Page 11 of That Sik Luv

I look at myself in the mirror, licking my lips. I imagine him pulling up in his fancy, decked-out Jeep, his tight dress pants fitting his tall frame as he adjusts into the seat, his corded forearms flexing as he steers us towards the school…

“Is that a yes or a nah?” His voice interrupts my uninhibited thoughts and I clear my throat, realizing I haven’t responded.

“Yes. Yes, that would be great.” I swallow, frowning at my reflection.

I’m losing myself to desires unknown to me. It’s as if my mind is becoming more tainted with every nightly visit.

“Perfect,” he says, walking closer to the sound of the shower. “I’ll be there in about thirty minutes. Does that work?”

I think of him naked while talking to me, about to step into the hot steam and water pouring from the showerhead, letting it rain down his tanned and toned body, washing all the way down through the trail of light hair to his manhood.

Temptations swirl around me, clouding my vision. Pulling me down, deeper to the devil himself. A devil named Aero. My eyes lock on the knife sticking out of the nightstand in the mirror’s reflection behind me, a thought coming to mind that hadn’t been there before.

“Um,” I say with a dry throat, clearing it. “I-I’ll be ready.”

Thirty-fiveminuteslater,Saintis driving us to the Academy. As part of our interim to becoming an official member of the church, we are required to teach these Catechism classes to the younger generation, teaching them the word through rigorous studies and explanations and interpretations of passages.

Saint holds the door for me as we enter the building, walking the halls of the Covenant Academy alongside me in communal silence until we find our classroom. I’m acutely aware of his tall presence beside me as we stand behind the podium, laying out books and notes in preparation for class. He swallows, looking down at me from the corner of his eye.

“You look really nice with your hair back like that,” he says softly, before running his hand over the back of his neck, almost as if he didn’t mean to compliment me, but it slipped anyway.

I almost laugh at his comment, only because the reason I’m wearing it back up in this ponytail is to hide the fact that my stalker cut three inches off it last night.

I should be horrified. Petrified. Looking all around me for a face, a shadow of whoever he is. I should tell someone. Alert the authorities, tell Mia the details, inform my brother...anyone. But, I don’t. I can’t bring myself to intervene in whatever message he’s trying to give me because, for some odd reason, I desperately seek more. I’m locked in now, curious about the meaning of it all.

“Thanks, Saint.” I offer a half grin. “You’ve given me more compliments in the past two days than our entire childhood combined.”

He chuckles at that, looking down all bashfully. It’s actually endearing. He bites down on his full pink lip before his sparkling blue eyes find mine again. He’s flirting with me. I can feel it in the air, and for some strange reason, I’m not fighting it like I should.

Students file into the classroom, and I stand upright, straightening my skirt. Saint’s eyes remain on me for a second longer, but mine are now locked on the teens slumping into their seats. I do a quick head count, realizing I must not have prepared correctly. Somehow there aren’t enough catechisms for everyone.

I lean over to Saint, whispering to him. “There aren’t enough books. I must’ve counted wrong or something. Can you get started while I run down to the office library and grab more?”

“Of course,” he says kindly, nodding his head.

I make a pained face, mouthing thank you, as I sneak out past the remaining students filing in. His demanding tone gains their attention, instructing them to find their seats.

Walking down the empty hallway, I finally reach the office library. I knock before I enter, even though I assume it’s empty by the lack of lights. I walk past a few desks until I get to the supply closet where we keep all the extra bibles, catechisms, and hymnals.

I walk down the short aisle of the closet, running my index finger along the cold hard-backing of the books, searching, until I find the section I need. Counting out five more, I hold them in my arms, pressing them against my chest as I turn to exit through the door.

The door that is now shut.

My eyes trail up from the ground, gazing at the leather loafers, then the hard-pressed dress pants of the Academy uniform. Jacob Erdman, one of the taunting posse members beneath Saint that aided in my years of torment, stands there, staring at the edge of my skirt before his eyes travel up to my chest.

“I’m shocked that a girl as calculated as you got it all wrong.” He eyes the stack of books pressed against my chest, the one that’s currently rising and falling faster than before. “Head count was off?”

He pushes off the door, running a hand through his brown shaggy hair, slowly approaching me.

He planned this.

“What do you want, Jacob?” I ask with a bite.

Placing a hand on the top of the books, he pulls them down roughly, causing them to fall to my feet as I suck in a breath.

“Well, that all depends,” he says with a haughty grin. “What are you willing to give?”

I swallow, taking a step back. Needing to get out of here, I turn to run, but am met with the edge of the bookshelf instead.

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