I smiled sadly at how direct he was being. It was incredible to know he felt this connection between us just as strongly as I did.
But he’d been hanging out with Jayden and his friends more and more. I’d seen Steph and Bonnie hovering around him, giving him flirty looks. He was falling into the worst possible group, and I wasn’t sure if it was too late.
“I’m sorry, Turner. I know this is frustrating for you. But once you find out who I am . . . it’ll change everything.”
“No.” He squeezed me. “It’ll change nothing. At least not for me. Are you really that insecure about your looks?”
“Yes. No. Argh!” This time I did push out of his embrace. My hands dropped to his waist, my body unwilling to separate from him completely, but I needed some space to breathe. He smelled so damn good; I wanted to give him whatever he wanted so I could continue to bury my nose in his chest and breathe in that warm fresh-rain scent. “It’s not just about that. There are things you don’t know. About me. About this school. I . . .”
“So tell me. Why can’t you just be honest? Haven’t I earned your trust?”
And just like that, I remembered why I’d been questioning everything in the first place.
“Don’t act like I’m the only one keeping secrets, Turner. You can’t demand honesty if you’re not willing to give it.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” His voice rose a little in pitch. He was getting frustrated. So was I.
My heart rate quickened, and before I could chicken out, I blurted, “I saw you yesterday. Talking to Jayden’s little sister.”
His muscles tensed under my fingers. He went very still, his thumbs no longer rubbing little absent-minded circles against my shoulders.
“How much did you hear?” The ocean-smooth quality that made me want to sink into his voice was gone—this smoothness was like glass. Sharp and deadly.
What the fuck had I been thinking locking myself in a dark place with a guy I suspected was . . . doing something to sweet, innocent little Jenny? I was a fucking moron.
“Nothing. I hardly heard a word, and I only saw you guys talking for, like, two minutes.” I removed my hands from his sides and took a step back, mentally calculating if I was closer to the door that led to the gym or the one that led outside.
“Shit.” He sighed, and his hands found my hips. “You sound fucking terrified. I’m sorry. Please . . . I didn’t mean to be so intense. I just . . . I don’t know what to say.”
He sounded genuine, but he hadn’t answered my unasked question. What the fuck was he doing with Jenny? I put my hands on his arms, ready to push him off if I had to, fighting the urge to pull him closer.
“What was that about then?” I asked. “I didn’t hear much, but that girl looked fucking terrified.”
“I know. I didn’t put that look on her face. Trust me.”
“Never trust someone who says trust me.”
He chuckled, and it turned into a groan. “I can’t really tell you much more about that situation—the secrets are not . . . it’s not just my story to tell. But I’m trying to do something good. I’m trying to do the right thing.”
“Is she in some kind of trouble?” My nails dug into his forearms. She’d defended him when I confronted her. Was it possible the fear in her eyes wasn’t of him but for him?
“Maybe. I promise I’ll tell you the full story when it’s all over. And I hope that will be sooner rather than later. In the meantime, I have to ask you to trust me. Trust that I’m doing the right thing.”
My gut was telling me I could. The idea of Turner doing something malicious was so discordant with the guy I’d gotten to know. It just didn’t fit.
And Jenny had defended him.
He hadn’t threatened me or even raised his voice. He hadn’t demanded I keep my mouth shut. He was just asking me to trust him.
I decided to take a leap of faith and do just that.
“OK, I’ll trust you, but I’ll be keeping an eye on Jenny.”
He released a heavy breath. “That would be amazing, actually. I can’t be around twenty-four seven, and knowing she has another person I trust in her corner actually makes me feel a lot better.”
I dragged my hands up his arms to rest on his shoulders. “But you have to trust me too. I know it’s frustrating for you, but I need you to trust that my reasons for keeping my identity secret are not frivolous. I just need time. I’ve been my true self with you in every other way, I promise.”
“I believe you. I’ll try to be patient.” He pulled me flush against his chest and kissed me on the forehead, his lips landing off-center, as he couldn’t see me.
But I could feel him. Every hard muscle pressing against me. His strong arms holding me, making me feel safe, even after I’d felt scared just moments ago.
“Did we just have our first fight?” His shoulders shook under my hands with quiet laughter.
“I dunno.” I shrugged. “Aren’t fights something couples have?”
“Is that not what we are?”
“Oh . . . uh . . . you’re not seeing anyone else?”
“You are?” He suddenly sounded a little worried, a little unsure. “I mean, I’m not interested in anyone else.”
“Good. Neither am I.” Not that I had any other options. He was it for me, and I wouldn’t change that for the world. But he had girls all over school hanging off him. There was no question he’d been asked out several times already. Had he said yes to any of them?
“Good.” A smile warmed his voice, and his hands started rubbing small circles on my lower back.
“Are you sure about this? You don’t know what I look like.” I couldn’t help feeling a bit insecure.
“I’m not falling for your looks, Mena. I’m falling for your personality. And this fine body.” He gave me a squeeze on the hips, his strong fingers only just digging into the area above my ass.
I laughed and dropped my forehead to his shoulder.
“Now, since we’ve survived our first fight”—his low words reverberated through my chest—“we really should make up.”
“Oh?” I smiled into his shirt, then tilted my head to speak just beneath his jaw. “And how do you propose we do that?”
I punctuated my suggestive question with a soft, lingering kiss to the side of his neck.
His voice was as breathy as mine when he answered. “I have a few ideas.”
I kissed him again, a little higher, getting drunk on how his arms tightened around me every time my lips connected, how his breathing grew shallower. Emboldened by his reaction, I did something I’d been daydreaming about since I got a good look at him—I darted my tongue out and licked his jaw. Just a little lick right under his ear.
He exhaled sharply and turned his head, his lips searching for mine in the dark. I tipped my face up and met him halfway.
We kissed as if we were reuniting lovers, back together after being unsure we’d ever see the other again—tongues tangling, hands tugging at clothing. The bell rang as we started to back toward the rear wall of the room, neither of us willing to break the kiss. My back connected with the stack of gym mats, and Turner smacked one hand beside my head for balance as he leaned his body flush against mine.