Page 9 of After Class

Don't worry,Sophia is super chill. She wouldn't mind if we were still friends.

I laughed aloud, making Charles look up at me skeptically from his food bowl. Even though it made me laugh, I was shaking with anger. Friends? Really? After all his shit, after the cheating, the lying, the cruel words, breaking me down one underhanded comment at a time?

Fuck off Ethan. We're not friends. We'll never be friends.

I threw down my phone, determined to be done with it. It buzzed again almost immediately. I didn't want to pick it up. I didn't want to know what he had to say. I didn't want to give him the chance to get inside my head.

I picked up the phone.

You're overthinking, as usual Cass. Just because I didn't want to commit my whole life to you doesn't mean you have to be a bitch. But whatever. I guess you'll just go on being miserable with yourself.

I deleted the text thread, my hands shaking. I really tried not to cry. But furious tears were making my eyes sting and my chest hurt. For a few brief seconds, I buried my face in my hands and let go, hard sobs wracking my chest. I hated him.Hatedhim. I wanted to change my phone number, block him, erase every trace of him from existence. I wanted to forget all the things he had ever said to make me feel bad about myself, things that wheedled their way deep into my brain because I'd been stupidly vulnerable and in love.

My phone buzzed again. From where it lay face up on the cushion, I could see that it wasn't Ethan this time.

It was Adrian.

I scrubbed the tears off my face and picked it up.

I was just thinking of you. Are you okay?

I almost started crying again, just from relief. Why did I have to be so emotional? Sniffling, I texted him back.

I'm trying to be. Hard night.

Almost immediately, his response:

Do you need to talk?

My heart swelled, and then immediately fell. I didn't want to involve him in my drama already. What guy would want to stick around a girl who was still crying over her ex? Better to keep it as simple as possible than have Adrian think I was weak too.

Thank you, but I'll be okay. I just need a little time and to finish my glass of wine, haha.

A minute passed, and then:

Cass, if we're going to keep doing this incredibly stupid thing that I know we both want, we need to keep communication as open as possible. Are you sure you don't need to talk?

I smiled, his concern touching me.

No, really, it's okay. Just not tonight. I'm too emotional I guess. Hormones or some shit.

I waited. Then:

Please don't write off your feelings. Whatever you feel right now is valid. It's alright if you don't want to talk tonight, but please soon. Would you be free to come to my house Saturday night for dinner?

Woah . . . did he mean a date? An actual date? I hesitated before responding. The amazing sex was one thing, but a date meant emotions. It meant more of these crappy feelings that were currently making me heart feel like it was getting punched.Open communication.I guess there couldn't be any harm.

Sure thing. I'll be free :)

As I lay in bed that night, my mind was rushing. Was I really about to get this deeply involved? When Adrian said "open communication," surely he didn'treallywant to hear what wasgoing on inside my head. The insecurity, the uncertainty, the rushing thoughts. No guy wanted to hear that. Still, Adrian had so far not been like any other man I had been involved with. Not only because of the kinky sex, but because of the care he took in every interaction with me. The questions. The way he watched my face for acceptance and hesitation.

I tossed and turned, disturbing Charles and making him run off to sleep on the couch. It was just dinner . . . and probably sex.God, yes please. Now that I had calmed down from what Ethan had said, I was still aching from earlier. My ass stung against my pajama pants, and I finally had to slip out of them to be more comfortable. With my eyes closed, I thought of the way Adrian's eyes had looked as he called me over to him.

"Come here, little girl, and get over my knee."

The touch of my own fingers between my legs made me shudder. I imagined Adrian's fingers caressing inside me: the way they had found every tender, sensitive spot and manipulated it fully. I moaned softly, imagining him above me, his hand squeezing my throat with perfect control. My pleasure peaked and I gasped, shuddering. The rush forced the anxiety from my body, and I rolled over, exhausted. With sleep swiftly consuming me, my last lingering thought was of Adrian's gentle, dangerous hands caressing my face as he whispered,

"Did you like that?"

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