that I mean exactly what I say.” He turned,
opening the passenger door. “Get in. Let me take you to school.”
Nibbling her lip, she tried to find a reason not to go
with him.
“I won’t bite unless you want me to.”
“Why would I want you to bite?”
The smile on his face vanished.
“I was joking around.”
An image of a wolf entered her mind. Pushing those
thoughts to the back of her mind, she looked at his car.
“What about after school?”
“I’ll bring you home.”
“Can I trust you?”
He let out a breath. Everything in her was telling her
not to give him this hold over her, yet a small part of her wanted to get into
that car. She wanted to be sitting next to him, and that very thought was
foreign to her. In all the years she’d known Marshall, not once had she ever
wanted to be alone with him. He scared her, hurt her, and made her wish she
wasn’t the same age as he was. Everything was confusing her. She wished to
spend time with him while also hating herself for even wishing anything when it
came to him.
“I know I’ve not given you a reason to trust me, and
I’m sorry about that. It’s my fault, and I shouldn’t have treated you like the
asshole I was. You can trust me, but I know it’s going to take you some time to
learn to trust me.”
Marshall stepped closer to her. She didn’t step back
even though every part of her was screaming at her to step back.
He reached out, taking her hand. Staring at his much
larger hand, for the first time in her life, she felt small, delicate against
him.
“See, nothing bad is happening so far.”
His touch was doing things to her body. She didn’t
understand what was happening, and she gave him a gentle squeeze, trying to
bring some focus to her chaotic world. Marshall squeezed her hand back, and
something switched in her brain. Taking a step toward him, then another, she
found herself in the car within seconds with the door shut.
Great, Scarlett, what are you going to do now?
The drive to school was quiet. Neither of them spoke,
and she noticed he was taking several deep breaths. When his foot wasn’t on the
brake or gears, he was tapping his foot wildly while also tapping the steering
wheel. He seemed to be having a lot of trouble controlling himself .
“Are you okay?” she asked, finally speaking.
“Good, just focusing on driving.”
“You don’t seem to be doing a good job of it.”
“You’re in one piece, so we’re doing okay so far.” He
reached over and squeezed her thigh. Scarlett gasped and jerked in her seat.
“Shit, sorry, I was just trying to reassure you.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
On the way into school she noticed several of their
peers were looking into his car. They were blatantly staring.
“Ignore them,” he said, grabbing her hand.
“It’s hard. They’re wondering where the joke is.” She
forced a laugh even though she didn’t feel it.
“I know it’s hard for you to think like this, Scarlett.
There’s not going to be a joke or even a small giggle.”
He pulled the car into the spot next to Jack, who hit
the hood of his car.
“It’s about time you got here. I’ve been saving this
spot for you.”
Trey was leaning against Jack’s car, laughing.
Scarlett saw how comfortable he was around Jack and
Marshall. Last night he’d come around to her home and admitted he wanted to be
friends with them. She told him she wasn’t going to stop him from being
friends.
Climbing out of the car, she looked over to Jack, and
he smiled back at her.
“I’m going to head inside.”
Before anyone got a chance to say anything she was
already walking off in the opposite direction. She wanted to put as much
distance as possible between her and Marshall along with the confusion.
Scarlett didn’t trust this nice guy. She was used to being the butt of the joke,
and if she stayed away, then there was no risk of that happening.
The day passed with her going from class to class. By
lunch break the gossip
opening the passenger door. “Get in. Let me take you to school.”
Nibbling her lip, she tried to find a reason not to go
with him.
“I won’t bite unless you want me to.”
“Why would I want you to bite?”
The smile on his face vanished.
“I was joking around.”
An image of a wolf entered her mind. Pushing those
thoughts to the back of her mind, she looked at his car.
“What about after school?”
“I’ll bring you home.”
“Can I trust you?”
He let out a breath. Everything in her was telling her
not to give him this hold over her, yet a small part of her wanted to get into
that car. She wanted to be sitting next to him, and that very thought was
foreign to her. In all the years she’d known Marshall, not once had she ever
wanted to be alone with him. He scared her, hurt her, and made her wish she
wasn’t the same age as he was. Everything was confusing her. She wished to
spend time with him while also hating herself for even wishing anything when it
came to him.
“I know I’ve not given you a reason to trust me, and
I’m sorry about that. It’s my fault, and I shouldn’t have treated you like the
asshole I was. You can trust me, but I know it’s going to take you some time to
learn to trust me.”
Marshall stepped closer to her. She didn’t step back
even though every part of her was screaming at her to step back.
He reached out, taking her hand. Staring at his much
larger hand, for the first time in her life, she felt small, delicate against
him.
“See, nothing bad is happening so far.”
His touch was doing things to her body. She didn’t
understand what was happening, and she gave him a gentle squeeze, trying to
bring some focus to her chaotic world. Marshall squeezed her hand back, and
something switched in her brain. Taking a step toward him, then another, she
found herself in the car within seconds with the door shut.
Great, Scarlett, what are you going to do now?
The drive to school was quiet. Neither of them spoke,
and she noticed he was taking several deep breaths. When his foot wasn’t on the
brake or gears, he was tapping his foot wildly while also tapping the steering
wheel. He seemed to be having a lot of trouble controlling himself .
“Are you okay?” she asked, finally speaking.
“Good, just focusing on driving.”
“You don’t seem to be doing a good job of it.”
“You’re in one piece, so we’re doing okay so far.” He
reached over and squeezed her thigh. Scarlett gasped and jerked in her seat.
“Shit, sorry, I was just trying to reassure you.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
On the way into school she noticed several of their
peers were looking into his car. They were blatantly staring.
“Ignore them,” he said, grabbing her hand.
“It’s hard. They’re wondering where the joke is.” She
forced a laugh even though she didn’t feel it.
“I know it’s hard for you to think like this, Scarlett.
There’s not going to be a joke or even a small giggle.”
He pulled the car into the spot next to Jack, who hit
the hood of his car.
“It’s about time you got here. I’ve been saving this
spot for you.”
Trey was leaning against Jack’s car, laughing.
Scarlett saw how comfortable he was around Jack and
Marshall. Last night he’d come around to her home and admitted he wanted to be
friends with them. She told him she wasn’t going to stop him from being
friends.
Climbing out of the car, she looked over to Jack, and
he smiled back at her.
“I’m going to head inside.”
Before anyone got a chance to say anything she was
already walking off in the opposite direction. She wanted to put as much
distance as possible between her and Marshall along with the confusion.
Scarlett didn’t trust this nice guy. She was used to being the butt of the joke,
and if she stayed away, then there was no risk of that happening.
The day passed with her going from class to class. By
lunch break the gossip
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