“Please don’t hurt him,” Kade said, pain coating his words. “Kelton will never come back from it this time.”
I knew Kade was watching out for his brother. I didn’t blame him, but I couldn’t help but dig my nails into my palms. “You’re forgetting I was thirteen and I didn’t have a choice. So don’t blame me. And not that you care, but I bawled my eyes out when we moved. It took me a long time to get over Kelton.” I wasn’t anywhere near over Kelton.
Kade came closer to me. “I’m not blaming you. But I know you’re not in town to stay. I’m asking you not to hurt him. As far as my opening, I don’t think you working here is a good idea.”
I let out a small laugh. “Protecting your brother’s feelings now? You haven’t changed.” I started for the street. “Oh, and you should probably tell him not to hurt me.”
Dillon said something to Kade, but I tuned them out as I picked up my pace. Seeing Kade hadn’t resulted in the outcome I’d expected. But he did remind me that I needed to keep things between Kelton and me strictly platonic.
* * *
The walk to BU allowed me to shed some of my anger and hurt before I saw Kelton. I didn’t want him to know that Kade had irritated me, but only because I didn’t want a brotherly fight. I’d seen a couple of those as kids. They had ended with bruises and blood.
I made it to the art building then found a restroom. I wanted to don my wig and contacts. Mr. Brewer knew me with red hair. I wanted to keep things simple. It was none of his business anyway. I thought about dropping the class since I’d found Zach, but I’d already paid the fee. Plus, a selfish part of me screamed no. How else will you get to see Kelton practically naked?
A girl ran in and directly into a stall. I combed through my wig, examined myself in the mirror one last time, then left. As I did, I bumped into Mr. Brewer. “So sorry.”
“Hello, Emma,” he said, steadying me before we headed toward his classroom. “Did Zach help you with any techniques?”
“He tried, but I wasn’t feeling good.” It wasn’t that big of a lie. I had gotten queasy when Zach told me his father had gambled away his college fund.
“I see. Well, no running out of class early today. I expect to see what you’re capable of before the end of class.” He called to a student ahead of us as he hurried off.
I spied Kelton out of the corner of my eye not far beyond Mr. Brewer. A short brunette sashayed her wide hips as she came up to him and handed him a piece of paper. He glanced at it, folded it up, and stuck it into the pocket of his jeans.
Quietly berating myself, I stomped down the hall, merging with a crowd of people who were coming out of a classroom. The last time I’d acted like a jealous fool was in the seventh grade. Erika Ames would pass love notes to Kelton in social studies. After a week of five love notes scented with perfume and Kelton smelling them like he wanted to eat the words off the paper, I’d returned the notes to her with the words, You’re ugly, and I hate you and Kelton’s signature at the bottom. Then she cried every time she saw Kelton. I wanted to do something similar to the cute brunette, but I wasn’t in grade school anymore, and I had no claim to Kelton. All the feelings of need, want, and desire for Kelton had to be sealed away in a place whose key I didn’t have access to. Keep things platonic.
The girl laughed at something Kelton said. I tucked my chin to my chest and sped down the hall.
One foot past him, a strong hand gripped my bicep. “Lizzie?” Kelton asked. The deep timbre of his voice nestled into me, awakening the butterflies.
Swear words sat idly on the tip of my tongue. I peered up at him, hoping I didn’t have a trace of jealousy on my face. The brunette glided off in a huff.
He pulled me closer to him, out of the way of traffic. A small space separated us. Filtered sunlight from the window above illuminated all that was Kelton Maxwell. Jeans covered his strong thighs. Bright green boxer briefs peeked through a rip on his left thigh. A red shirt stretched tightly over his broad chest, defining the outline of his biceps. To put the cherry on top of a delicious specimen, his face had a five o’clock shadow. There was no way in hell I would make it through art class.
He leaned into my ear, his hot breath sending a shiver all the way down to my toes. “See something you like?”
“Are you too cheap to buy jeans without holes in them?” I blurted out in a voice that was way too terse.
“You know I might be naked today. Can you handle that?” A devilish grin flashed across his face as he cocked his knee, planting his foot on the wall.
Those butterflies busted out of their cocoons. “So did you talk to Zach?”
“What’s with the red wig?” he asked. “I already know who you are.”
“I’d rather not have to explain myself to Mr. Brewer.”
“Mmm.” He scratched his chin. “I don’t like you with red hair.”
And I don’t like you taking notes from girls.