Page 39 of Dangerous

“And I’ve told you that I don’t cheat. So, stop trying to get me to go out with you. I’m not interested. And the next time you do, I’ll go to Mrs. Knight and tell her about your continued sexual harassment. I don’t think you’d be keeping your job if I did that.” He spun around to face me. “Go get your Liam cuddles in. He’ll be happy to see you. Maybe you could spend a little time with him this evening?”

Since I wasn’t working and since Peter had stood up to Missy instead of making plans with her like he would have in the past, I nodded. “I think I can do that. And Peter”—Missy’s mouth sucked in like she’d eaten a bag of sour candies all at once when I called him by his first name, but I didn’t care—“thank you.”

He reached out and squeezed my shoulder—the only acceptable touch while at school. “Anytime.”

He nodded at Missy before he stalked off back into the school.

“And what are you doing here?” Missy cocked her hip as she stared down her nose at me.

I brushed past her, placing my school supplies on the long counter before letting myself into the back. “Doing what Peter told me to do. I’m spending a little time with Liam.”

Susan walked out of the backroom, carrying Liam. “Ahh, Katy, it’s nice to see you again. Liam’s a little grumpy this morning so I’m glad you’re here. You have the magic touch with him.”

From the moment he heard my name, he lifted his head up off her shoulder and started to look for me, making me smile. “I’m over here, Liam. Want to come visit with me for a bit?Maybe we can read some books. Would you like that Little Man?”

He pushed away from Susan, trying to jump into my arms as he babbled away. At his excited chatter and joy at seeing me, everything else fled. They were right. This was exactly what I needed, and I was going to enjoy every minute of it until he went down for his morning nap even if it meant that I missed class. Spending time with him and helping my mental health were more important. And I was sure that Peter, Susan, and even Mr. Taylor would back me up on that if anyone complained.

28

Katy/Katherine

Snow fell, adding more centimetres to amount already on the ground from two earlier storms. Seeing it come down in its big, fluffy, white flakes made me happy. I loved Christmas. It was a time when people in our community came together to help those who were struggling. We’d already gathered all the needed donations for our hampers, and they were packed, ready to be distributed.

“Katy, are you listening?” Sasha waved her hand in front of my face.

“It’s snowing outside, and you know how she gets.”

I smiled a Deena, thanking her for sticking up for me as Sasha rolled her eyes.

“Yes, but this year she has a boyfriend so I would have thought that she’d be more interested in the gift giving than the snow.”

Crap. I was being a bad girlfriend again. Although I’d gotten better since that first disaster of a day in October. Since then, I hadn’t needed to make an escape to the daycare to calm down.Not that I stopped going to the daycare, because Liam was my best buddy and still the cutest. He was full on crawling now and getting into everything since he started pulling himself up to stand if there was something to hold onto. Plus, he gave the best cuddles.

“I am interested in gift giving. I’ve already purchased them all.”

“Even your ones for Ethan?” Sasha asked as if she hadn’t known me for the last twelve or thirteen years.

“Yes, even Ethan.” I tossed him a smile over my shoulder as he pulled me tighter to his side.

“Of course she has mine. Just like I have hers. What of it, Sasha?”

“Nothing. I just wanted to make sure she wasn’t failing as your girlfriend. You are her first, you know.” The smug grin she wore told me she meant for her words to remind me off that first day. But I let them roll off my back. It wasn’t the first time that she tried to get me flustered from it again and I doubted it would be the last. She liked to be the centre of things and when she wasn’t, she tried to joke her way there even if they sometimes fell flat. But that was better than what Kailee did to make herself stand out which usually resulted in her putting someone else down.

“Well, she’s not. She’s the best.” He pressed a kiss to the side of my head. Our PDA had been steadily increasing with a number of kisses that caught the edges of my lips. I wasn’t sure what to make of it. Had he fallen for me? Was he like Mason who wanted more while telling me that he’d settle for friendship? Crap. Isn’t that what they guys told me as well? Why do guys do that? Are they all willing to operate in an underhanded way?

“Ka-ty, did we lose you to the snow again?” Sasha’s voice pulled me from the spiral I’d entered. I really didn’t know what was up with me today, but I needed to be careful, or I’d slip up.

I gave her a sheepish grin. “Sorry. It’s just so pretty. It’s going to make the festival so pretty tonight.”

“Are you going tonight or waiting until tomorrow?”

“We’re going tonight,” Ethan answered for me. “Katy is helping out tomorrow and I already had some plans.”

Sasha pouted. “Well, maybe I’ll see you tomorrow because mom and dad are making us have family night tonight.”

She sounded so horrified that I couldn’t stop myself from laughing at her. The twin’s parents made them have a family bonding night one Friday every month, so it wasn’t like this was anything new. But every month her response was the same. Thankfully her parents had chosen Fridays and not Saturdays because I couldn’t imagine her attitude if she had to miss one of the parties every month.

My phone alarm vibrated against my leg. I pulled myself out of Ethan’s hold, stopping to press a kiss to his temple. “I’ve got to go. I’ll see you in Math, okay?”

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