Page 9 of Beauty and the Nerd
Emma nodded realizing Megan must have finally remembered to bring her the things she’d forgotten at her house after a weekend spent with her.
“I’ll get the car and swing it around,” Ben said seeing where they parked. “Let me take your bag and I’ll be right over.”
She gladly let him take it as she moved with Megan to her car. “Thanks Ben.”
“Okay don’t kill me but…is there something up with you and nerd-boy?” Megan questioned, and Emma felt her jaw tighten in annoyance.
She stopped Megan from getting her bag as she stared at her friend. “Nerd-boy? Come on Meg, don’t be like that.”
“You know, last year you would have agreed with me on the name, so what’s going on with you? You’ve been acting really strangely since the accident. You wake up rememberingBenbut none of us, not evenmewhen we’ve been best friends for years. Not to mention, you’ve barely hung out with us since then. You even broke up with Carter. I mean, okay, that part I can totally get behind because he’s a complete and utter asshole, but still it came out of nowhere. What’s with this new Emma because she’s starting to make the others wonder if something isn’t still messed up in your head,” Megan warned her.
Emma sighed looking across the lot seeing Ben get in his car. “I didn’t forget anyone after the accident, I just pretended I did because I didn’t want to deal with the cops, alright?”
Megan’s eyes widened in shock at her statement, and she shook her head in confusion. “Why? You weren’t the one driving and it’s not like you were drunk. Hell, you didn’t even drink while we were at the lake from what I remember, definitely didn’t have any alcohol in the car with you. They couldn’t have done anything to you because the other person was responsible for the accident even if you did have alcohol in your system. So why wouldn’t you want to talk to the cops?”
Emma sighed again lifting her hand to her head to rub away the headache behind her temple. “I didn’t want to deal with the cops because I knew they’d want to know if I wanted to press charges against Carter.”
“For what?” Megan asked with real concern. “Come on Emma, you know I never liked the guy, but I swear whatever you say won’t go anywhere else.”
“He didn’t want to leave the lake. He kept trying to talk me into a room with him and I said no and to take me home. On the way there, he reached over, grabbed the back of my head, and pulled me towards him as he slid the seatbelt behind me. He’d undone his pants and wanted me to…” She couldn’t quite get the words out and just used her hands as emphasis to get her point across. “I was pushing his hands away from me when the car hit us. That’s why I got hurt and he didn’t.”
Megan’s jaw dropped open as she stared at her in shock. “That son of a…shit Emma, why didn’t you just tell the cops? You should still tell them; he deserves to have everyone know how much of a creep he is.”
It made her heart tighten hearing the truth in her voice and Emma gave her friend a half-smile. “I just don’t want to deal with it, especially not if the others stick up for him the way they do when they complain their dates don’t put out. I pretended not to remember so that Carter wouldn’t attempt to threaten me with anything while I was in the hospital or that first week afterwards. I waited that week in order to break it off with him, letting him know that I remember so he’d stay away and not try it again.”
“And Ben the nerd-boy is?” Megan asked lifting a brow at her.
“He’s not a nerd, Megan. He’s a really smart guy—a really smart, sweet, and amazing guy.”
“You actually like him,” Megan said in even deeper shock than over Carter’s actions. “You’re not spending time with him to lead him on to help you with school like the others have been cackling about, but because youactuallylike being with him, don’t you?”
“I’m in love with him,” she admitted as he pulled in behind Megan’s car. “I’ve been with him as more than just friends this whole semester and I’m done hiding it. Look, for right now, just keep it to yourself, please. If Mrs. Johnson finds out that we’ve been quasi-dating, then he’ll get in trouble over the tutor center stuff, and I don’t want him to get into trouble for it, and it possibly affect his college applications or acceptances. We do study together; it just doesn’t take us quite as long as we let on.”
Emma couldn’t stop from giving Ben a smile as he slid out to get the door for her.
“Wow, yousoowe me more than just that, I mean it Emma,” Megan said, and she nodded knowing her friend did deserve the truth. She’d stuck with her for a long time, even when others tried to tear them apart, and she really appreciated their friendship—even if she was a bit worried how she’d react when she showed Megan everything she’d kept hidden from her.
“Stop by tonight or early tomorrow and we’ll talk, okay?” Emma suggested letting Ben have her bag before following him to the car.
“What was your friend so surprised about?” he asked once they were away from the school.
“I told her to stop calling you nerd-boy because you’re not a nerd to me, you’re mine, and I love you,” she said as he turned to look at her, missing the light turning green. “You can go, you know.”
“No, I can’t,” he said leaning over to kiss her before finally pulling through the light.
He carried her things up to her room, sitting down on the bed with her and their chemistry books to spend the rest of the afternoon together. He slid her legs over his, studying her with questions in his eyes. “You told Megan about us?”
“I did and that she needed to stay quiet because I don’t want you getting into trouble with the tutor center stuff. I anticipateshe won’t be able to wait until tomorrow to get more answers, so she’ll probably be by later tonight to ask about us.” She gave him a bright a smile, shrugging a bit but looking completely okay with it, and he stole her lips in a full kiss.
It didn’t take them long to get through the chemistry guide and her mom called to let her know she had to work late. Her dad was out of town until just before Christmas and she invited Ben to stay with her, moving them downstairs to make something for dinner.
She pulled out the grapes to make a yogurt salad for herself, and he teased her about eating bird food making her toss a grape towards him. He caught it with his mouth, and she laughed, betting him he couldn’t do it again.
“What do I get if I do?” he questioned wiggling his eyebrows at her.
“A kiss for each one you catch and a foot massage for me for each one you don’t?” She suggested the wager with a grin knowing either way she’d come out ahead.
“Bring it on baby.” He agreed then proceeded to hold up a finger for each one he caught. He was on nine when she tossed it short and he headed her way, catching it with ease before sliding his arms around her to pull her close to him. “That’s ten Em, ten stolen kisses anytime I want one.”
