"Fuck! I hate it, Ri. It's only been a week and we are already swamped with homework and assignments," Lucy groaned in frustration. We were in the study hall, working on our math assignment since we had a free period.
"What else would you prefer doing?"
"Anything besides this. Also, Andrew is annoying me to the core. He hasn't texted me since morning." She pouted and kept checking her phone every five minutes.
"Here, let me help you." I grabbed her note and started to teach her. Not to brag or anything but I was pretty good at math and probably the only thing I was good at.
"Damn! You are good, girl." She whistled when I solved a complex problem but I simply shrugged, trying not to make a big deal out of it.
"You just need to use your brain." I teased, earning a smack on my arm from her.
"Shut up."
"You know what? You could probably do this for money," she added after a while, making me scrunch my eyebrows in confusion.
"What do you mean?"
"I don't think anyone is as good as you at math in our grade. You could put up an advertisement on the school notice board or newspaper for tutoring." She explained, making me think about it for a while. It was actually a pretty good idea to earn some money for college. I would be learning and teaching at the same time. Dad would also understand if I explain it to him.
"Do you think anyone would notice?" I asked in a doubtful tone.
"Of course, just post it anonymously with your contact details, and let's wait and see. No harm in trying right?"
"You know, I think you finally put that brain of yours to use," I grinned widely, making her roll her eyes.
"Yeah, whatever. Let's go, babe. I'm craving some ice cream." She stood up without waiting for my reply and I copied her actions, collecting my things from the table.
"Psst! Why is Tristan staring at you?" Lucy hissed, making me frown in response. We were inside a small ice cream booth that was close to Woodcreek Highschool. We could see almost half of the school's population inside that small place and it wasn't a big surprise that Tristan was here. He and his mates used to hang out there almost every day.
"I think it's time for us to leave," I whispered back, brushing her question aside.
"Hmmm, if you look closely, he does look good. Do you think he secretly likes you or something and that's why he annoys you?"
"Eww! Gross! Lucy, stop looking over at his table. I don't need any drama today and I need to get to the library. I'm late for my shift," I stood up, hiding my face with my hoodie, and walked towards the counter. She immediately followed me, almost running to catch up with my speed.
"Alright, relax. I was just kidding." She sighed beside me near the counter while I paid for our orders.
She was right though. I could feel his eyes boring into my back and I couldn't understand why.
Was he planning on something big?
I had no freaking idea.
We rushed out of the booth immediately and I let out a huge sigh of relief. We said our goodbyes and she went home while I walked back to the school to submit the advertisement in the school newspaper and around 5 pm, I left the school premises and made my way towards the small library that was around 20 feet away from my school.
"Hey, Judy!" I called out to the girl behind the reception and she turned around to face me with a bright smile. She was around my age with short blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes. She goes to a different school so I didn't know much about her.
"Right on time as always. Have fun, Riley." She smiled and started to collect her things to leave.
The library was almost empty except for a few kids, doing their homework or reading some book. I got bored and started to work on my own school stuff and halfway through it, I felt a huge shadow looming over my head. I lifted my gaze to see who it was and my eyes went wide, mouth hanging open with my pencil dangling between my lips.
I was met with a pair of ocean green eyes with thick eyelashes followed by a pair of plump lips. I could notice his chiseled jawline that was sharp enough to cut through anything and my eyes roamed freely all over his light brown hair that was disheveled. He was wearing a white polo t-shirt underneath his black jacket that looked really hot on his arrogant self. I came out of my trance immediately, feeling ashamed to be checking out my enemy.
Fuck!
Lucy was right.
Did he always look this good?
Ew! Ew! Ew!
Dear God! Please don't do this.
"Could you please take a step back? I'm feeling nauseous." I coughed a bit, trying to get myself together.
"More like breathless, Adams. I tend to have that effect on people. Girls especially," he winked, making me roll my eyes at his cockiness, "I didn't know you work here." He added, throwing a book at me which I caught swiftly between my hands. I looked down at the title of the book and raised my eyebrow. It was a Trigonometry textbook.
"And I didn't know you study instead of fooling around," I replied almost immediately, making him sigh heavily.
"Desperate times call for desperate measures." He uttered, surprising me with his decent response, making me more confused than ever.
"You have seven days to return the book without any damage," I spoke, typing away on the computer in front of me, and looked up to find him staring at me. He snatched the book from my hand with such force, making me scowl.
