Never Never by Colleen Hoover, Tarryn Fisher

motivational quotes and typical posters portraying positive messages. I suddenly feel uncomfortable. Trapped. I should have said I didn’t need to see her, but I’m hoping this counselor— one I apparently visited regularly —will know a few things about my past that may be of help to Charlie and me.
    I turn, just as Ms. Ashley’s hand slides down the door and reaches the lock. She turns it and then begins to saunter toward me. Her hands meet my chest and right before her mouth connects with mine, I stumble backward and catch myself on a filing cabinet.
    Whoa.
    What the hell?
    She looks offended that I just shook off her advance. This must not be unusual behavior with us.
    I’m sleeping with the guidance counselor?
    I immediately think of Charlie and, based on our obvious non-commitment to one another, I question what kind of relationship we had. Why were we even together?
    “Is something wrong?” Ms. Ashley says.
    I turn slightly and take a few steps away from her, toward the window. “Not feeling very well today.” I look her in the eyes and force a smile. “Don’t want to get you sick.”
    My words put her at ease and she closes the space between us again, this time leaning in and pressing her lips against my neck. “Poor thing,” she purrs. “Want me to make you feel better?”
    My eyes are wide, darting around the room, mapping out my escape route. My attention falls to the computer on her desk, and then a printer behind her chair. “Ms. Ashley,” I say, gently pushing her away from my neck.
    This is wrong on so many levels.
    She laughs. “You never call me that when we’re alone. It’s weird.”
    She’s too comfortable with me. I need to get out of here.
    “ Avril ,” I say, smiling at her again. “I need a favor. Can you print a copy of mine and Charlie’s schedules?”
    She immediately straightens up, her smile whisked away at the mention of Charlie’s name. Point of contention, apparently.
    “I’m thinking about switching a couple of my classes so I won’t have to be around her as much.” Couldn’t be further from the truth.
    Ms. Ashley— Avril —slides her fingers down my chest, the smile reappearing on her face. “Well, it’s about time. Finally decided to take the counselor’s advice, I see.”
    Her voice drips with sex. I can see how things must have started up with her, but it makes me feel shallow. It makes me hate who I was.
    I shift on my feet as she works her way to her seat and begins clicking at her keyboard.
    She pulls freshly printed pages from the printer and walks them over to me. I attempt to take the schedules from her hand, but she pulls them away with a grin. “Uh-uh,” she says, shaking her head slowly. “These are gonna cost you.” She leans against her desk and lays the sheets of paper beside her, face down. She brings her eyes back to mine and I can see I’m not leaving without appeasing her, which is the last thing I want to do right now.
    I take two slow steps toward her and rest my hands on either side of her. I lean in to her neck and can hear her gasp when I begin to speak. “Avril, I only have five minutes left before I have to be in class. There’s no way I can do all the things I want to do to you in just five minutes.”
    I slip my hand to the schedules lying on her desk and I back away with them. She’s tugging on her bottom lip, staring up at me with heated eyes. “Come back during lunch,” she whispers. “Will an hour be sufficient, Mr. Nash?”
    I wink at her. “I guess it’ll have to do,” I say as I head out the door. I don’t pause until I’m down the hallway and around the corner, out of her line of sight.
    The eighteen-year-old irresponsible side of me wants to high five myself for having apparently snagged the school counselor, but the reasonable side of me wants to punch myself for doing something like that to Charlie.
    Charlie is obviously the better choice, and I hate knowing that I was putting that relationship at