Page 46 of Bound By Earth (The Nature Hunters Academy 1)

“And yet you have very strong emotions toward this magnificent male specimen who has been deemed Ass Cat until he redeems himself,” Shellysaid.

“You can’t just say ‘guy’ can you? Would it, like, blow your mind or mess up some tick in yourbrain?”

“Deflecting your frustration over your unwillingness to cope with your feelings is only hurting yourself. And annoying the yellow bladder fluid out ofme.”

“PISS,” Tara suddenly yelled. “The word is PISS! It’s annoying the PISS out of you! Talk like a normalhuman.”

“All right then.” Shelly sighed, sounding disappointed. “No need toyell.”

Tara hated it when she disappointed her friend. It was like kicking a puppy, and it made Tara feel ill. She had to take several deep breaths to get herself to chill out. It wasn’t Shelly she was really irritated with. Her friend was just the closest target, so she took the brunt of the ventingfrustrations.

When Tara glanced over at her friend, Shelly was still staring down at her phone. Tara figured she was going back through all of the texts Elias had sent her. She’d give her a minute to enjoy being nosy because Tara knew Shelly got great pleasure out of it. Yes, her friend was disturbed. It’s already beenestablished.

Deciding Shelly had had enough time to drool over Elias’s comments, Tara sighed. “I’m sorry, Shell. I shouldn’t have yelled atyou.”

Shelly’s head rose from the phone screen and turned to look at Tara. Her smile was beaming. “You gave me a nickname!” Shesquealed.

Tara frowned. Hadn’t she called her Shell before? Or was that only in her head? Mother of pearl, she really was a crap friend. “Sorry it took me solong.”

“It’s okay. You can’t help that you’re emotionally stunted because you won’t deal with any of the deep-seated issues that have turned you into something akin to an angry old man screaming at kids to get off hislawn.”

Tara’s head tilted to the side as she looked at her best friend. “And, thank you forthat.”

“Oh and you don’t have to apologize for yelling. It’s definitely deserved now.” Shelly started pushing her and telling her to scoot along. Tara was still trying to figure out what she’d meant about deserving to be yelled atnow. “Here,” Shelly said, reaching out of the lowered window to hand Tara herphone.

“What did you mean you deserve itnow?” sheasked.

Shelly put the car in reverse and started backing up, but stuck her head out of the window and yelled, “I just texted Elias back for you. Send me pics of your outfit for tonight and havefun!”

Shelly hadn’t been going through the texts. The Jezebel had been sending one of her own. Great, now she was using Shelly’s stupid cursing method. Tara pulled up her messages and read what Shelly had sentElias.

Thank you for your apology.And if you have any curiosity about my fun tonight, I’ll at least tell you that when I’m kissing Tucker, I will be thinking of you. -T

Shelly was right.She’d deserved to be yelled at. No, she deserved to be full-blown screamed at. Tara walked to the front door, talking out loud the entire way. Because that was sane. “That meddling, mouthy, butt—” Her insults were interrupted with an alert from her phone. Once inside, she shut the door behind her, set her school bag down, and then gave the device herattention.

Lips like yoursshould not be wasted on thatsod.

The lipsin question were turning up into a small smile. He liked her lips? Was he jealous? She shrugged and decided toask.

Jealous?

Yes.

Her eyes widened.“Okay. I hadn’t been expecting that.” As she walked down the hall to her room, she tried to think of a way to ask him what his intentions were without sounding like an obsessed, infatuated, whinygirl.

This feelslike the dumbest question in the history of ever. But it’s also to the point. Do you likeme?

She felt sostupid sending the text. What was it about Elias that made her so eager, so desperate to know him, to want him to want to know her? She was cringing at herself as she laid down on her bed and held her phone above her, watching the little dot bubble that indicated he was textingback.

Yes.

Short and to the point.She liked that. And she also hated it because what the hell did “like” entail anyway?I should have been morespecific.

How,exactly, do you likeme?

Text bubbles and waiting.Goodtimes.

I like youexactly as you are. Bold, angry, secretly kind-hearted, quick-witted, lovely in the most unexpectedway.

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