"I've always thought that." I was leaning toward him now and my inner women was pushing out of me.
No, it was way too soon. Shouldn't this be happening when I'm in my early twenties and at a bar with Erin or something?
"Let's be fair then," His hand slowly rose and touched my hair, brushing it back and barely against my skin and I only thought about how warm his hands were- not at how he was so openly touching me. My heart was practically vibrating in my chest, warmth and nerves unbearing at how he caressed me like a man and not a grumpy teacher. Teacher... "You're-"
The loud ringing of my phone erupted and made us both flinch back, and the turned-on women in me sinking back into a hiding place while the scared little girl with a mask went back to surface, making everyone think she was strong and nothing less. I stood up and reached for my phone seeing it was Chris.
I picked it up. "I know you wouldn't have answered if I called." Austin said and I sighed deeply, rubbing my tired head and sitting down at my desk. What was Mr. Grant about to say?
"No, I would have." I said.
"Well where are you?"
"I told you already."
He sighed on the other end too. "I know, you've just got me worried now."
"I'm sorry." I said. "I won't do it again."
"I know." He repeated. "Diana, you're still grounded."
I covered my mouth and began laughing. "I'm serious."
"Talk to the lawyer." I said, my laugh deflating into a giggle, and meaning Bailey. "He'll explain to you how you can't do that."
"Well you should be. Dad would've grounded you if he was here."
"I wouldn't have done it if he was here." I found myself saying.
"I'm... I'm sorry..."
"It's okay, I already forgave you." I said quickly trying to get the point across, because his apologies were so different. They were so weird because they were so unusual and rare and only proved more how bad he felt about it.
"What wouldn't I be allowed to do anyway?" I asked him.
Austin on the other line laughed. "Go out with Andy Carl."
"He's on a business trip in California."
"Well we all forbade you."
"I'm not gonna listen." I laughed.
"Of course not..." He grumbled. "Just... if you're gonna be with him, make it a relationship."
I smiled to myself. "Are you telling me to be in a relationship after banning me from seeing him?"
"Diana, just stop talking to him. End of discussion."
"Okay, I understand."
The line dropped and my eyebrows furrowed. "Did he hang up on me...?" I said to myself quietly. I unlocked my phone, reading the texts I got from Erin and Connor, both about the party on Friday, and then James saying he thought he also owed me an apology. I didn't reply to any of them just yet and clicked my phone shut.
I then looked up at Mr. Grant who seemed to be reading a file in his hand. "Was I allowed to answer that?" I asked, breaking the silence like a pro because he looked at me like he would any other day and narrowed his eyes.
"Was it important?"
"Sure."
He looked back at his files. "Well no."
I stood up and sat in the chair again, ignoring how I noticed how close it was to him until I pulled it under me. It made me wonder how close to his face I got, and it must've been very close.
I held the paper in front of me and we went through that days work like nothing happened before. Like he hadn't touched me so delicately and I hadn't spoken to him in such a seductive tone. Goddammit, this was my teacher.
"Alright, let me get out of here." He said when we were ending things.
I spun in the chair I sat at and he grabbed it to a stop. "Sometimes you remind me of a child." He said, pushing the chair so I could get off.
I did and went to my desk and slipped everything in my bag. "I am a child." I said, although normally I'd be offended, I didn't care that time.
He looked at me with a reminder in his deep warm eyes, "You don't act like one."
I felt the heat come back to me and I tried so hard to refuse it, hoping I succeeded.
I took my book and stared at the papered cover, blowing at the hair in front of my face. I was already almost done with it, the magical bible of heated interactions. Yeah, I guess I could call it that...
I stuffed it into my bag and decided to blame my reasons for flirting with my calculus teacher on it. On the book.
I grabbed my bag and furrowed my eyes brows in reminder of how I forgot a jacket again. I was such an idiot.
Mr. Grant held open the door for me and I casually walked out, then outside and prepared myself to be met with the freezing breeze. "Where's your jacket?" He asked me knowingly.
