Page 111 of Science Project

Instead, they all looked actually inviting.

After another hesitant pause, I placed my bookbag on the lunch table and sat in the only empty seat next to Allie. She beamed at me, and the girls continued grilling Sakura about her relationship with Mr. Avery, to which she blushed uncontrollably.

I listened to the gossip and pulled out a sandwich. Allie leaned closer to me and gently knocked her shoulder against mine.

“So, where’s Akio?” Allie asked. “I heard from Kai that you two are a thing.”

“Is it true?” Imani asked, leaning forward.

The attention was suddenly all on me.

Sakura looked over, her gaze telling me that she was desperate to have the attention taken off her. I bit back a small smile and kicked my legs back and forth underneath the table, wondering if this was how it felt to have friends.

Did they gossip like this all the time with each other? Should I tell them? Trust them?

“Yes,” I whispered. “We’re dating.”

“Dating?!” Allie squealed. “I would’ve never imagined you dating him.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Maddie asked.

“Well, Nicole is totally way out of Akio’s league,” she said. “I mean, no offense to him.”

“He’s really sweet to me,” I whispered. “And way too good for me, but we work.”

And we worked well together too.

“Do you want to come over and hang out with us tonight?” Allie asked. “We’re going out for ice cream to see if we can get any more info out of Sakura about her bab—I mean, her relationship with our professor.”

“Or are you too busy with your new man?” Vera asked.

While it was nice that people were finally being good to me and while I really wanted to have friends who actually cared about me for the first time in my life, Akio and I already had plans tonight and for the rest of the week.

“Rain check?” I offered. “I’m a bit busy tonight.”

Allie nodded. “Sure. What are you up to? Cheer?”

“No,” I said, my lips curling into a smile. “Something that will actually make me happy.”

CHAPTER

SIXTY-EIGHT

NICOLE

“Come with me,” I purred, grasping Officer Clawson’s hand and leading him into a sleazy motel room down by the beach.

He kicked the door closed behind us and followed me deeper into the small room toward the bed.

With every stride forward, the gun on his hip thudded against his thigh, and his badge shone underneath the flickering room lights. Before he could notice Akio in the dark corner, I twirled us around and shoved him back on the bed.

“Is this what you want?” I asked.

Clawson’s cock was rock hard inside his pants. I unbuckled his belt and pulled it off his waist. Then, I grabbed all the weapons that he could use off his waistband—first the baton, then the gun—and I set them on the side table, promising that he’d be more comfortable this way.

He lay back, his hands behind his head, and stared at me. “You’ve grown up.”

I gazed up at him with sultry eyes, wanting to hurl. “Not a little girl anymore.”

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