out I’m his
student? What if he sees what I did to Nancy’s towel and decides
I’m completely too immature for him? Because who in their right
mind would dry their mascara-ridden face with a white towel? Face it. Wilson, you’ve screwed this one up big
time.
As Max tapped on the bathroom door, my
heart thrashed unrelentingly against my sternum. “Wilson, you in
there?”
I froze. Maybe if I didn’t move he
wouldn’t know I was trying to figure out what to do with the towel
I’d ruined. I turned to look at the door and knocked the copper
trashcan against the toilet with my foot. The clang echoed
throughout the massive bathroom. He tapped again on the door.
“Wilson, you okay?”
I pulled the towel away from my mouth.
“Yeah, be out in a minute,” my voice wavered; he
noticed.
“ You sure?” he asked. I
heard his hand slide across the door.
Uh-oh, here we go
again—another bathroom moment.
“ I’m fine.”
Clearly he wasn’t aware of the towel
I’d ruined or the words Camille had flung at me about the upcoming
inquisition. I heard his body press against the door. I stepped
closer.
“ Wilson, I can’t wait to
be alone with you,” his words filled the space between us. I leaned
against the door. I swear, I could feel his weight.
I heard him exhale slowly, and with
that, what I’d done to the towel and my feelings about Camille’s
warning melted away. He had such a way with me. Every silly moment
of insecurity seemed to vanish with his words.
“ Me too,” I whispered as I
unlocked the door and pulled it open.
“ Hi. I’m sorry about
leaving you alone with my sister.” He wore a frown as his eyes
tangled me in his apology.
“ Nothing to be sorry
about.” I swallowed as I decided to keep Camille’s warning to
myself.
“ Yeah, well when Calvin
decides to stay away, it affects everyone and I am the one the
family leans on to fix it. It tends to be a thankless
job.”
“ Yeah, but an important
one,” I answered.
“ One family job I don’t
remember signing up for,” he responded.
“ I bet your mom is thankful,” I said
before I watched his radiant, green eyes widen and the muscles in
his face become stoic. I had an answer for every excuse he gave for
his family responsibility, and he noticed.
“ Yeah, she is.” He wrapped
his arms around me. His hug was a sorry he didn’t have to speak. I
knew he was grateful for his family; he just needed to vent, and I
needed to remind him how lucky he was.
“ By the way, I kinda got
makeup on your mom’s towel.” The words felt juvenile and stupid as
I said them. I made sure I clung tightly to his embrace.
“ Well now, what are we
going to do about that?” he teased before he leaned back to look in
my eyes. “Maybe she needs to send you to my room after dinner,” he
smiled gingerly.
Dinner was a whole
different story. It was going to be my penance for falling in love
with him. Hmmm, maybe I could be sent up
to his room before dinner?
“ I really messed it up,” I
said as I snatched the towel from the counter and held up the
incriminating evidence.
“ There is nothing more
important than being together on your birthday.” Max yanked the
towel out of my grip and tossed it aside. He pulled me by the hip
with one hand while his other hand pushed my hair away from my
neck. “She isn’t going to care about a
dirty…filthy…makeup-caked…Wilson-ruined…hand towel.” He kissed the
bend between my collarbone and neck as he breathed each word
describing the ruined towel. He was so good at changing the
subject.
But then he stopped kissing me. A
silent, cool air replaced his lips, pulling me from the trance he’d
just inspired. I opened my eyes, he was staring at me
intensely.
“ Your hair’s
wet.”
“ I splashed water on my
face.”
“ That explains the hand
towel,” he smirked
“ Hey, that’s not funny,” I
snapped. The moment sagged leadenly between us.
“ You’re really upset about
a towel?” he asked.
“ I
student? What if he sees what I did to Nancy’s towel and decides
I’m completely too immature for him? Because who in their right
mind would dry their mascara-ridden face with a white towel? Face it. Wilson, you’ve screwed this one up big
time.
As Max tapped on the bathroom door, my
heart thrashed unrelentingly against my sternum. “Wilson, you in
there?”
I froze. Maybe if I didn’t move he
wouldn’t know I was trying to figure out what to do with the towel
I’d ruined. I turned to look at the door and knocked the copper
trashcan against the toilet with my foot. The clang echoed
throughout the massive bathroom. He tapped again on the door.
“Wilson, you okay?”
I pulled the towel away from my mouth.
“Yeah, be out in a minute,” my voice wavered; he
noticed.
“ You sure?” he asked. I
heard his hand slide across the door.
Uh-oh, here we go
again—another bathroom moment.
“ I’m fine.”
Clearly he wasn’t aware of the towel
I’d ruined or the words Camille had flung at me about the upcoming
inquisition. I heard his body press against the door. I stepped
closer.
“ Wilson, I can’t wait to
be alone with you,” his words filled the space between us. I leaned
against the door. I swear, I could feel his weight.
I heard him exhale slowly, and with
that, what I’d done to the towel and my feelings about Camille’s
warning melted away. He had such a way with me. Every silly moment
of insecurity seemed to vanish with his words.
“ Me too,” I whispered as I
unlocked the door and pulled it open.
“ Hi. I’m sorry about
leaving you alone with my sister.” He wore a frown as his eyes
tangled me in his apology.
“ Nothing to be sorry
about.” I swallowed as I decided to keep Camille’s warning to
myself.
“ Yeah, well when Calvin
decides to stay away, it affects everyone and I am the one the
family leans on to fix it. It tends to be a thankless
job.”
“ Yeah, but an important
one,” I answered.
“ One family job I don’t
remember signing up for,” he responded.
“ I bet your mom is thankful,” I said
before I watched his radiant, green eyes widen and the muscles in
his face become stoic. I had an answer for every excuse he gave for
his family responsibility, and he noticed.
“ Yeah, she is.” He wrapped
his arms around me. His hug was a sorry he didn’t have to speak. I
knew he was grateful for his family; he just needed to vent, and I
needed to remind him how lucky he was.
“ By the way, I kinda got
makeup on your mom’s towel.” The words felt juvenile and stupid as
I said them. I made sure I clung tightly to his embrace.
“ Well now, what are we
going to do about that?” he teased before he leaned back to look in
my eyes. “Maybe she needs to send you to my room after dinner,” he
smiled gingerly.
Dinner was a whole
different story. It was going to be my penance for falling in love
with him. Hmmm, maybe I could be sent up
to his room before dinner?
“ I really messed it up,” I
said as I snatched the towel from the counter and held up the
incriminating evidence.
“ There is nothing more
important than being together on your birthday.” Max yanked the
towel out of my grip and tossed it aside. He pulled me by the hip
with one hand while his other hand pushed my hair away from my
neck. “She isn’t going to care about a
dirty…filthy…makeup-caked…Wilson-ruined…hand towel.” He kissed the
bend between my collarbone and neck as he breathed each word
describing the ruined towel. He was so good at changing the
subject.
But then he stopped kissing me. A
silent, cool air replaced his lips, pulling me from the trance he’d
just inspired. I opened my eyes, he was staring at me
intensely.
“ Your hair’s
wet.”
“ I splashed water on my
face.”
“ That explains the hand
towel,” he smirked
“ Hey, that’s not funny,” I
snapped. The moment sagged leadenly between us.
“ You’re really upset about
a towel?” he asked.
“ I
Similar Books
