Page 19 of Tutoring the Bad Boy
“Hi.” Both of their faces and names are familiar, Ronnie’s especially since we’ve been living in Port Crest since we were kids. We’ve just never run in the same group. They’re cute, but they’re not Ginny. There’s something pure that bubbles out of Ginny, and I feel good when I’m around her. She has this lightness about her that I seem to find addictive, and it’s grown increasingly so after spending all this time with her the last couple of weeks.
Dixie grins as she eyes me then Ginny. “So, my mom and dad are throwing a fish-fry dinner this weekend. Why don’t the two of you swing by and hang out for a while?”
“You know what my mom will say.” Ginny hugs herself. “There’s zero chance I’ll be able to.”
Ronnie groans and shakes her head. “No, but you can ask. Maybe she’ll surprise you one day and sayyes.”
Ginny shrugs. “I’ll think about it.”
Dixie links her arm in Ronnie’s and eyes Ginny once more before saying, “Okay, well, we’re in the same class next period. We’ll see you later.”
“See you later,” Ginny says.
As soon as they’re out of earshot, Ginny turns to me. “Dixie means well, but she knows I’ll never be allowed to go to a party. She has a perpetual hope that one day my mom will loosen the reins and I’ll be able to go.”
“Maybe she’s right. I mean, you have to have a little bit of a life, right? Wouldn’t hurt to ask,” I say.
Shaking her head, Ginny lowers her gaze to the floor. “No.” The sadness in her voice makes me ache and angry at the same time.
I pull her into another hug, and she rests her cheek against my chest. “I’m sorry.” More than sorry. I wish I could fix it. Instead, I just stand there holding her. The part that gets my blood rushing is the fact that she’s not in a hurry to untangle herself from me, even though we’re beginning to get attention from people moving through the hall.
I’m supposed to be faking all of this, but there’s nothing fake about my feelings. Ginny and I are friends, and this is what friends do, right? Holding the other up when the world is crushing them? Or is this how it feels to hold the right someone…the someone who futures are planned around?
Pushing the thoughts away, I return to reality. The one where I’m from a broken home and dating, marriage, and all that isn’t in the cards for me.
Even as the thoughts litter my mind, I can’t help the little sprig of hope that one day maybe I can have all that. My dad was blind, but that doesn’t mean I have to be.
Chapter Eleven
Ginny
I’ve gota war going on. One side says to step away from Kaleb Quinn. He’s a heartache waiting to happen, and how can I disagree? He made a deal with my mom, and we’re just playing along. What if that’s the reason he’s holding me? There’s a chance my mom could see us, and he’d be keeping his end of the deal. The other side says to soak up the comfort he’s offering. Plus, I like being in his arms. It’s nice to not feel absolutely alone for once.
Adding to that other side, the number of people beginning to stare at me and Kaleb is another good reason to step away. Ginny Gray doesn’t dare make eye contact with guys, let alone allow one to hug me. If talking to a guy could give my mom a heart attack, this act could possibly send her into a catatonic state.
I don’t know how long I stand there, leaning into Kaleb, but the humming noise of students slowly dies until I can hear his heart beating. I also realize my breathing is now matching the rhythm. We’ve synced, and it feels both strange and comforting.
“Whatexactlyis going on here?” My mom’s voice slices through the moment like a hot knife through butter.
Kaleb nearly stumbles as he jumps away. I don’t blame him. My mom has his future in the palm of her hands. One false move, and his dream is over. Of course, MIT isn’t the only school, but it’stheschool if you want to be an architectural engineer. Plus, I know it wasn’t even on the table until my mom made the deal with him. If I were him, I wouldn’t touch me with a ten-foot pole.
Turning to her, I sigh. “I was congratulating him on bringing his grade up.” I sound pretty convincing because I’ve had a ton of practice with Ronnie and Dixie.
After shutting my phone off that night at the movie, their questioning has become way more demanding. They know something is up, and if this situation was normal, I’d spill my guts. But it’s not, and Kaleb is depending on me to help him get into college. I can’t risk telling my friends and then word getting out that I know my mom made that deal with Kaleb.
“And it required a hug?” she asks.
“It didn’t require one, but I was happy for him. He worked hard. It was a minor celebratory thing.” I shrug. “That’s all.”
Kaleb holds up his test. “Exactly. Nothing else. If it wasn’t for her tutoring me, I would’ve failed this past six weeks. I know it’s not the best grade in the world, but it’s better than I thought I’d have.”
My mom’s lips purse together. “Find another way to congratulate him in the future.” Her arms fold over her chest. “Now, get to class. Both of you.”
“Uh, Principal Gray,” Kaleb says. “Dixie is having a party on Saturday. I was wondering if Ginny could go after we finish tutoring. My dad’ll be working, so I’m mostly going because there’s the promise of a meal.”
A laugh comes from my mom. “Hardly. Ginny has other things she needs to do. A party isn’t on that list.”
Knowing what I know about the deal she’s made makes this “no”feel different. She’s pretending to keep me on a short leash because that’s what she’s done for forever. She’s telling me no because she doesn’t want me figuring out that she wants my heart broken. All right. She wants my heart broken? Game on.
