Page 47 of You Had Me At Thirteen

I keep my head down as we start down the hall. I’ve never been great at keeping my emotions off my face, and with Clive’s detective skills, I bet he’ll see right through me. Luckily, he’s so caught up in enlightening us about what he did with Trevor over the weekend that his interest in my extra-curricular activities on Friday night is kept to a minimum.

Audrey’s face lights up at something Clive has said, so I smile and nod as though I’m listening. Clive mentions something about whipped cream and chocolate cake, but just as I’m about to say something, I’m yanked into the nearest empty classroom.

The door slams shut before I’m pinned against the wall, face to face with Wren.

He’s so close, his lips millimetres from mine, his warm breath blowing against my skin as he wraps a hand around my throat, applying enough pressure so that I feel it between my legs.

I fucking hate how my body responds to him, even when my brain is telling him to eat shit.

I push against his chest. ‘Let me go. What is your problem?’ At least that’s what comes out of my mouth.

What my brain is really saying iskiss me again. But I shut that thought out in case it spills from my lips without pre-warning.

He growls as he presses himself into me. ‘Care to explain the shit you pulled the other night?’

I blink up at him, unable to form a sentence with him being so close to me. I’m supposed to be immune to his presence. It’s safe to say it’s not his personality right now that has my heart thumping towards an escape from my throat.

How I thought I could avoid this conversation with Wren is beyond me. For two days, I kept my curtains closed and steered clear of my front porch.

He runs the tip of his nose up my neck, over my jaw, before his mouth is at my ear. ‘I’m waiting, beautiful.’

He tightens his grip every time I move against him, but it’s having the opposite effect on me that it should.

‘I fucking hate you,’ I say, almost spitting in his face. Although, my guess is he’d enjoy that.

‘Your body doesn’t. Your pulse is racing under my fingertips, Matilda. It’s thrumming just for me.’

‘Well, my body is an idiot. Now get off me.’ I shove him again, but this time he steps back, freeing me.

Goddamn stupid good-looking… If only I had a sharp object to stab into my eyes.

‘Well?’ he says, folding his arms over his chest while he stares down at me.

‘Well what, Wren? Did you forget you had your dick shoved down someone else’s throat in plain view for me to see?’

He raises an eyebrow, a smirk forming on his lips. ‘Someone else’s throat?’

‘Don’t be a dick, you know what I mean. Besides, why should you have all the fun? I thought I’d repay the favour and give you a show.’

His eyes darken and he runs his tongue over his top teeth. ‘And every other guy who may have walked past your house.’

I scoff, as I throw my arms up. ‘Are you serious right now? Wow Wren, how chivalrous of you to worry about other men looking at me.’

He clenches his jaw, his nostrils flaring as he steps closer to stand over me. ‘Next time you pull that shit, make sure I’m in the same damn room as you.’

I don’t have time to answer before he storms out of the classroom, leaving me standing there with my mouth open.

All I can do is blink a few times, trying to gather my bearings, before I follow him out the door. By the time I re-enter the hallway, Wren’s gone and I’m left with an open-mouthed Clive and a smirking Audrey.

‘What. Was. That?’ Clive glances from me to wherever Wren has disappeared to, his dark eyes wide as he tries to piece together whatever that shit show was.

‘It’s nothing,’ I say as I straighten my white blouse. ‘Just assignment stuff.’

‘Assignment stuff?’

I nod, avoiding Clive’s eyes. ‘Yes. Assignment stuff.’

Audrey taps a foot, one hand on her hip as she raises an eyebrow and tilts her head to the side. She narrows her blue eyes on me, but she’s still wearing a you-are-so-full-of-shit grin.

---