hallway, and I feel like an idiot for standing here waiting on him. A couple of girls saunter past, throwing him smiles and waves. My stomach sours. I’m outta here.
Spinning around on my heels, I stalk toward the doors leading out of the hallway.
“Taylor,” Cal’s voice stops me.
My heart arrests. I freeze, then slowly turn around.
He stands in front of me, one hand jammed in the front pocket of his jeans. His hair is tousled, and his eyes pierce mine. He’s wearing an expression of concern. “You okay?”
I nod, emotion rising inside of me. What is it about this guy that brings out this sensitive side of me?
“Don’t worry.” His free hand lights on my arm, reminding me of our kiss last night. My pulse races. Students glance over curiously, some of them openly gawking. A part of me feels satisfied, happy even. But the other part of me is embarrassed, hating the attention. Either way, I don’t want to end my conversation with Cal. This is the most peace I’ve felt all morning. His presence has a calming effect on me. “I took care of it. He won’t come around again.”
I’m stunned. Sure, he told me he’d take care of it, but I wasn’t even sure that was possible. “What did you do?”
“Told him you aren’t in Prairie Creek.” He shrugs like it’s no big deal.
“Y-you talked to him?” I burst out. My body goes hot.
He nods, glancing around the hallway. I clamp my mouth shut, realizing that I spoke too loudly. But I can’t help it. This whole thing is crazy. “It wasn’t a big deal. I just approached him, asked if he needed help, he showed me your picture, and--”
“What?” I interrupt him. “What picture?”
“I don’t know. Some picture he had of you. It looked like it was pretty recent.” His gaze travels down my body, and I bite my lip. “You looked the same. Anyway, he asked if I knew you. I told him I didn’t.”
“You think he believed you?”
“Yeah, I do. I told him I knew everyone in town, and that I’d never seen you. After talking to me, he got in his car and drove off. Seemed satisfied.” His confidence makes me want to think it’s true. But deep down, I’m uncertain. One thing I’ve learned over the years is that Dusty doesn’t give up. Only this time I don’t understand why he even wants to find me. In our last conversation he made his feelings for me pretty clear.
“I just don’t get why he was here,” I mutter under my breath.
Cal studies me, his face serious, his eyebrows knit together. “He said you have something of his. Something he wants back. Any idea what that is?”
His words are like a swift kick to my gut. Bile rises in my throat, but I swallow it down.
“Taylor?” His eyes widen.
Seriously, I’ve got to pull it together . Calming myself, I suck in a breath. “Um…no. I don’t know what he’s talking about. I don’t have anything of his.” It’s a lie. A huge lie. But there’s no way I can tell Cal the truth. If I do, he’ll walk away and never look back, and I can’t let that happen. I need him right now. I know that makes me seem like a selfish person, and maybe I am. But I’m not ready to let Cal go. I’ll have to at some point, but I don’t want that to be today.
The bell peals. Students hurry past us making their way to class. My class is clear across campus, and as much as I want to stay here with Cal, I know I need to head that direction.
“Well, I better get going,” I say.
Cal nods. “Want me to walk you to class?”
It’s tempting, but I shake my head. It already scares me how much I need him after only one night. I can’t lean on him constantly. “That’s okay. I’ll be fine.”
“We’ll talk later, all right?”
“Yeah,” I respond, a little surprised that he still wants to talk to me. That he’s still so concerned. I can only imagine how his conversation with Dusty went. I’m positive it wasn’t a friendly one. Why is he so hell bent on helping me?
****
Math has never been
Spinning around on my heels, I stalk toward the doors leading out of the hallway.
“Taylor,” Cal’s voice stops me.
My heart arrests. I freeze, then slowly turn around.
He stands in front of me, one hand jammed in the front pocket of his jeans. His hair is tousled, and his eyes pierce mine. He’s wearing an expression of concern. “You okay?”
I nod, emotion rising inside of me. What is it about this guy that brings out this sensitive side of me?
“Don’t worry.” His free hand lights on my arm, reminding me of our kiss last night. My pulse races. Students glance over curiously, some of them openly gawking. A part of me feels satisfied, happy even. But the other part of me is embarrassed, hating the attention. Either way, I don’t want to end my conversation with Cal. This is the most peace I’ve felt all morning. His presence has a calming effect on me. “I took care of it. He won’t come around again.”
I’m stunned. Sure, he told me he’d take care of it, but I wasn’t even sure that was possible. “What did you do?”
“Told him you aren’t in Prairie Creek.” He shrugs like it’s no big deal.
“Y-you talked to him?” I burst out. My body goes hot.
He nods, glancing around the hallway. I clamp my mouth shut, realizing that I spoke too loudly. But I can’t help it. This whole thing is crazy. “It wasn’t a big deal. I just approached him, asked if he needed help, he showed me your picture, and--”
“What?” I interrupt him. “What picture?”
“I don’t know. Some picture he had of you. It looked like it was pretty recent.” His gaze travels down my body, and I bite my lip. “You looked the same. Anyway, he asked if I knew you. I told him I didn’t.”
“You think he believed you?”
“Yeah, I do. I told him I knew everyone in town, and that I’d never seen you. After talking to me, he got in his car and drove off. Seemed satisfied.” His confidence makes me want to think it’s true. But deep down, I’m uncertain. One thing I’ve learned over the years is that Dusty doesn’t give up. Only this time I don’t understand why he even wants to find me. In our last conversation he made his feelings for me pretty clear.
“I just don’t get why he was here,” I mutter under my breath.
Cal studies me, his face serious, his eyebrows knit together. “He said you have something of his. Something he wants back. Any idea what that is?”
His words are like a swift kick to my gut. Bile rises in my throat, but I swallow it down.
“Taylor?” His eyes widen.
Seriously, I’ve got to pull it together . Calming myself, I suck in a breath. “Um…no. I don’t know what he’s talking about. I don’t have anything of his.” It’s a lie. A huge lie. But there’s no way I can tell Cal the truth. If I do, he’ll walk away and never look back, and I can’t let that happen. I need him right now. I know that makes me seem like a selfish person, and maybe I am. But I’m not ready to let Cal go. I’ll have to at some point, but I don’t want that to be today.
The bell peals. Students hurry past us making their way to class. My class is clear across campus, and as much as I want to stay here with Cal, I know I need to head that direction.
“Well, I better get going,” I say.
Cal nods. “Want me to walk you to class?”
It’s tempting, but I shake my head. It already scares me how much I need him after only one night. I can’t lean on him constantly. “That’s okay. I’ll be fine.”
“We’ll talk later, all right?”
“Yeah,” I respond, a little surprised that he still wants to talk to me. That he’s still so concerned. I can only imagine how his conversation with Dusty went. I’m positive it wasn’t a friendly one. Why is he so hell bent on helping me?
****
Math has never been
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