Page 126 of Inception

“Caleb?”

“Yeah, Caleb,” he replied in a tone that bore a striking resemblance to jealousy. It was obvious the question had been eating at him for some time now.

“No, I don’t like him.” I answered easily because it was the truth. “Not in that way.”I like you, I wanted to say, but I didn’t have the courage to say it out loud.

His dimples pressed in content, though they vanished just as soon as Caleb’s next message chimed in. We rode the rest of the way in silence with him staring out at the road, and me wishing I could grow any semblance of a backbone.

The dark silhouette of Weston Academy towered over us as we pulled into the student parking lot. There was only a few minutes to spare before the bell, evidenced by half the student body making a unified dash for the doors. I knew I should have been running right along with them—caring like they did, but I just couldn’t seem to make my legs get on board.

“Thanks for the ride,” I said as we walked towards the side entrance together.

He tipped his head in response.

My attention shifted briefly to a dark raven calling out in the distance. I watched as it rose up over the building and then disappeared behind a hem of evergreens.

“So how are we going to do this whole chaperoning thing?” I wondered, hanging back at the door. It wasn’t quite the question I wanted to ask him, but it was a start. “Are we just walking in there together like it’s nothing?”

“Itisnothing. I’m a friend walking another friend to her class.” His detached tone struck a sour chord with me.

“Right.” I stepped out of the way as a straggling mob of juniors shuffled past us.

Trace stepped back with me, closing the gap between us. “That’s not how I meant it.”

“Then how did you mean it?”

“As far as everyone else is concerned, I’m just a friend walking a friend to class.”

I looked up at him, instantly melting in the fervor that were his eyes. “And as far as we’re concerned?”

“As far as we’re concerned...I’m something more,” he said carefully, testing out the words. “If you want me to be.”

“I do.” I flushed at how fast the words sped out of me.

A small smile formed on his perfect lips, and suddenly, all I could think about was how good his mouth felt against mine yesterday, and how natural kissing him had been. Like we were put on this earth for the sole purpose of kissing each other.

I was so caught up in his lips that I completely missed the words that were coming out of them. I looked up at him and found him waiting for an answer to a question I hadn’t heard.

“Huh?” I shook my head dimly.

His smile deepened, setting off his perfect dimples as his gaze traveled over my shoulder, gauging our surroundings—probably looking for witnesses. When his eyes met mine again, he didn’t bother repeating the question. Instead, he slinked his arm around my waist and pulled me into him possessively.

“What are you…?”

My voice dropped off as his lips connected with mine, setting off a familiar blast of want that tore through my body like an inferno and weakened my knees like a malady. He kissed me with passion, with hunger, and I returned the gift two-fold, burying my hands into his hair and pulling him in even closer than he was.

The side door clicked open, startling our lips apart. Without forethought, I slammed my hands into his chest and pushed, sending him sailing a good two feet away.

“There you are!” squealed Taylor. She stepped out from behind the door and joined us in an awkward triangle. “What’s going on? Why are you guys out here?” Her eyes sparkled as she reached her own conclusion. “Ooh! Are we ditching?”

I exhaled a sigh of relief. She hadn’t seen anything.

“We were just about to go in,” said Trace, licking his lips in a slow and deliberate manner.

It completely threw me off.

“You’re lucky you don’t have Gillman. He would have nailed you both to the cross. It’s like he gets off on ruining our lives. And F-Y-I,” she said, swinging her attention to me, “I have the perfect dress picked out for you for the dance.”

“You picked out a dress for me?” I couldn’t help but smile at her.

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