Chapter Seven

Matthias Delgado

(Present Day)

The memories crash over me from that night. It feels like it happened yesterday and a lifetime ago. The smell of Kaelie's hair, the heat of her skin, it's all a little too much and altogether not enough.

"Get off me," Kaelie is seething, her spine rigid.

"Stop running," I say lowly.

"You don't want me here any more than I want to be here."

Moving away, I allow her enough space to turn and face me. Her beauty hits me straight in the chest, the same way it did all those months ago. Her baby-blue gaze, plump pouty lips, and high cheekbones. Even with the bruises she is still the most beautiful girl I have ever laid eyes on. My fingers twitch with the need to cup her face before kissing her until neither of us can breathe. But I can't do that because she isn't mine. She never was, no matter the words we whispered to each other in the dark.

"I shouldn't have come here," Kaelie says softly, looking over my shoulder.

"Why did you?"

When she doesn't answer me, I know why. The money. For a single moment, I almost allowed myself to feel hope. That perhaps she came here because, like me, she didn't want to stay away anymore.

"I need help and you clearly need the money. Let's just get this over with." It's hard to keep the anger from my voice. Turning away from her, I retake my seat at the table. "Just do your job and everything will be fine."

For the longest moments, she doesn't move or speak. Hell, I'm not even sure she is breathing before she moves and takes the seat beside me. Kaelie takes her books out of her bag, placing them on the table before facing me.

"Let's get started."

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Thalia spying on us with a frown on her face. I know she will be asking what happened later and I honestly have no fucking clue what I'm going to say. For now, I need to focus on the tutoring session, not my mother, and definitely not Kaelie.

I listen intently as she explains the work to me, better than most of the professors, and make notes as we go along. After some time she looks down at a cell phone that may be older than my little brother before packing up her stuff.

"Are we done?" I ask.

"I've been here for two hours. I have other things to do." She doesn't look at me when she speaks.

"Fine." I don't want her to leave but I know I can't keep her here. "When is our next appointment?"

"Friday at five o'clock."

She slings her bag over her shoulder and leaves the way she came. It takes everything in me not to jump up and follow her.

Thalia comes out a couple of minutes later. "Are you going after her?"

"She's already gone. Probably halfway back to wherever she came from," I mutter before I realize what I'm saying. "Why would I go after her?" I ask louder than I should have, trying to deflect from what I previously said.

Thalia shakes her head with a smile that says she knows something I don't. "She is about halfway down the driveway. I think she walked."

****

Kaelie Carter

moment I step away from the Delgado home, I'm finally able to take a deep cleansing breath. I don't know how much more of this I can handle. Being this close to him, spending hours on end with him, is going to kill me. I'm sure of it.

I hear the low rumble of the Mustang before it pulls up beside me. I wonder what happened to the truck.

"Get in."

I glance at Matthias before continuing to walk down the driveway. I have fifteen minutes to walk three blocks to where the last bus of the day will pick me up and take me back to campus. I hear the car door slam as he gets out and I pick up the pace.

"Don't be difficult. I'm not going to let you walk," Matthias says, grabbing my arms to stop me from going any further.

"We have a deal. I tutor you and you continue to act like I don't exist."

I can see his determination and I know he is going to push me on this.

"I'm not a complete asshole," Matthias says. "Let me drive you and make sure you're safe."

A laugh bursts from between my lips. Confusion crosses Matthias's handsome face before he smiles. I want to kiss him and slap him at the same time. Instead, I settle on lashing out with my words.

"You once told me I wouldn't be safe with you. I should have listened." His smile falls away. "It was true then and it's still true now."

"Kaelie," he starts but I cut him off with a raised hand.

"Just stick to the arrangement and we will both get what we want."

Gently pulling my arms from his grip, I turn and walk away. My heart hurts and tears are brimming in my eyes.

Matthias Delgado is the man I love.

The man I hate.

And the one person who can never, ever find out my secret.

By the time I finally make it to the bus stop, I'm late. The bus is no longer there, the little red lights floating off into the distance. Thankfully, I still have some cash and can afford to call another Uber. I will just have to make sure it doesn't happen again.