Touch Me While I Taste You

47

Arabella Rivera

You need her Haiden.

After that last sentence, everything just became, silent. It was heavy and reeked o fawkwardness. The pressure was so weighty that I inched closer to the door to somehow escape from here. Only to be stopped by Mr. Boyd’s words.

“I’ll leave you two to talk about it. I need t o be somewhere-” Mr. Boyd stops, lifts his hand to look down at the silver watch wrapped around the bone of his hairy wrist.

Wait he was going to leave us here alone?

Scratch that.

He was going to leave me all alone with a brooding and vexed Haiden?

“In exactly eight minutes.” His quick fingers worked to place the last of his things in his briefcase.

I squint my eyes on the black briefcase as Mr. Boyd took a hold of it and began walking. Can I fit inside that tiny thing? I

Alking. Can I fit inside that tiny thing? I wish he’d pack me inside too, therefore I wouldn’t have to face Haiden all alone.

Before he disappears out of the door, he whirls around to pin Haiden with a heavy stare. “If you want a future, I think you know what to do.” With those last words, Mr. Boyd left us in a strained stuffy

silence

I tighten my grasp on my bag, my lips pressing together with every second that ticked by. It was only us in the room and I was pretty sure in the entire school, excluding the security. It couldn’t get more awkward than that.

I lift my eyes to Haiden. He wasn’t looking. His eyes were burning holes through the dirty floor, teeth gritted in frustration. He wasn’t going to be the first one to speak. He’d leave it to me so h e can make a mockery out of my words.

his gazet o mine, connecting them so sharply that I sucked in a quick breath.” I don’t need your help.” His tone was twisted with

his aura. I suppose he tried to lessen the attention on his bruises but they only stood out like a sour thumb, clashing with the

exposed his frustrations, “I don’t

vulnerability was too heavy to ignore. H e needed my help but

that were supposed to be warm and show

how about you get your perfect act on and tell Mr. Boyd

that you even agreed to it.” Frustration emanated off of him like waves of a roaring ocean when a storm is about to hit. If I had not gotten used to being treated as a pest, I would have definitely -backed

me grow a thicker skin. Now words hurt me but they don’t dent my armor. They don’t show my vulnerability. They don’t

you think I agreed to tutor you out of all people? I didn’t even know who I’d be tutoring until a few minutes ago. If I’d

the door.” Since we’re both on the same mindset, you can just leave. Don’t want to waste any more of your precious time princess.” He mocked the word princess. So different from how he said

he treating

you really think he’d treat you any different than the others? A few conversations here and there wouldn’t have put you in the friendzone. The better part of my mind pulled me right back on track

what if I don’t want

you want to be in

sort for a n answer

I don’t know.

could choose the bright ones, the ones that put you in a good mood, the ones that look,

leave Haiden’s stormy ones and settle

if I wanted to paint

I didn’t want perfect?

only be painting a dark

eyes lift back to his eyes. Behind the anger and frustration, I could see something else. Something that made me realize that I wasn’t the main focus of his anger. He wasn’t angry at me, not really He was

always have a tiny spot uncovered. And that’s where you’ll find the little

quiet after my last

seeing how the grey clouds hang over the entire town. The rumble of thunder came next, a