Page 15 of Texting My Hot Tutor

He’s here for me. He’s here to help teach me math. His messages are so frustratingly borderline, as though giving me just enough fuel to burn my common sense away.

He’s a tutor, probably texting dozens of students.

And even if hewouldshow interest in a student, would it be me?

Half the college has a crush on him. Sure, everybody in Second Chance has experienced some kind of pain, but that doesn’t change the fact that many of them are beautiful, elegant, stylish…all things I’m not, basically.

You’re embarrassing yourself. Go change.

That was Jess, when we were fourteen and I chose a dress I was super happy with. Super proud of.

And I did it…I changed, crying silently in the bathroom, deep down knowing it was wrong but telling myself she was my best friend.

She wanted the best for me. She’d never intentionally hurt me.

It was lies, all of it.

I breathe slowly, counting the breaths.

Suddenly, my phone’s back in my hand. It’s like I need the comfort from him, my man.

I’m thanking you anyway, LOL. It’s nice to know I don’t have to go through this alone.

He’ll think I’m talking about math. He’ll have no idea that texting with him feels like a relief. It feels like I’ve got somebody backing me up. Even if it shouldn’t, even if the spell would shatter the second I said any of this to him.

You don’t have to go through anything alone, Della,he sends, making my heart skip faster.

And then another text comes through,None of you do. We do our best to offer a wide range of support here at Second Chance.

It’s a great college, I respond, forcing myself to type the words.

I can’t rely on Elias, a man I’ve never met in person, a man who has no clue about my feelings and would find them laughable if he did. I have to find the strength inside, somehow.

Closing my eyes brings him back to me, though.

Now he’s on one knee, staring up at me with a soft smile on his lips, sunlight shimmering in his iron hair.

He opens a ring box, and the sunlight glints there too. He asks the magic question.

I say yes.

I sing it. I scream it.

I yell it out loud in the fantasy because I’ll never get to say it in real life.

And yet, despite all that, I can’t deny I’m looking forward to the meeting later.

At the very least, math with Elias will be better than doing it alone.

CHAPTER6

Elias

I try to focus on my work, but I keep glancing at the clock, the second hand seeming to go oddly slow today.

I think about the text I sent to Della, telling her she doesn’t have to go through anything alone.

I almost left it like that, but then I quickly added the part about the college, howSecond Chanceis here to help her.

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