I groaned as a response and he shook his head. "Bye Mr. Grant," I was about to run to my car but he grabbed my bag, pulling me nearer to him. I shivered. "I'm cold." I said, crossing my arms to warm myself up, but also hot and fiery from his sudden grab. It caused goosebumps to rise in me and he hadn't even touched me directly.
"I'm not having tutoring tomorrow." He said.
"Okay, have a nice night." I told him quickly and turned to run to my car, getting out of the cold. I sounded so careless when he told me there would be no tutoring, but it made me wonder if I did anything wrong.
Of course I did, I flirted with my calculus teacher who once hated me... And while I had Andy. As I drove home the memories from our tutoring session came to me and my face grew hot, and I allowed it to since I was alone.
My god he touched me. He leaned into me too, and he spoke lowly and had the same tone as me. He was to blame too, hell, he brought the entire thing up.
Talking about me thinking he's handsome. Or knowing he's handsome. He was brushing back my hair, you don't do that with your students.
I sat in my car in front of my house and pressed my forhead to my wheel. I had to get that woman out of me, it was just too much. And just when I was becoming myself again...
"Oh wow." I breathed out largely and rose from the wheel and rested the back of my head on the seat. He teased me today too, and let me eat with him. He gave me lunch too, what was happening to him? Mr. Grant taking the paper from me and setting it on my head. Pointing out how he made me blush. Oh that man.
I got out of the car and ran inside. The boys were home and they waved. Tyler was there too. He grinned sheepishly at me. "Hey." He said.
"Hey, Dye." Bailey said and stood up to hug me tightly.
"Hey Bails." I breathed out of his choke hold and he chuckled, ruffling my hair.
"You're so pretty." He admired me.
I laughed. "Thanks."
'You're-'
Oh my god, what was Mr. Grant going to say?
"Of course she is, she's got the richest guy in the city wrapped around her finger." Tyler said, bringing a beer to his lips.
I only sighed, too tired from blushing but still very embarrassed.
"Don't bring it up." Austin groaned.
I took my stuff and headed up the stairs. "Well, I'll-"
"No you won't." James said, pointing to the seat on the couch beside him.
"Yeah, you're chilling with us as a punishment." Chris said. "And tomorrow."
I looked at him funny.
"Don't look at me like that." He said, squirming under my narrowed eyes.
"That's a weird punishment." I said, walking over to the couch and plopping down beside James who extended his arm out to my shoulders, bringing me in and ruffing my hair. "Ah, what-"
"She thinks of it as a punishment!" James said.
"You said it was a punishment!" I laughed as he tried to continue when I pinched the weak spot on his leg.
"Dammit Diana." He muttered, slapping my hand away.
"Alright well now that we have the woman in here, we can continue with our game?" Tyler suggested.
"Yes, let's do that." Bailey said from the fridge. "Hey Dye, want a beer?"
"What? No!" Austin snapped, making Bailey laugh.
"It's not like she's going anywhere anyway."
Austin shook his head. "She's not even twenty-one yet."
"You can have a beer, Diana." Chris said, earning a smack on the head from Austin. "You weren't twenty-one either when you started drinking." He reminded.
"Whatever, she's not going anywhere for the rest of the night." Austin said.
"Heads up!" Bailey said from the kitchen and tossed the beer, having James quickly catch it and stop it from breaking my skull.
"Thanks." I told him. "What game are we playing?" I asked.
"Person, Place, or Thing." Bailey said, walking over excitedly. Sometimes he made me forget how he was a grown man with a job and wife. Who he leaves most the time to tend to me, along with Austin. I felt bad thinking about how I tore them away from their families. Their families that I also neglected to visit.
I laughed at their game. "Seriously?"
"Sh, quiet." Chris said, closing his eyes and thinking of a noun for us to guess. He opened them up and smirked, "Alright I'm ready."
"Person, place, or thing?"
...
I woke up in a panic. "Dammit guys, I'm gonna be late to school now." I said running up the stairs.
