Page 74 of Teacher's Pet
His laugh was quick, bitter. “Wow. Deflection. Real nice. I didn’t do anything.”
“No?” My voice cut sharper. “You hooked me on your attention. On the feeling of being chosen. And now you’re shocked I followed you?”
“Are you blaming me? Seriously?”
“No, ” I stepped in again, lowering my voice. “I want you.”
“I know.” His tone was still firm, but his eyes flickered, something unsteady in them.
And I knew exactly why. It wasn’t just me telling him I wouldn’t sleep with him after everything, it was the shit I’d said before. The cheap, ugly way I’d reduced him.
“I owe you an apology,” I said quietly. “For what I said the other night, about you being good for sex and nothing more. That wasn’t fair. I wasn’t thinking clearly, and not just because I was angry. I’d been drunk, Ryan. My judgment was warped, but that doesn’t excuse it. You didn’t deserve to be spoken to like that. Not by me.”
His expression didn’t soften, but his shoulders shifted slightly, like the words hit.
“I was concerned for you,” I continued. “And I handled it badly. You… matter to me. More than just physically. You’re not some distraction I use when it’s convenient. I know I can be careful with my words when it comes to my students, but with you, I was reckless. And I’m sorry.”
He stared at me for a beat, then smirked faintly. “Understatement of the century.”
“I know,” I admitted, a small smile tugging at my mouth. “But the truth is, I was jealous.”
“Of… Alex?”
“No. Yes.” I sighed. “I was jealous of the idea of you going to someone else. Letting them explore your body like that, so intimate. It felt… like you were betraying our connection.”
He stayed quiet for a long moment. “You don’t want me.”
“I do.”
“Then why kick me out?”
“Because I’m scared of what being with you means. You’re… insane, like a fire I don’t know how to put out. You need—”
“Discipline. I know.” His mouth twitched like it was funny. “Not exactly a vote of confidence coming from the guy who followed me for, what, two hours?”
“It wasn’t two hours. Forty-five minutes, tops.”
“Oh. Sorry. Forty-five minutes.” He widened his eyes in fake amazement. “Won’t fuck me because you’re my teacher, but you’ll gladly break into some guy’s house and try to kidnap my twin.”
“I wasn’t aware—”
“It’s cool.” Ryan smirked. “You’re lucky they’re deranged individuals.”
I couldn’t help , I smiled back.
“Wow,” he continued, stepping closer, “you’re doing this after just knowing me for a couple months. Imagine the deranged shit I can make you do after a year. I bet I could make you murder someone for me.”
I should’ve felt the instinctive wariness I used to feel around him. Should’ve felt the discomfort, the hesitance I’d had with Lilly. Instead, I felt a rush, pure, unfiltered joy at having him this close, looking at me like that.
Who was I kidding? How could I have gone this long without realizing Ryan was perfect?
“I promise I’m usually more grounded than this,” I said, my voice softer now, pulling him just a little closer.
“Oh, I know.” His grin was pure wickedness. “That’s why I wanted you so bad. The idea of making a nice man like you crazy drove me up the wall. Bet Claire could never drive you crazy like I do.”
“Never.” My eyes swept down his frame and back up again, letting the weight of it hang between us.
Maybe the real madness wasn’t him, it was me trying to pull away when I knew I couldn’t. He was reckless, sure, but I could see the version of him who’d be such a good boy if someone got through to him.
