Page 128 of Bad for Me

After ten seconds of staring at the screen, the post shimmered and disappeared forever. But speculation around campus has only grown since more and more students began checking the app. Needless to say, I’ve been dying to talk to Woods all morning. So I was more than a little annoyed that Marleigh, Cadence, and I made it to class right when he emerged from his office.

I’ve been trying to read his expression for any clue of how he feels. In the beginning of class, his shoulders were tense, his jaw muscles twitched, and he refused to look at me. Sometime during the middle of his lecture, though, his eyes flickered down for a split-second at what I’m assuming was his phone. His gaze then found mine and he gave me the smallest of smiles before loosening up and walking the stage as he spoke.

So while I’m still a nervous wreck, that subtle hint gave me hope that maybe this will work out. Although I still haven’t figured out how I’m going to avoid walking with my friends after class.

“Earth to Everly…” My gaze darts up to see Marleigh waving at me with a smile. “You alright?”

“Um, yeah.” Students mingle as they leave their seats and make their way out of the auditorium. I didn’t even realize he’d dismissed us. “Yeah, yeah. Totally fine. What’s up?”

I gather my things and slide them into my bag, trying my best to seem like everything’s fine.

But I can’t stop thinking about how I shouldn’t look at Woods more than normal in case I tip someone off… But then I second-guess what normal is… andthenI worry about getting kicked out… which leads me to feel guilty about Woods losing his dream job?—

“Everly!”

I jolt and my attention snaps back to Marleigh after getting caught up in my thoughts yet again. Her confused grin settles my pulse a little, but dear God, I’ve got to get my head on straight or I’ll ruin everything all by myself.

“Girl, are you okay? You seem busy,” she waves her hand beside her perfectly curled copper hair. “Up here.”

“Yeah? Sorry. Just a long weekend. Miss home, I guess.”

“Oh, gotcha.” Her button nose crinkles just as she shifts her books in her arms. “Well, I’m hitting the Barnaby Library with Brin before my next class. I’d invite you to come, but I know yours begins sooner than mine, so I’ll see you later, okay?”

I exhale a small sigh of relief that I’ll have time to catch Woods, until what she said registers. “Wait, the library? Already? Do you have a test or something soon?”

“People don’t really go there tostudy.” She snorts a laugh. “Brin hypothesizes B-Lib will be where most of the gossip percolates. People can’t be studying that hard yet. Granted, I say that, but Cadence sprinted back to the dorm because she wanted to hit the books again so badly. The girl’s been a ball of anxiety studying all weekend. Overachievers, right?”

It’s my turn to snort. “Says the chemistry major that just used ‘hypothesizes’ and ‘percolates’ like they weren’t on the SATs.”

Her playful grin falters. She dips her head to untuck her hair from behind her ear, hiding the scarlet blooming on her cheeks, and I instantly feel like a jerk.

“Sorry,” I rush out with an apologetic smile. “Like I said, it’s been a weird weekend.”

She nods and her smile returns slowly. “Oh yeah, no worries. See ya later, right?”

I nod. “See ya.”

She practically flees from me, the opposite of “no worries,” but I can’t go after her right now. Thankfully, the rest of the class left during our exchange, and I’m alone. Except for him.

My gaze lands on Woods, his hand on his office door. He nods toward it, indicating that I should follow, and disappears through the door, leaving it open behind him.

Once he’s gone, I slide down my row and toward his office, glancing around me the whole way.

Going to your teacher’s office isn’t weird. Act natural.

I nod to myself and breathe through my stress, but still rush down the steps like my feet are on fire.

Once I get to his office, I enter backward so I can check behind me to make sure the coast is clear. The classroom is still empty as I hastily close the door, and as soon as I’m fully inside, I turn to face Woods. I open my mouth to blurt out all of my anxiety, and the last thing I expect is for him to interrupt me with a scorching kiss.

I tense at first, but when his thumbs tenderly brush my cheeks, I melt into his touch, forgetting why we shouldn’t be doing this in the first place. His lips are warm, firm, desperate. My hands gravitate to his chest, and once I find his lapels, I tug him toward me.

He pulls away all too soon, leaving me breathless.

“That was…” I blink a few times before I remember why I’m here. “Wait, Woods. The rumor? We shouldn’t be doing?—”

“We’re in the clear.” His brilliant grin makes me smile despite my anxiety, but it’s his words that nearly make me black out from relief. Tension releases throughout my body on a cool wave, and I stumble into him.

“Whoa, whoa, here—” His arm encircles my waist and sweeps me to his computer chair where he plops me on his lap in a sidesaddle position. His smile returns as soon as I’m settled. I still can’t wrap my mind around what he said, though.

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