I had passed out in the living room with them after playing that stupid game and knew that I drank a few more than usual. Well I usually don't even drink at all.
After I showered I went down the stairs and noticed how they were all still asleep. How did Austin's wife not get pissed? And Bailey's.
I sighed, watching them sleep soundly and I picked up the mess they made with beer cans and bottles and bowls of empty cereal, then rushing out to barely catching the bell ringing. I was still late and slid to my locker, opening it quickly and realizing I forgot my book, and that made me desperately want to go home and cuddle up in my covers and finish it. But I knew I couldn't, because I promised Erin I'd go to her party.
I rushed with my locker, the only one in the hallway and felt his eyes on me. I didn't turn around. I didn't act like I knew he was there, I just took out my art portfolio and ran to my class, us without acknowledging or looking at eachother. Or at least me rushing to class and not caring to spare the man a glance.
In my art class my teacher opened the door for me and winked. "I got you, honey."
I grinned at her a dazzling smile and thanked her. "Go sit down, spoiled girl." She called me and I went to my seat next to the 'art nerds' as Erin calls them- since it was my assigned spot.
The way they stared at me made my self esteem boost so easily, and I didn't understand why they looked at me like that. "Morning, Diana." A shy guy said.
"Good morning, Kyle." I said and easily his face flushed, making me wonder if that's how I was to Mr. Grant the previous day.
"Okay, your objective for today is to learn a new technique. Whether it's with water color, acrylic, sculpting, or anything else. And write it down at the end of class in your journal."
Right away we got started, and I spent about half the class trying to figure out what I should do.
I decided to go to lunch. Or go out to lunch with Erin and Connor. "Where's Cole?" Connor asked while we walked to his car on our way to Whataburger.
"How should I know?" Erin said.
Connor drove us and I dazed off while eating my burger. The question decided to pop into my mind, what was Mr. Grant about to say about me? What was I? He said 'You're-' and that was it before we both realized how wrong we were to be so close. 'Let's be fair then.' Fair about what? About me always believing how handsome he was?
It all happened so quickly too. Too quickly. And out of nowhere, because just a week ago I barely existed to him. Then he was inviting me to eat with him, teasing me in class, pointing out how I think he's handsome and how he makes me blush, and touching me so gently. He definetly was not allowed to do that to me, or even be that close.
But he was, and then he looked me in the eyes and said I don't act like a child. He was referring to the brave woman in me, the one I was embarrassed of and tried to hide.
But I was a teenage girl with raging needs after reading such a book. I just needed to finish it.
"Why are you so quiet?" Connor nudged me.
I flinched and shook my head. "I was thinking."
"Well we were betting on how long you're gonna stay at the party."
I raised an eyebrow. "What did you bet on?" I asked Erin and she smirked.
"You don't need to know." She swallowed down her french fries and leaned into me. "It starts at ten by the way. If you want to you can come over after school and- Oh wait, nevermind you have tutoring."
"Not today, what do you need?" I asked.
"Wait- wait- wait- wait. Diana is in tutoring?" Connor said in awe.
"I need you to come over and help me pick out something to wear."
"I'll come." Connor said. "And wait, Diana, tutoring?"
I rolled my eyes. "Yes."
"But..."
"Just drop it." Erin said boredly.
Connor surrendered and listened. "Hey, D," He looked at me. "Can I borrow some condoms from you?"
Erin laughed, "Diana doesn't have condo-"
"Yeah sure." I said casually and Connor whooped loudly in the restraunt, drawing to us attention from the elders who sat around us. "I knew you had some."
"Woah, what?" Erin looked at me in shock but I ignored it.
"Did you happen to lose one, Connor?" I asked him, hiding the mischieviousness in my tone.
"Yeah, I coulda' sworn I had one in my pocket because I had plans with that Daniella chick to go to her place, but it fell out or something because when I got there I had to c-"
"Okay I understand." I said quickly, knowing where he was going with it.
Erin was still staring at me in shock, but seeming impressed at the same time. "How often do you and Andy-"
"We don't."