Spoke too soon!
"Whatever." He cleared his throat and rushed outside immediately, leaving me puzzled.
"Asshole," I muttered loud enough for him to hear. Thankfully, he didn't turn around to give me any snide comments and kept walking towards his fancy-ass car.
My shift ended at 7 pm. After grabbing my stuff, I started walking towards the direction of my house, wearing my headset. By the time, I reached home, I noticed that my dad's car was not in the driveway so I made dinner for myself and him.
After finishing my dinner, I went back to my room and turned on Netflix to watch 'The Vow'. Not even Lucy knows that I watch romance movies. I act all tough outside saying that I hated romance and all that cringe stuff but deep down, I secretly wanted a Love story of my own as corny as it may sound.
I was a girl after all and I wanted to experience all the cute and sexy stuff that high school girls gush about. I thought about Lucy's words from the other day.
Get a boyfriend?
But who would even talk to a girl as boring as me?
I sighed and drifted off to sleep to the soothing sound of Channing Tatum's voice in the movie.
I jerked in my seat when I felt my phone vibrate in my jean pocket. I pulled it out to see a text from Lucy. I was currently in the middle of my English class which was really boring since I had already read all of Shakespeare's and Jane Austen's novels. Lucy and I had one or two different classes every day'I'm so bored.'--Lucy'Same here.'I hit send and tried to focus on the board in front of me. The day was dragging by and I just wanted to get out of school as soon as possible. It was Friday, for god's sake. My phone buzzed again on my desk, earning a few stares from my classmates.'Andrew invited us to a party this weekend.' --Lucy'There is no 'us'. I really don't want to go,
I immediately dropped my phone on the desk and turned around.Fuck!Of all the people, why the fuck should it be him? I mentally groaned in frustration and squeezed my eyes shut. After a few seconds, I fluttered my eyes open as I realized that he doesn't know it is me yet. I picked up my phone and started to type him a message.'This won't work out. Sorry.'I lifted my gaze to see his expression and his lips twitched into a smile as he looked down at his phone and then he started to type. 'Drop the act and come over here, Adams.' - Unknown numberFuck!
"So what did he say?" Lucy asked again right in the middle of our class. I tried to ignore her question as I didn't know how to explain it to her."He agreed to meet me at the library." I tried to keep it short and crisp but she knew me better than that."Come on, there is more. I can see your face. You are blushing," She whispered, making my eyes go wide."What? No!" I immediately touched my cheeks and she tried so hard not to laugh out loud."You should have seen your face." She sniffled in laughter beside me, earning us both glares from our professor."You better tell me now before I snatch your phone," she whispered again."Oh my God! You are so annoying, Lu." I handed over my phone to her before the professor could throw us both out."That's much better." She grinned and started looking over at my texts. I tried to observe her expressions from the corner of
The next day as promised Tristan picked me up at 8 pm sharp from the library and we were on our way to his house. I couldn't help but steal glances at him from the corner of my eyes. He was wearing a light blue t-shirt under his black jacket followed by his black jeans which were sexy as hell. I noticed his chiseled jawline which had a hint of stubble that made me lick my lips automatically.Ugh! Why can't he be ugly like his personality? I remained silent through the ride and he kept his focus solely on the road ahead of us. He pulled over inside a driveway and I looked outside the window and saw a huge classy-looking mansion.What else did I expect? "We are here." He unbuckled his seat belt and we both walked towards the front door. We were immediately greeted by a short elderly lady who had a warm smile on her face inside the living room."Good evening, Tristan. Can
For the next two days, things between me and Tristan were too professional that even I was getting annoyed by it. We spoke only about Math and there wasn't a single conversation other than that. He used to pick me up from the library, I used to teach him, and then he drops me off at my house. It was like teaching a lifeless person and I found it really hard to focus."Okay, enough of this! Why are being an extra Asshole for these past few days?" I broke the silence in the middle of teaching and he gave me a surprised look."Awww, are you missing our playful banter?" he smirked, leaning back against the chair and I pursued my lips into a thin line.To be honest, I did kind of miss it. "More like annoying banter. I mean, seriously, I'm the one who should be angry with you." I burst out in frustration, making him raise his eyebrows."Why are you angry with me?" he asked in a serious tone
