“My feelings are bruised, that’s all. I’ll be fine.” She looks at the door leading to the school backyard. “I think I’ll go out. Get some air.”
“Want me to come with?”
“No, I just need a moment alone.”
“Okay.” I pull back, letting my hand drop to my side. “But if you need anything, I’m here.”
“I know.” Becky gives my hand a squeeze. “Thanks, Emmett.”
With that, she walks away.
Lifting my hat off my head, I run my fingers through my hair. They better figure their shit out, and fast, because otherwise, they’ll drive us all insane in the process. I wait until she’s outside before letting out a sigh.
I push off the wall and start walking down the hallway.
Might as well go to my next classroom.
The hallways are still quiet, but that will change soon enough, and I don’t feel like talking with anybody.
I peek through the little window in the door of my classroom. I don’t want to barge in only to find there is a class underway. But the classroom is empty.
Well, almost empty.
Turning the doorknob, I enter the room. Kate is sitting in her seat, her back to me.
So this is where she’s been hiding.
Her head bobs to the music that’s playing in her ears as she scribbles something down in the notebook in front of her.
Closing the door behind me, I move forward. After all, my seat is right next to hers since those were the only two left that first day when we came in together.
“Hey there,” I say, putting my hand on Kate’s shoulder. She jumps at the touch and turns around to glare at me, her hands covering her chest.
“Jesus Christ!” Kate whisper-yells and pulls out her earbuds. “Why does everybody keep doing that?”
“Doing what?” I look at her, confused, but she just shakes her head.
“Never mind. You were saying?”
“Nothing.” I take my seat next to her, letting my backpack slip to the ground. “I’m just surprised to find you here, that’s all.”
Her cheeks blush, and she looks away, slipping a strand of her hair behind her ear. I’ve come to realize it’s a nervous habit of hers. Something she does when she knows she’s guilty of something but doesn’t want to admit it. But it has a completely different effect, or maybe it’s the right effect all along.
Her face opens up, rosy color creeping up her neck and over her cheeks. The curved bow of her lips and thick dark eyelashes cast a shadow over her cheekbones. I want to reach out and trace that line with the tips of my fingers, see if it feels as soft as it looks.
“And where would I be?”
“Not sure, but you’ve been MIA the last few days.” I shrug. “Maybe you got scared of small-town life and ran away?”
Kate tilts her head to the side, those dark blue eyes looking at me. “Are you telling me you guys are so scary you ran people out of the town before?”
I nod my head, trying to keep a serious face on. “The scariest.”
“Oh yeah? Who else did you manage to run off?”
“People here and there.” I lean in to whisper conspiratorially, “Didn’t you know? The small towns are usually the ones hiding the biggest secrets.”
“Oh, please.” Kate rolls her eyes but laughs nonetheless. The sound, low and melodic, leaves me breathless.
I shake my head. Get a grip, Emmett.
“But seriously, this is where you’ve been hiding?”
I didn’t really know what to think when she didn’t show up. I was disappointed, sure, but I managed to hide it better than Becky. At least, I hope I did. I probably would never hear the end of it if the guys caught me moping, so I guess I’m safe. For now.
I have to give it to Kate though, it takes some serious skill to hide in our school, so there is that.
“I haven’t been hiding,” she protests.
I lift my brows at her and wait. It doesn’t take long.
“I haven’t,” she insists. “I just needed a little breather, that’s all.”
“And that breather was just supposed to be during lunch these past few days?”
“I can’t exactly ditch school in general, now can I?”
I pretend to think about it for a moment. “I mean, you could have, but I see your point. Becky was disappointed, though.”
I feel like a dick as soon as the words are out of my mouth because Kate’s face falls.
“It wasn’t my intention to hurt her feelings, but this is all just… too much, I guess? I can feel people stare, hear their whispers behind my back. I’m not used to it, and I don’t particularly like it. Hallways are manageable because we’re all rushing to one place or the other, but during lunch…”
I nod my head in understanding. I can’t imagine how she must feel with all the attention on her.
“Well, I just wanted to make sure you’re not running away from me and my famous charm.” I grin.
“Yeah, right.” Kate rolls her eyes at me. “If that’s the scariest thing about Bluebonnet Creek, I think I’ll survive.”
“I don’t know about that. You looked pretty scared the other day.”
“In your dreams, buddy.”
We just stare at one another for a while. There is a small tug at the corner of her mouth. It’s not a smile, not exactly, but it’s a beginning.
I open my mouth, wanting to tell her just what my dreams have been about since she came to town, but the door opens, letting in the cacophony from the hallway as people start rolling in.
We pull back instantly, each of us turning forward in our seats.
“Hey, Emmett!” Tim yells as he takes his seat two rows behind me. “We agreed on this weekend. John will call to see if they can fit us in, but I figured I’d tell you.”
Paintball, right. Can’t forget about that.
“Sounds like a plan. Keep me posted.”
Chapter Six
KATHERINE
“Katherine Adams!”
I turn around and find Becky storming toward me, determination written all over her face. When Emmett told me yesterday that she’d been waiting for me to come, I felt like the worst person ever. It’s not Becky’s fault that I don’t like to be the center of attention. She’s been so nice to me since the first day, and the last thing I wanted was to hurt her feelings.
Sighing, I stop to wait for her. It’s not like I’d be able to escape now that she’s seen me anyway.
Becky stops a few inches away from me, propping her hands on her hips. I wait for her to rip me a new one, but she just tilts her head to the side and purses her lips. “That doesn’t sound half as threatening without adding your middle name to it, dammit.”
She seems so serious, and I can’t help but start to chuckle. “I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I don’t have one.”
“You don’t have a middle name?”
“Nope, just Katherine.”
Becky narrows her eyes at me. “Everybody has a middle name.”
“Not me, I’m afraid.” I shrug. “But I can invent one if it’ll make you feel better.”