Page 49 of Tutoring the Bad Boy
“We go on our romantic date,” I say, taking her hand.
Chapter Twenty-One
Ginny
I repeatthe same sentence in my head over and over.
He’s holding my hand because he’s pretending. He’s holding my hand because he’s pretending. He’s holding my hand…
Is there such a thing as a sensation that just feels delicious? Kaleb lightly squeezes my hand as we walk. I feel like I’m breaking out of prison with Prince Charming, but Kaleb is not Prince Charming, and by the end of this night, all I’ll be left with is a glass slipper. All things considered, I might as well savor it, because my hand in his is one of the greatest feelings ever.
Kaleb’s voice breaks me from my reverie. “You gonna wear those sweats all night?”
I stop dead in my tracks and look down in mortification. “Oh goodness.” These things are great for sad days or lounging in bed, but they look horrible.
Kaleb is laughing, and I can’t help but do the same. “I mean, it’s a good look…I guess, but I doubt you meant to keep them on.”
I glance from side to side to make sure I’m in the clear, then I reach down and pull the sweats off. Once I have them in my hands, I fold them. I catch Kaleb staring at me.
“What?” I ask innocently.
Kaleb smirks and looks away. He takes the sweats out of my hands and puts them on top of her mailbox. “They’ll be waiting for you.” He takes my hand again, and we keep walking. It’s Port Crest, so he’s not wrong.
“Where are we going?” I look up at the twinkling stars overhead. They remind me of the butterflies in my stomach.
Kaleb turns to me and smiles mischievously. “It’s a secret.”
“Well, it can’t be a secret for long. Unless you plan on walking for hours.”
There’s a warmth in his eyes as he smiles. I’m not an expert on relationships, but if my instincts are right, he’s enjoying this as much as I am. Or I’m wanting it so much that I’m seeing what I want.
Inwardly, I chastise myself. If this back and forth keeps up all night, I’m going to get seasick. My head is still spinning from the kiss on the rooftop. There was already a ton of adrenaline to begin with, and that made the kiss feel positively electric. For a moment, I was floating. The world was just out of reach, and it was just me and him and his lips on mine. It was a dreamy bliss. In fact, this whole night feels like a dream so far.
My stomach flips again as I think about how my mom could have totally caught me going out the window. What if she had come upstairs to ask me about my homework or something? I suppose the whole point of this is to get caught anyhow, but thank goodness I get to spend a delightful evening with Kaleb before the crazy punishment comes my way.
I feel so tempted to stop and give Kaleb another kiss. There’s nothing I want more, but even if this was real, I don’t know how he feels about me. Would I ever be sure he wasn’t fulfilling the deal with my mom? Before I can think too hard, we come to a stop.
“It’s right up there.” Kaleb points down the street. We’ve made it to the beach, and I recognize the place he’s pointing at instantly. Maggie’s Beach Hut has been a local hangout for years. It’s where all the cool kids go. Surfer dudes, college dropouts, and girls that climb out of windows. I guess we’ve come to the right place.
“I’ve never been there before.”
“Because your mother is Principal Gray.” Kaleb squeezes my hand.
Never in a million years did I think I’d end up at The Hut, as they call it. Legend has it that Dixie once came here and was grounded for a year. Funny, I know the feeling.
Despite my trepidation, excitement fills me and I take my phone out of my purse to text Ronnie.
Me: You’ll never believe where I’m at right now.
Ronnie responds instantly.
Ronnie: Did you actually sneak out?
I roll my eyes. Okay, she has a point. I’m a chicken, and it wasn’t until I was walking away from my house that I actually stopped debating whether to go through with it or not.
Me: Yes, I snuck out.
Ronnie: To be fair, we are talking about you.
