Page 47 of Tutoring the Bad Boy
The roof is just flat enough to walk across, but I notice there are some loose pieces, so I take care to feel my way out. Falling off this roof and breaking my neck would not be the romantic ending I’m going for.
When I get to her window, she’s sitting on her bed, looking down at her phone. My guess is she may have heard the garage door and figured I gave up. Normally, she’d be right, but if she’s helping me with my grades, the least I can do is help her get her mom’s attention.
Ginny lifts her head, jumps, and drops her phone onto the floor, ignoring it as she runs to the window. She quickly opens it, and I’m greeted with the widest, most mesmerizing smile yet. There’s exhilaration and anticipation in her eyes. For all the faking, Ginny and I are really playing our parts well. Except, the longer this plays out, the more real it feels.
“My mom almost caught you, and you still climbed the tree? I was expecting you to text me that you weren’t coming.”
Shrugging, I say, “‘Almost’ being the operative word. Besides, we’ve got plans, and I’m not bailing.”
Ginny heaves a sigh, and her shoulders relax. “Are you sure you want to do this? I mean, I don’t want you to get—”
“No obstacles can stop us, my love.” I shoot her a cheesy grin.
She rolls her eyes. “I have a mind to push you off this window.”
I palm my chest in mock shock. “I’m hurt, Ginny Gray. Wounded even.”
“Shut up.” She chuckles and waves me off.
I put out my hand to help her through the window, and she sobers, her eyebrows hitting her hairline. “You can’t be serious.”
“How else are we supposed to get out of here?”
Ginny pokes her head out and looks down. “A ladder?”
I give her anaw shuckstype of snap of my fingers. “Dang, forgot to bring it. I take that thing everywhere.”
With a scoff, she says, “I’m being serious. How am I supposed to get down from here? I’m wearing a dress.”
“You’ll be fine.” Just as I turn and point to the tree, I lose my footing and my pulse races. The thought of Ginny’s mom finding me knocked out on her lawn makes my stomach drop. There’s a good chance she’ll hesitate to call 9-1-1.
Cool, slightly rough fingers quickly wrap around my bicep, and I regain my footing. It doesn’t ease my pounding heart at all, and instead warms my skin, sending a tingle of electricity straight to my core. Playing it off, I say, “I’m supposed to be the knight in shining armor, but I thank you.”
“Are you okay?”
I nod.
She looks down again. “There’s no way I can climb down this tree in a dress.”
I hear her argument, but I can’t take my eyes off her hand around my arm that’s still sending shock waves through me.
“Kaleb?”
The sound of my name pulls my attention from her hand, and I my gaze locks with hers. “Yeah?”
“Climbing? Dress? You see the problem?” She blinks.
“Oh, dress.” I smile as my gaze travels from her face down the length of her body. Just when my pulse was slowing, it’s back to a speed that would qualify me for a Nascar race. “I noticed that. You’ll be fine.”
“I have an idea!” Ginny pulls free from me and runs to her dresser.
“Talk about leaving someone hanging,” I say to myself, clutching onto the windowpane for dear life. I watch as Ginny takes out a pair of sweats from the dresser and puts them on, one leg at a time. As an eighteen-year-old boy, this is not helping my impending heart attack, so I look away.
Ginny inspects herself in the mirror. “This will do it.”
I look up and hold back a laugh. Those bulky sweats underneath her dress look ridiculous, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned from my dad, it’s that saying stupid things like that will have you sleeping on the couch. With this being our first official date, that’s not the spot I want to be in for the remainder of the night. “You’re a vision.”
As Ginny walks back toward me, she asks, “Should I go first?”