"I look so funny, Lu. I'm just going to wear my jeans and some t-shirt." I whined, trying to pull down the short black dress to hide my knees. The dress was really pretty with a sweetheart neckline and reached just above my thighs. We were currently in her house, getting ready for the party, and Andrew was supposed to pick us up at 7 pm."Are you kidding me? You look smoking hot. I don't know why you hide behind those baggy clothes." She mumbled, making me sit down in front of the mirror forcefully. After doing my hair and make-up that took around an hour, she finally let go of me. I opened my eyes and let out a small gasp.The girl in front of me looked so different but in a good way. My hair was curled at the ends, giving it a nice bouncy look. She gave me a smoky eye effect with a soft nude shade of lipstick that looked subtle and beautiful. I couldn't believe my eyes. I actually looked pretty and wondered why I never put this effort in t
Let me tell you something, I have been kissed only once in my life before and I was thinking that was how a kiss was supposed to feel like but this, Tristan kissing me, the way he brushed his lips softly against mine as if waiting for me to deepen the kiss anytime which only made me want him more, this was exactly how a kiss was supposed to feel like.My eyes went wide in shock at first but then I felt fireworks explode inside my body and I wanted it more. I didn't care that I was kissing my enemy. I didn't care that he was a player. All I wanted to do was to grab his shirt and deepen the kiss and that's what I did. Maybe it was the drink I had earlier or maybe it was me, I had no idea why I was kissing him back.He immediately wrapped his arms around my waist, holding me steady while his other arm cupped my face, nibbling on my lower lip.Woah! Is this how a proper kiss is supposed to feel like?I le
Tristan's POV:'This is over. I'm done teaching you.'- RileyI kept staring at the message on my phone, not knowing what to reply to. I didn't want to fucking end this. Heck, I just had the best kiss of my life and I know for a fact that she enjoyed it too. I could see it from the way she responded. I didn't want to scare her but God help me, I just couldn't control myself when I saw her at the party in that little dress.Christ, she was fucking amazing!I've waited for so long and I was so not ready to give up now. I smirked and threw the phone aside, making up my mind to deal with her in person tomorrow.The next morning, I woke up at around 10 am and decided to pay her a visit at her house. My dad came home yesterday to see us and I guess he was already back on his business trip. I sighed and got out of my bed."Good morning, Tristan." Mrs. Waters, o
The next morning, I woke up with a smallfrown as the bright rays of sunlight hit my face. I covered myself with the duvet immediately and reached out for Tristan but he was missing from the bed. I woke up in an instant, covering my body as much as I could. Memories of last night came rushing back to my head and I smiled widely. I've never been happier and being with him just felt right.If this is what I would be signing up for, I wanted to be with him forever. I had already made up my mind. I was ready to leave Phoenix with Abby for him. That is, if and if we were going to talk about the future. I noticed my phone on top of the bedside table and picked it up. It was 7 am and I let out a soft sigh.Where was he?"Morning, sunshine." I heard his deep husky voice and turned to my side to find him standing outside the bathroom in just a towel that was hanging dangerously low on his hips, his hair was all wet fr
Tristan's POV:I kept tapping my feet furiously waiting to reach the hotel as soon as possible. Even though I wanted to make love to her right now, I had another stuff planned for tonight.Dammit!"Are we there yet?" she asked, biting her lips andI glanced at her. She looked absolutely breathtaking in that smoking hot red dress. Fuck, she was just perfect and I still saw that cute little girl from high school in her, despite the makeup and hairdo."Impatient, are we?" I let out a small chuckle and kept driving. We were almost there and once we reached the hotel. I gave the car keys to the valet and took her hands, guiding her through the glass doors."Holy Fuck! Are you staying here for the week?" she asked in shock and amazement. I looked down and found her admiring the interiors of the hotel. She was totally mesmerized by it and almost forgot why we were here in the
My phone kept going off constantly, distracting me from doing my work at the officethe next day and I knew exactly who it was.Man, he never gives up.I picked up my phone with a small smile and saw a dozen text messages from Asshole.Of course, it was him.'I want to take you and Abby out for dinner tonight. Please don't say nooooo' -Asshole.I let out a small chuckle and typed out my reply.'Like a date?''Of course, baby.'- Asshole.'You need to get through my dad first.'My phone started to vibrate in my hands as he chose to call instead of responding to my text."Did you tell him already that I'm in town?" he yelled as soon I attended the call. I took my phone a few inches away from my ears, trying to hold back my laughter.
