Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 34941 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 175(@200wpm)___ 140(@250wpm)___ 116(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 34941 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 175(@200wpm)___ 140(@250wpm)___ 116(@300wpm)
But, if he hadn't...I would know what kissing Nathan feels like. What that stubble would feel like against my cheeks, how soft his lips might be… Ugh, I'm a mess. I have a crush on my teacher. Not just any teacher, but my ex-boyfriend's dad.
"He's your teacher," I mutter, pushing myself off the floor and getting my legs underneath me. "Get it together, Noelle."
I need to get home and do some homework. If I don't pass this quarter, it will throw off my whole college career, and my mom will probably kill me. And then bring me back from the dead so she can kill me again. But even as I grab my things and head out of the building, I can't stop thinking about Nathan.
"Stop it!" I hiss at myself, but I can't.
My body is practically on fire, my skin so hot that it feels like it's too tight for me, and my underwear is soaked.
"Damn it," I whisper, heading straight to the dorms. I don't care if it's a long walk.
I'm so worked up that I don't think I could stand waiting for a ride or even taking the bus. So, I shoulder my bag and hurry home, keeping my head down so no one will talk to me. If someone stops me, I'm afraid I'll start to babble, telling them everything. I can't tell anyone about this. Not my friends, not my mom, not anyone. I have to keep it a secret.
It's a crush. That's all it is. I've had crushes before, and I'll get over it.
"Yeah right," I mutter to myself, thinking of how intense the feeling was when our eyes met. It’s a lot more than a crush, but that's all I'll let it be.
Nathan is the one man in the world who is strictly off-limits, and he knows it. There’s no way he will ever be interested in a student, let alone his son's ex-girlfriend. Even if I hadn't just broken up with Danny, he wouldn't be interested. I don't have a shot in hell, so why am I still thinking about him?
Because he's the best-looking guy I've ever met, and the chemistry between us was real. The worst part is that I don't think it was one-sided. I'm lying to myself about his interest—some part of him wants me, even if it's just physically, and that's going to make resisting him even harder. He's smart, kind, and generous, and he makes me feel like a woman. For once, I want to be treated like an adult.
"Noelle?"
I stop, looking up to see Danny leaning against the outside of the dorm. He's grinning like he's just found the best Christmas present. I scowl at him.
"What are you doing here?" I groan, wondering how this day can get any worse.
"Waiting for you. I figured you'd come back here." He stands up straight, looking me up and down. "We didn't get to finish our conversation back in my dad's office."
"No, Danny," I say, sighing. "There is no conversation. We aren't together anymore. You keep pretending we are, but we aren't. Go away."
"Noelle, baby. I'm sorry." His voice takes on that whiny tone that grates against my nerves. "Whatever I did or didn't do or whatever, I'm sorry. Come on, don't leave. Don't be mad at me."
"Go away, Danny." I brush past him, knowing he doesn't have the fob to unlock the girl's dorm, but before I can make it inside, he grabs my arm.
"You don't mean that." Danny tries to force me to meet his eyes, but I refuse. "Just tell me what I can do to fix this. I want us to be together. We're a team, right?"
"We aren't," I grit out, wrenching my arm from his grip.
"Don't say that." There's an edge of franticness to Danny's voice that wasn't there before, and I wonder if it's because he could sense the energy between me and his dad back in the office.
Luckily, another group of girls enter the dorm, and I manage to slip away from Danny and into the crowd, making sure the door shuts behind all of us before I relax. He’s still waiting outside the glass doors, but for now, he can't harass me anymore. Ultimately, he's probably harmless, just annoying, but I'm still infinitely glad to be rid of him.
The girls and I take the elevator upstairs, and I head straight to my room. Fortunately, my roommate is off campus with her parents for break already since her finals are all online, so I don't have to worry about her trying to make small talk or asking why I look so upset. Instead, I toss my bag onto my bed, flop down, and cover my face with a pillow.
This is bad. Really, really bad. I can't stop thinking about him.
"No," I insist, throwing the pillow across the room and sitting up. I dig through my bag, grab my laptop, cram my earbuds in my ears, and log in to do what little homework I have left.