Chapter 15

chapter

fifteen

OWEN

"Where'd you go?" I spread my arms out to my sides as Addie stalks into the gym, her giant tote glued to her shoulder like an extra limb. Her steps sound angry as each one echoes across the empty gym, and the sounds only grow louder the closer she gets to me. "I'm thinking we celebrate the news of our arrangement with a drink at the Tap."

"I hardly think that's necessary." She frowns, but that's not what gets my attention.

Her eyes do. They especially pop today, with her lashes thick and curled around seas of clear blue.

"Did you do something different today?" I wave over her face. "You look amazing. I mean, you always look great, but today, there's something?—"

She drops her tote by my feet with a thud, then gathers a fistful of my shirt in her hand, pinching the skin underneath in the process, and drags me into the Health classroom.

She only lets go to shut the door behind us and draw the shade over the window.

My smirk is too strong to stifle. It cracks through my poorly constructed fa?ade, especially when her eyes instantly land on my mouth. A strangled breath heaves out of her like she's warring with herself, and it's the opening I need to close the distance between us.

As I tower over her, I lift her chin with my hand and rasp, "Ready to beg for that kiss yet? Because I've thought of nothing else since Saturday night."

"You're jonesing for far more than I can give you. I can't date you, Owen."

"Why's that?" I slip my hand along her jawline, inching my fingertips into her hair until I cup her cheek. I can't help but touch her.

It's more than a want—it's a damn necessity wrapped in desire.

"We're mortal enemies."

"A bit dramatic, don't you think? I figured you and wasps, or you and fun, would be mortal enemies. Not you and me." I stretch my hand until my thumb reaches her bottom lip, tracing it as memories of kissing her jolt my body awake better than the energy drink I nearly inhaled on the way here this morning. I'm too aware of being alone with her for at least a few more minutes before our classes arrive.

"Fine." She tears herself away from me almost in slow motion, like she hates the idea of not touching me—that makes two of us. She spins once and sighs. "Funny business aside, the truth is that we are wrong for each other. You and I are co-workers. We now share a freaking classroom. The whole school will know about us before we can finish the sentence— peaches are the superior fruit in all the world ."

"That's one thing we can agree on." I stuff my hands into the pockets of my sweatpants, restraining them against reaching out for her again.

It's as difficult as refraining from taking back my promise not to kiss her until she asks for it.

"I have far more things to worry about right now," she says.

"Such as? It's not like you're going to do the repairs yourself. Let the professionals do their thing, and enjoy your time at the gym. It'll be like a vacation." I wink.

"I need to make sure new supplies are ordered. I need a SMART board and… and… a new favorite coffee mug." She gulps, fidgeting with her fingers.

"A coffee mug?" Is she serious?

"Forget the coffee mug." She runs a hand through her hair. "My impeccable reputation would be ruined because this is the scandal—dating my co-worker—that I never asked for."

"You and your fucking reputation," I grumble.

"It's important to me. Things like that matter," she insists.

"You're serious, aren't you?"

The lip twitch I love so much subtly pops. If I weren't so close to her, I might've missed it.

"Look, Lockhart, dating each other is not against school policy. We're two consenting adults. Sure, the school and the rest of this town might whisper about us for five minutes before moving on to the next bit of gossip, but it's not a reason to fight this thing between us. And let's face it, your impeccable reputation doesn't keep you warm at night, does it?"

"No." She shoots me a pointed stare. "My weighted blanket does."

"Anything your weighted blanket can do, I can do better, and I can do more."

Strokes of deep crimson brush across her cheeks. I start to believe I'm winning her over, but then she pulls the damn rug out from under me.

"I want to be principal here someday. Future principals aren't floozies who jump into bed with their hunky co-workers."

"Hunky, huh?"

"Future principals don't get involved with the people they work with. They're ethical and responsible, and they don't give in to every urge just because that co-worker dropped off dinner for them once. We don't even have anything in common, Owen." She gulps, and I follow the movement with more focus than I ever did a baseball flying at my face. "We should forget my moment of insanity. Let's pretend I never kissed you, okay?" The final word leaves her lips on an exhale, and it resembles a pant. It's similar to the breathy sound she made the other night when she kissed me.

It drives me fucking wild.

"No can do, angel."

"Why are you being so difficult?"

"I'm being honest, unlike yourself."

As I step closer, she visibly steels herself like she's bracing her body against a strong wind.

I lick my lips. "Our kiss wasn't the kind of kiss you ignore. It was the kind you remember forever. The kind that's seared into your memory like a tattoo. So, you see, pretending it never happened is like trying to ignore ink engraved into your skin. It's impossible." I stop just short of her, my hands still trapped away. "And if you think I'm obsessed with you after a single taste… well, then, you're absolutely correct."

Her lips part as she angles her head to the side to peer up at me.

"You don't really want me to let this go," I urge.

"You're wrong."

I squint as I study her closed eyes and heaving chest. After a beat, I raise my hands, palms facing her. "If you really want me to forget, fine. I'll never speak of it again."

She blinks.

"Happy?"

Addie purses her lips and fidgets with her fingers.

I cock a brow.

"You're giving up just like that?" she demands. "What happened to wanting me to beg? To being obsessed with me? To being seared into your memory?"

One side of my lips lifts. "I meant every word. But I don't make a habit of pursuing someone who insists they don't have feelings for me."

She shifts but makes no other effort to leave. This is her chance to turn around and walk away. To abandon the whole matter and any possibility of us in the privacy of this room.

But she continues standing here and staring at me, her chest heaving harder and faster as her pants fill the space between us.

"Unless I was right, and you don't want me to let this go," I venture, purposely toying with her. Her squirming is pretty fucking fun.

"I do. I mean, I don't… know. You're confusing me."

"It's yes or no, Lockhart. That simple."

She licks her lips. "Maybe." Her voice holds more of a question than confidence.

"I can work with maybe." I lean down and rasp against her lips. "I affect you. And you leave me no other choice but to show you how perfect we could be together."

I make my way out of the Health room, my head high as I whistle an upbeat tune to match my mood. If she protests to my promise or says anything else at all, it's drowned out by the bell and my racing mind.