her.
“I’m not worried about him, okay?” She studied my eyes with her amber stunners. “I’m worried about getting that scholarship.” She sighed and started to drop her hand.
I couldn’t help it. I grabbed her and pressed her small palm to my chest.
She glanced to our hands and then back to my eyes. “Remember before? When I told you about my family. And my dad?”
Before I ran away and broke both of our hearts? Yes, I remembered. I nodded.
“It isn’t any better. I still have to pay my way. I still send half my Pell grant home to my dad so he can live. If I walk away from this chance, it would be the second dumbest thing I’ve ever done. So, help me. I’m asking you to help me. I don’t want to just be the Mav anymore.”
I would have given her anything she’d asked for. Anything I had was hers. She wanted my help, and I would give it without reservation. The heat from her hand seeped into my heart, warming me all the way down to my toes.
I cocked my head to the side. “What’s a Mav?”
“Oh, that. It’s kind of what I call myself.” She dropped her eyes. “Mascot with a vagina.” Her mumble was almost inaudible.
I laughed as she blushed. “What about the W?”
“It’s silent.” She shook her head. “Forget about that. Will you help?”
“Of course. Whatever you need. But promise to tell me if he speaks to you again or touches you or does anything . Promise me.”
She sighed. “I promise.”
“So, what was the first dumbest thing you’ve ever done?”
“What?” She dropped her gaze again, and I knew she’d heard me.
“You said walking away from the scholarship would be the second dumbest thing you’d ever done.” I put my fingertips under her chin and pulled her face up to mine. Though I dreaded the answer, I asked the question all the same. “So what was the first?”
She looked away, then stared me down and straightened her spine. “Two years ago. I kissed you.”
CHAPTER NINE
C ORDY
Two years earlier
“ A FTER I THREW EVERY sizeable oyster I could find into my net, I washed them off in the cold water running along the shore.” Trent stood at the front of the classroom, his hands clasped in front of him and his eyes scanning the students as he spoke. He’d been talking for ten minutes, giving a detailed story about his time at the beach last summer.
“Then I took them home and gave them to our cook. That night, my family and I ate the oysters I’d found along the small reef near our beach house, and I’ve never had a better one since.” Trent finished his speech and gave me a smile as the entire class clapped for him.
We’d practiced for weeks, and he’d gotten through the whole thing without so much as a missed word or a stutter. He smiled, but now he focused only on me. The butterflies went to war in my stomach, fluttering and fighting as Trent walked toward me and the professor called the next student.
Trent sat down beside me, his presence familiar but also exciting.
I leaned over, aware of my breast pressing into his arm and the way he moved even closer to me. “You did it.”
He turned to me, his green eyes sparkling, and smiled. “ We did it.”
After the final presenter told the class about his summer as a construction worker, our time was up. Class was over for the semester, and the last day of school was bittersweet. I wouldn’t have another class with Trent. He would focus on business and math while I stayed in the humanities.
I gathered my notebook and stood as the classroom emptied.
The professor walked up. “Well done, Mr. Carrington. You’ve certainly come a long way this semester.”
Trent grabbed my books and his. “Thanks. I’m not quite ready for the stage just yet. But you’re right, I’m not so afraid of public speaking anymore.”
Professor Lane looked at me over her glasses. “I think I know the reason for your improvement and, sad to say, it isn’t my stellar teaching abilities. I’m proud
“I’m not worried about him, okay?” She studied my eyes with her amber stunners. “I’m worried about getting that scholarship.” She sighed and started to drop her hand.
I couldn’t help it. I grabbed her and pressed her small palm to my chest.
She glanced to our hands and then back to my eyes. “Remember before? When I told you about my family. And my dad?”
Before I ran away and broke both of our hearts? Yes, I remembered. I nodded.
“It isn’t any better. I still have to pay my way. I still send half my Pell grant home to my dad so he can live. If I walk away from this chance, it would be the second dumbest thing I’ve ever done. So, help me. I’m asking you to help me. I don’t want to just be the Mav anymore.”
I would have given her anything she’d asked for. Anything I had was hers. She wanted my help, and I would give it without reservation. The heat from her hand seeped into my heart, warming me all the way down to my toes.
I cocked my head to the side. “What’s a Mav?”
“Oh, that. It’s kind of what I call myself.” She dropped her eyes. “Mascot with a vagina.” Her mumble was almost inaudible.
I laughed as she blushed. “What about the W?”
“It’s silent.” She shook her head. “Forget about that. Will you help?”
“Of course. Whatever you need. But promise to tell me if he speaks to you again or touches you or does anything . Promise me.”
She sighed. “I promise.”
“So, what was the first dumbest thing you’ve ever done?”
“What?” She dropped her gaze again, and I knew she’d heard me.
“You said walking away from the scholarship would be the second dumbest thing you’d ever done.” I put my fingertips under her chin and pulled her face up to mine. Though I dreaded the answer, I asked the question all the same. “So what was the first?”
She looked away, then stared me down and straightened her spine. “Two years ago. I kissed you.”
CHAPTER NINE
C ORDY
Two years earlier
“ A FTER I THREW EVERY sizeable oyster I could find into my net, I washed them off in the cold water running along the shore.” Trent stood at the front of the classroom, his hands clasped in front of him and his eyes scanning the students as he spoke. He’d been talking for ten minutes, giving a detailed story about his time at the beach last summer.
“Then I took them home and gave them to our cook. That night, my family and I ate the oysters I’d found along the small reef near our beach house, and I’ve never had a better one since.” Trent finished his speech and gave me a smile as the entire class clapped for him.
We’d practiced for weeks, and he’d gotten through the whole thing without so much as a missed word or a stutter. He smiled, but now he focused only on me. The butterflies went to war in my stomach, fluttering and fighting as Trent walked toward me and the professor called the next student.
Trent sat down beside me, his presence familiar but also exciting.
I leaned over, aware of my breast pressing into his arm and the way he moved even closer to me. “You did it.”
He turned to me, his green eyes sparkling, and smiled. “ We did it.”
After the final presenter told the class about his summer as a construction worker, our time was up. Class was over for the semester, and the last day of school was bittersweet. I wouldn’t have another class with Trent. He would focus on business and math while I stayed in the humanities.
I gathered my notebook and stood as the classroom emptied.
The professor walked up. “Well done, Mr. Carrington. You’ve certainly come a long way this semester.”
Trent grabbed my books and his. “Thanks. I’m not quite ready for the stage just yet. But you’re right, I’m not so afraid of public speaking anymore.”
Professor Lane looked at me over her glasses. “I think I know the reason for your improvement and, sad to say, it isn’t my stellar teaching abilities. I’m proud
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