Page 19 of Dear Mr. Brody

I switched off the overhead light, and the glow-in-the-dark stars illuminated on her ceiling.

“Love you, too,” she said and turned onto her side, pulling the blanket all the way up to her chin.

I left her door open a crack and headed to the kitchen to grab a beer. It was only eight, and I’d been on the go all evening. I wanted to unwind a little before I started grading essays. The light in my office was already on, and I groaned like an old man as I sat down at my desk. I pulled my phone from my pocket before taking a swig from the bottle. I was tempted to text that guy again, but worried I’d let too much time lapse and he’d moved on. I wasn’t sure how great I was at navigating all of this. I set my beer down and opened the app. For a solid five minutes, I argued with myself on whether or not I should text him and decided I had too much work to do to worry about it right then. I opened up my email, instead, and like I’d figured, I already had about seven essays submitted. I scrolled down, not even trying to pretend like I wasn’t looking for Parker’s name and grinned when I found it.

FROM: [email protected]

TO: [email protected]

Date: Aug 26 7:16 PM

SUBJECT: ASSIGNMENT 2

Dear Mr. Brody,

I attached my essay. Not sure if I did it right. It’s probably shorter than you wanted it, but once I got going, it all sort of fell out onto the paper. In my defense, it felt like much more than a paragraph while I was writing.

I decided I’m a fan of free association.

Your “excellent” student,

Parker~

His sign off made me chuckle, and I opened the attachment, my impatient finger tapping on the desk while I waited for it to load.

Sweat finds its way down the middle of my back, and I don’t want to stop the dream, the sound, and the wave as it crashes into me. His hands are rough. Warm and heavy, and I’m falling for him. I feel the sand scratch at my knees, and I close my eyes, absorb it all, feel the humid air on my skin, the sky as it falls. Feel it like I did that night, loving the taste of salt on my tongue. The air is heavy with it, and it bites at my cheeks as the sand fills my hands. He won’t stop until the sand consumes me. Until all I feel is the wet truth on my skin, until every touch meets its perfect mark, until I’m broken open for him. His words, a comfort, tell me I’m enough, that I’m not sick, that I never deserved to bleed. And with every hard breath, I won’t stop dreaming, feeling, and I think this is how I will find the end, find my freedom. This man. I didn’t know. I didn’t know. Turns me to dust.

Jesus Christ.

One paragraph and he’d annihilated me.

Fighting the arousal his words had conjured, I pressed the heel of my palm into my groin. This was too personal, read too real. Images I shouldn’t have had popped up inside my head like little bolts of lightning, spreading heat throughout my entire body.

Shit.

I swallowed and closed out of the email, telling myself the reaction I’d had was evidence of his talent and nothing more. Needing something to divert my attention from the very well written, and rather erotic paragraph, I picked up my phone and clicked open the Pegasus app. I scrolled to the conversation I’d had earlier and typed out a fashionably late reply, dispelling all thoughts about students and their borderline inappropriate words.

@MeAndMyShadow33: Did you think Pan would end up with Silas?

I didn’t expect an answer right away, so when the app pinged again, I was relieved.

@TheL0stB0y: Not at first. You?

@MeAndMyShadow33: They had too much stacked against them.

@TheL0stB0y: That’s what made the story great. When they finally get together you know they fucking earned it.

@MeAndMyShadow33: Love isn’t easy, is it?

@TheL0stB0y: Is that what you’re looking for?

@MeAndMyShadow33: I’m not sure what I’m looking for.

@TheL0stB0y: Looks like we have a lot in common.

@MeAndMyShadow33:Is this when you send me a freaky picture of your junk?

@TheL0stB0y: *cringe* Hell no. Just like Pan… you have to earn it.

---