"You are awfully silent. Everything okay, babe?" Tristan asked while driving back to my house. Abby was fast asleep on my shoulders and I kept patting her back softly. I was still in shock with my discovery and couldn't even meet his gaze all evening. I mean, it was unbelievable that he kept the carnival ticket from our first date even after all these years. I was literally blown away and my heart was thumping against my chest wildly."I--I'm fine," I spoke after a few seconds but he wasn't convinced and kept giving me sideways glances now and then."Iknow you better than that. Do you...Ummm...regret this evening?""What?" I asked immediately and gave him a 'are you crazy' look, "Of course not, I'm just so glad that it went well and it wasn't awkward at all. She warmed up to you so fast.""I am her father, Duh! And, yeah, she is amazing. I want to be with her, Riley. I want to get
"Leaving early, I see." I heard a deep voice from behind, causing me to jump from my seat."Jesus Christ!" I shrieked in fear and turned around to meet a pair of familiar crystal blue orbs."Sorry, didn't mean to scare you." He raised his hands in defense and I let out an embarrassed chuckle."It's okay, Mr.Reed and yeah, I'm leaving early today," I replied with a small smile and grabbed my things. He was still standing at my desk behind me and I was feeling a bit awkward. I wasn't the type to make small talk and I had no idea why he was still standing right there."Ummm... Is there something I can do?" I asked, trying to keep myself distracted by arranging random things on my desk."Oh yeah, I wanted to ask if you submitted the documents and how do you feel about working here?" he asked, smiling down at me warmly and I let out a soft sigh."I submitted the documents this
"I will bring her to the park tomorrow because it's not safe for you to come to my house right now," I explained through the phone as I settled on my bed, pulling the covers over my body. I was so tired because of the jetlag and just wanted to fallasleep already."Why not?" came his response almost in an instant and I rolled my sleepy eyes."Well, if you want my dad to kill you, you are more than welcome, Tristan," I uttered, earning a deep chuckle from him that made me feel warm on the inside.God, I missed that chuckle so much."I think I can handle him, babycakes but we can meet at the park tomorrow, you know just to be safe." He sighed and I remained silent, trying to suppress my smile.Apart from me wanted to lose my ego and just forget everything. I could understand why he pushed me away and he was really dumb to think that I would want a kid more than being wit
Tristan's POV:I kept driving my car aimlessly that night as my mind was completely fucked up. I was shocked beyond anything when I came to know that Riley had a kid but when shetold me that the kid was mine, I almost had a mini heart attack. God, the reason I pushed her away became the opposite ironically and I still couldn't believe that we had a kid.I was a father.Never in my life, I thought I would father a child. I wiped away my tears and hit the brakes, running my fingers through my hair in pain and frustration.I put her through hell because of my immature thinking. She was right. I should have told her the truth and made her decide for herself. I fucked up big time and the fact that she raised our kid all alone was too much for me to bear. I should have been there with her through every fucking step of it. I should have taken care of my girl.
I kept pacing around in my hotel room, feeling all kinds of mixed emotions. Rage and anger dominated everything else. I wanted to kill him but at the same time, my grandmother's words and Lucy's words haunted me. Abby needs her father and he deserves to know about her no matter howbad and evil he might be. I wouldn't get another chance like this.Seeing him today at school broke me all over again and it was like trying to forget about him all these years made absolutely no sense. He still looked annoyingly handsome and even more hot if that was even possible.Ugh! I hated him so much.Why did I run into him? Of all the places, he had to work at our high school.Un-fucking-believable!I sat down on my bed and picked up my phone slowly. I went through my contacts and there his number stared right back at me.Asshole!
Tristan's POV:"Alright, boys. You may leave for the day and I expect to see you all at 6 am sharp tomorrow. Now go hit the showers," I announced to my team and watched them disperse immediately. I let out a huge sigh and made my way towards my office, wiping the sweat off my forehead. Being a football coach was fun yet exhausting attimes but I loved my job nevertheless. I felt proud to be coaching my team at my own high school.I threw my sports bag on my shoulder as I was ready to leave for the day. Just as I was about to lock my office, my eyes glanced briefly at the hallway and I noticed a woman, taking to the principal with her back facing towards me. It was a very familiar back and there was a sudden curiosity in me to see this woman's face. She was wearing a wine red dress that hugged every curve of her body and her chestnut brown hair fell below her shoulder in waves. I kept walking towards them, trying to be as casual as