Page 39 of Fight for You (Flirting with Forever 2)

Ed: Between your new fuck buddy and those pics I have, I could make things really difficult for you.

I bolt off the couch, startling Space Ghost, but my vision tunnels, so I sit back down, shaking. All the blood has rushed right out of my head. He wouldn’t say something at school … would he? Horrifying visions of all the different ways Ed could hurt me flash through my mind. Not only does Ed have photos of me that could do real damage if made public, but now he knows about my new relationship with Sawyer. We could be exposed and vilified at any moment. On a whim, he could just decide to make my life a living hell and I’m sick to my stomach knowing he’s dragging Sawyer into it, too.

Those damn photos—what do I even do about that? How will I ever be assured that those won’t resurface? Bile rises in my throat, and I swallow the bitterness back down. Nothing is ever simple for me.

Chapter 24

Sawyer

I can’t stop fucking thinking about Hadleigh. Back at home, I race up the stairs to the apartment I share with Willow. I’ve got thirty minutes before I need to be back out the door to this meeting. I guess it makes sense that my advisor meets on Saturdays since all of the student teachers he works with are at schools during the week, but fuck. I want nothing more than to go right back to Hadleigh’s place and bury my face in her sweet-smelling hair and my cock in her pussy. She is so perfect for me, and now that we’ve crossed that line

, I don’t want to go back. I can hardly believe how fast it had happened once we admitted what we were feeling to each other, but the honest truth is I’ve been waiting. Biding my time. Wanting her bad.

And the kicker? It’s not just physical, though the sex is fucking phenomenal. We’d also had fun together cooking, eating, and talking over breakfast. Apparently, I’m the only one she’s ever let stay the night. The only one she’s ever woken up with. I have to say, that has me puffing up my chest and feeling really good about everything.

I run through the last twelve hours in my head as I pull on fresh clothing, hurriedly tucking in my shirt. We’d gone from coworkers to kisses, then straight to the bedroom in what felt like the blink of an eye.

For the first time in a very long time, I’m really happy. I’m excited for whatever comes next with me and Hadleigh, even though I know we need to keep things quiet for a while. Thoughts of my train wreck relationship with Tara have drifted away and no longer seem all that important. With a quick glance into the mirror, I run my hand through my hair. Good enough. I walk out of the bathroom to find Willow sitting on the edge of my bed with a massive grin on her face.

I chuckle. “What?”

She wrinkles her nose and points at me. “Well, I won’t state the obvious … only maybe I will. You didn’t come home last night.”

“No. No, I didn’t.” I clamp my lips together and settle my hands on my hips. She’s going to have to work harder than that to get anything out of me, and she knows it.

“Aw, come on, Sawyer. You know I need details. Don’t make me beg.” She pins a pair of puppy dog eyes on me and clasps her hands together, pleading.

My lips twitch with amusement. With a brief shrug, I stride out of the room, glancing over my shoulder just in time to see her shocked expression that I didn’t immediately spill.

“Sawyer!” Willow springs to action, following me. “Tell me!” We hit the living room before she catches up and tugs on my elbow, spinning me around to face her.

I lean in close as if I’m going to whisper a secret in her ear. And I do. Sort of. “I don’t kiss and tell.”

“But you kissed, I know it. Hadleigh had make-out hair when you came and introduced her to me at the bar. Your hands had definitely been messing up her hair. And I bet there was more than that last night.” She jabs a finger toward the smile emerging on my face. “I can tell just by looking at you. You. Got. Laid! Finally!” She throws her hands up in the air and dances around.

I laugh at her and her antics. “No comment.” I clear my throat. “I’ve got to get going. I have a meeting in twenty minutes.”

“Is it a sexy meeting? Tell me it’s a sexy meeting with Hadleigh!” Willow follows me to the front door, kind of like a bouncing bunny, unable to contain her excitement—or like Hadleigh’s crazy ball of fur, Space Ghost. Thinking about the kitten leads to thoughts of Hadleigh—and that’s how I know I’m already falling fast—I can’t keep the smile off my face.

I turn, eyes twinkling, knowing Willow will be disappointed with my answer. “It’s with my advisor from Roxford.”

“Aw, man. Well, okay, I guess you have to go do that. Will you see Hadleigh again later?”

“Willow. What is up with you?”

She eyes me carefully. “This is the happiest you’ve looked in a long time. I just want to make sure everything is good with you.” She stomps her foot playfully, throwing up her arms. “And you are being annoyingly secretive.”

“Everything is good. It was really, really good.” With that, I slip out the door and shut it firmly behind me. I can imagine the internal squealing she’s doing right now. Everyone should have a cheerleader like Willow in their life. Someone who will be there whether you are up or down. I’ve been down for so long, I’m sure that this win with Hadleigh feels very much like a win for Willow, too. After putting up with me through all the Tara issues and coaxing me out the other side, I probably owe her a drink. Or twelve.

My advisor, Professor McDaniel, waves me into his small office and gestures for me to have a seat in the chair across from him. “So, tell me how things are going with Ms. Beckett.” He steeples his fingers in front of him with an affable smile as he kicks back in his chair.

How are things going with Ms. Beckett? This is when it fully hits me just how far across those professional boundaries we’ve stepped. Not that I hadn’t thought about it, but now it seems pretty serious. And for once in my life, I just don’t give a damn. There’s something special between me and Hadleigh, and once we’re on the other side of this eight-week placement, the little parts of my subconscious that wonder if we ever should have started anything will calm down and leave me alone.

I bob my head, pondering what I should tell him. Professor McDaniel surely doesn’t want to hear about how just being around Hadleigh makes my dick hard. Or how soft the skin of her stomach is. Or how the sounds she makes when she comes make me want to bring her to the edge of bliss and then drown in it with her over and over again. Giving myself a mental shake, I give him the information he’s expecting, which is also one hundred-percent truth.

“She’s an amazing teacher. I’ve enjoyed watching her in the classroom and learning from her. She’s easy to get along with, really smart, and quick to share her knowledge with me. More than that, though, she’s really good with the kids, knows just how to guide them through conversations and keep them interested and engaged in the lesson. I was most nervous about how I’d handle working with students at the high school level, but I’m confident by the time I’m done with this placement, I’ll feel competent and ready.”

“That’s great to hear. I was a little concerned when we set this up because she’s not quite done with her fifth year. Usually that’s the minimum requirement we need to assign student teachers to teachers, but she came highly recommended by her department chair. She’s meeting all of your needs currently?”

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