The rest of the school day flies by, and I’m happy to see Conner waiting by his car.
We speak briefly before heading to my work. There’s a heated kiss between us that leaves me wanting more. I’m not sure if it’sfrom today’s rush, but the thought of kissing Conner for hours appeals to me.
As I head into work, I smile. I feel this immense pressure lifting from my chest. The thought of justice—a victory. It’s something I never thought I’d be capable of doing. Even knowing she’s nothing but a school bully, the thought of standing up for myself makes me feel stronger.
Strong enough to take on your dad?
I grimace.
I already know the answer to that.
52
TALENT SHOW
The restof the week went by quickly. Sarah Jane didn’t get suspended. She got expelled. Everything she claimed she was working hard for went down the drain. Not because of the consistent getting into trouble at school, but I’m sure the recording of her admitting that she sent the naked photo of me around the entire school played a massive part.
Since Sarah Jane isn’t deliberately bumping into me or Andy being near me, school life goes fast.
Dylan, Sammy, Conner, and I play D&D on Friday afternoon. Aaron gives them a rundown, explaining how to play. I’m excited that I am not the only one who dies. Sammy dies before me, and then we sit together and watch the boys play. Dylan is really into it, making Sammy record him whenever it’s his turn.
Whenever Conner rolls high, his hand goes to my leg, and he leans in for a kiss. I profusely blush while Sammy shakes my arm, calling meadorable!It makes me burn red.
Unfortunately, Aaron, the Dungeon Master, won, collapsing our entire strategy. Even though we knew we had lost, we all had fun. Dylan demands we have a monthly get-together outside of school to play. This causes Troy to tell Sammy and Dylan thatwe are planning something like that when Conner and I move in together.
“Move in together?” Sammy questions, glancing at me.
“When Noya turns eighteen, she’s going to be my roommate,” Conner clarifies.
“Oh… wow.” Sammy then pouts and punches Dylan. He yelps at her sudden shift. “We should plan something before my mum kicks me out?”
“What?” I giggle at Dylan’s dumbfounded expression.
After school,Sammy waves and tells us she’ll see us at the talent show in a few hours.
“Did you want to get something to eat beforehand?” Conner asks.
“Sure,” I reply.
We head to our favourite fast-food place and park to eat. We have a few hours before the talent show starts at five. When Conner comes back to the car, we eat in silence. But it’s a different type of silence. He picks at his food more than he eats. I get nervous.
I turn the music up a touch so it’s not completely silent while we eat. Conner smiles, his eyes softening. He relaxes after that, but I know there’s something behind his eyes that he’s thinking about.
I shift uncomfortably in my seat. Going back through my memories of today, I wonder if there’s something I’ve done from the time we played D&D until now. There’s nothing major. We didn’t talk until after school, and it was about what to eat when we got to McDonald’s. Perhaps something happened in class, and he was dwelling on that instead.
After eating, I place the food in the bag, and Conner leaves to throw the food in the bin. When he returns, I blurt, “Is something wrong?”
“Huh?”
I lower my gaze and tighten my hands on my jeans. “You’re quiet, and you aren’t usually quiet. I’m the quiet one.”
Conner breathes a laugh. Leaning towards me, he rests his arm on the headrest. He tucks the stray hair behind my ear when he says, “Sorry, I’ve just got some things on my mind. Nothing you should concern yourself with, baby.”
“But…” I bite my lip, chewing on the flesh while gathering my thoughts. “We are a team. I’d want you to talk to me about things bothering you.”
“Noya, you’re too sweet.” Conner goes to kiss me, but he pulls away at the last moment. “Actually, there’s something I forgot to tell you earlier. I spoke to Sammy and asked if she could send a message to your dad again.”
“Oh…”