Chapter 1

Inibble my lip, staring at my phone screen, as a wave of nerves and desire flow through me. It’s exciting, not knowing when you might get caught. Hiding such a big secret from everyone you know. Sneaking away for just a moment so you can steal a kiss.

It’s exhilarating.

Are you sure? I don’t want anyone else to see these.

V

No one will ever see them. Just me. If you’re unsure, I could send you some money.

I nibble my bottom lip and frown. Money would be nice…

V

You can use it to buy a dress for prom. I know you still really want to go.

Shit. He’s got me there. I do really want to go to prom, and there’s no way I’ll make enough money to pay the bills for this month and be able to buy a dress. Not unless I get some serious help…

How much?

V

How much do you need?

Honestly? Like $300. Maybe more. We’re struggling this month.

Victor knows how hard things are for me at home. He knows my mom often isn’t around, and how scared I get at night. I text him in the early hours of the morning when I wake up after a nightmare, scared stupid because I think I hear someone in my closet, but I’m too afraid to look.

He comforts me. Talks me down. Helps me fall back to sleep.

V

I’ll send you $150 now and $150 after you send me the picture.

My cheeks flush with heat, and I step closer to my locker, so that no one can see my messages over my shoulder.

I have Victor’s identity protected, but I don’t want anyone even asking questions about this. I turn eighteen in two weeks, but even still, he could get in serious trouble if anyone found out about us. I’m his student, after all.

Fortunately, no one cares enough about me to snoop into my private life. Lizzy loves me, but she’s a bit oblivious. She’d never believe a goodie-two-shoes like myself would be capable of this.

Okay, I’ll send them after I get home from work tonight. I’m only scheduled for two hours.

As soon as classes end for the day, I have to head to the little mom-and-pop ice cream shop that I’ve been working at for almost two years. As soon as I turn eighteen, they’re going to give me more hours, but right now I’m only allowed to work part-time. Which makes it a lot harder to help mom out, but I do a lot of babysitting and yard work for our neighbors too. My weekends are usually filled.

I love my mom, but she’s not great at managing money, and since my stepdad bailed on us, it’s just me and her now. When she lost his steady income, things got pretty rough for a while. We’re finally doing better, but it’s still not great. It took us damn near two years just to get to this point. I don’t want to ever fall back into that hole again.

It’s senior year, and once I graduate my plan is to haul my mom to a nicer, sunnier state. I can go to a small community college. Something less expensive than the local university. I’ll find a way to give us both a shot at a better life. I hear selling feet pics can pay a lot of money.

Mom wouldn’t approve, but if it’s paying the bills, she won’t complain too much. There’s also no reason for me to tell her what I do. She certainly has no idea what I’ve been doing for the extra cash the last few weeks.

Victor came into my life when the school year started, eight months ago. He didn’t begin texting me right away, but ever since, I’ve felt free. Wild, and a little insane maybe, but still. There’s something sexy about sharing a secret with someone, in a room full of people that have no idea you’re even close.

V

Before you leave for the day, come see me.

My heart starts racing. I’ve only done it a handful of times over the last two months, but we’ve started sneaking special moments together more often these last three weeks. It’s like he can’t help himself, he just has to get me alone, even if it’s only for a few minutes.

It’s nice to feel wanted.

Okay.