Page 88 of Love, Academically
“That’s shit. What did your Head say?”
“Nothing. There’s no more funding for any extra help. I just have to do my best. But if my best isn’t good enough, I leave theschool open to ‘further complaints’ and there will ‘therefore be consequences’,” Jasmeet said.
“Oh Jas, that’s awful,” Lila said, patting her friend’s leg.
“It is what it is, and that’s why I’ve been a bit distracted,” Jasmeet grimaced. “I’m sorry.”
“There’s nothing to be sorry for,” she said, gifting her friend her most sincere smile. Jasmeet nodded.
“Can we watch something easy?” Jasmeet asked, pouring more wine into her glass. “I don’t want to think.”
“Sure.” Lila automatically handed the remote controller over to Jasmeet, who flickedLove Islandon.
“I love this,” she said. “It’s utter trash, but so addictive.”
Lila grinned. She actually didn’t like it and had only watched it when Jasmeet was here, but if that’s what her friend needed, that’s what she would do.
“Who is more important thanLove Island?” Jasmeet, curled up on one end of the sofa, nudged her with her foot. “It’s Rhys isn’t it? You’re texting Rhys!”
“Look, I’m just trying to find out what we’re doing on Saturday so I can dress correctly.”
“It seems like all you need is a pair of edible underwear.”
“Jas! Shut up!” If she hadn’t already turned fuchsia pink, then she was now. “Edible underwear? Is that even a thing?”
“Lila, you haven’tlived!” she crowed. “I’ll get you some!”
“Don’t you dare, Jas.” She slapped her on the leg. “Don’t youdare!”
Rhys
He shouldn’t keep teasing her, heshouldn’t, but the way she wet her lips when she asked him if he wanted to have sex with her was his undoing. He liked her flushed and wide-eyed. More than liked it. The floodgates had opened, quite literally, and he couldn’t keep his cock down. The unsatisfactory tugs in the cold showers that he had started taking every morning and every evening since seeing Lila in that dress, were becoming less and less effective. Especially when she texted him asking what sheshould wear to their date, because it had him envisioning all sorts of lingerie, like silken tops that clung to hard nipples.
Fuck.
Thing was, it didn’t matter what she wore (yes, even that awful fucking dress that hurt his eyes), because she was so unabashedlyherin all her clothes. And that’s what Rhys wanted. Her. Not just for a shag, not just to relieve his blue balls. He wanted her vanilla smell wrapped around him like a goddamned snuggly blanket. But mostly, he wanted to collect each and every one of her smiles and to be the reason for them.
She gave him the courage to be the man he wanted to be. She believed in him, and that was something that had been sorely lacking in his life.
God-fearing Llewellyn Dallimore believed in the best steel girders, the strength of your concrete, and the Welsh rugby team. He and, come to think of it, literally every person in his father’s orbit, were just pawns to be moved around his Welsh Monopoly board.
Whereas Lila offered so much belief and trust and, well, happiness, that he nearly couldn’t bear the thought that she might not want to offer it to him. Why would she? Lila had given all of that away to Dickhead Jason and look where that had got her – a load of debt, a diminished sense of self-worth and serious trust issues with men (which was absolutely fair, given the way that wanker had treated her).
He was just going to have to prove to her that he wasn’t like Jason, that he wanted all of her, just how she was. Because she was perfect. Yes, she was too glittery by far, too saccharine, toosmileybut that, apparently, was exactly what he needed. No, what hewantedin his life. The realisation expanded in his chest and he placed a hand to his ribs to keep it all in.
There was something he could do for her.
Rhys sat at his kitchen table with his laptop and googledthe hospital and ‘Dr Jason Douchebag’. On second thoughts, ‘Douchebag’ probably wasn’t his second name and most likely wouldn’t show up on the hospital staff list. Fine. Delete.
Rhys sat in his car behind the friendly sky-blue Petunia at twenty past five on Saturday, ten minutes before he was due to pick Lila up. She wouldn’t be ready, but he couldn’t sit in his dull flat anymore. Restless cleaning only took an hour because he’d been doing it for the past two fucking weeks to try to keep his mind from tracking back to the softness of her lips, the eagerness of her kiss.
It wouldn’t be tonight. No, he was going to take his time. Lila deserved savouring, she deserveddating. Showing that he was there for more, not just taking what he wanted and fucking off.
It was one of those October afternoons that was nearly summer warm, but with a biting wind that promised if you forgot your coat for any time after six, it would rob you of all feeling in your fingers.
Right. He couldn’t wait anymore. Knocking on her door, he shuffled the flowers in his arms. Flowers were definitely too much – he should just put them in the boot of the car and forget he’d bought them. Lila would like them though, wouldn’t she? Rhys had spent way too long in three different florists before he settled on a bouquet, so he couldn’t very well put them in the boot and write off the afternoon as a waste.
“It’s open, Rhys!” she called from behind the door. “Come in!”