"Then why-"
"Just in case, gotta be safe." Connor explained for me and I gave him a nod. "Well girls, let's go into my vehical so I can take us back."
"Creep." Erin muttered as we followed him out after dumping our trash in the trashcan.
When we walked back into the school I heard someone clear their throat behind me. I know exactly who it was too. "What did I tell you about leaving school during school hours?"
"Not to do it." I turned around and said back plainly.
He glared at me. "I ought to write you up." He threatened, either knowing or not knowing that I liked it.
"You ought to." I said back, my seductive tone barely slipping out and I knew he caught it because he stiffened, walking behind me as I turned.
"Did you get rid of the sand?" He asked as a monotone joke, and obviously dogging the subject.
I wasn't sure if he meant it as another smooth joke or as a typical one. But either way I nodded. "I did."
When we got to B-hall he lingered casually behind me while I worked my locker. "You're not gonna miss my tutoring today, are you?" Another blunt tease.
I smirked. "I am." I kind of admitted. I knew that from behind me I shocked him again. Yeah I kind of would miss it, but was happy I got time to spend with Erin and Connor. "What are your plans?" I asked.
"I have a meeting." He grumbled.
Some how I didn't believe him and spun around to look up at him. "Why don't I believe you?"
He looked again shocked, "What else would I be doing?"
"I don't know, I don't know you." I said how it was and he just shrugged.
"Well I have a meeting, so pay attention in class today and try not to stare at me."
Now he was the one being bold. "No promises, Charlie." I called, shutting my locker and leaving him defeated.
I felt as his eyes narrowed at me while I walked away and I didn't care where he looked, for some reason I was comfortable with him looking at me and I wasn't sure why.
The class was as casual as it ever was. Although making it a little too casual, Mr. Grant narrowed his eyes at me when I went in and sat down, and I returned it then and then only. I didn't stare at him in class; I payed attention to what he was saying and wrote stuff down. He was almost going as slow as he did when we did one-on-one tutoring, and no one asked questions because it was understandable.
When the bell rang it felt funny leaving when it did, like he was going back to hating me, but that wasn't the case.
I drove to Erin's after I picked up coffee for the three of us and Connor was already there, laying on the floor of her mansion while she paced back in forth thinking of what to wear. "Thanks." Connor said when I lowered the coffee to him.
Erin looked at me and nodded me over. "I want to wear heels but I want to be comfortable." She explained.
I smirked, "Just wear comfortable heels."
"Ha ha, fucking hilarious. I'm serious help me."
"It's your party, you can always take them off."
"True." And threw open her door to her second-room walk-in closet and looked around. "Alright, tell me."
Immediately I searched for a romper and found one that's leather. "Perfect, now just wear a red bra and make it show." I teased.
She laughed. "How did you know I wanted to look sexy?"
"Shut up, Erin." Connor called from her room.
We ignored him and I kicked to her red heels and told her to try it on. She loved it at first, but then she over thought it way too much, then I was forced to wait a few more hours to help her try on different outfits until she chose one. And, of course, she would choose the first thing she tried on.
"You look great." I said quickly. "Now I need to go and get ready."
"Woah, slow down, Speed Racer." She said, crossing her arms. "Step into my office and we'll find you something to wear, too."
It was six o'clock by the time we finished looking for her and then seven by the time we figured out I was going to wear sparking black shorts with a flowy green shirt. "Take my heels!" Erin demanded, kicking me her matching black heels that sparkled.
"Thanks so much, I'm going to go home and get ready now, see you." I said to them as I walked to my car to drive home.
I didn't really care about the bet the both of them had for me, and decided that I'd leave whenever I wanted to. The only problem with that was usually as soon as I get to parties I want to turn around and go home.
Just a couple of hours, that's all, then I'd give myself permission to leave.
Back at the house I ran in and shivered when I got inside. I looked up and saw all the guys were over. Only there was one who leaned back on his stool with a beer in his hand and chuckled faintly along with my brothers. It was in that moment I wondered why these things happened to me.