Page 108 of Driftwood Daffodil

“You get away from me.” She shot back.

This was not the time for her stubbornness. It was safe for her to leave. Whatever was happening in the hall was over. It was quiet now. Too quiet. The silence in the air thickened the longer we sat there, until I couldn’t take it.

“Stop staring at me!”

The scowl I could see through the shadow on her face made me want to grab her and do things I had no business doing to someone with the last name Ford.

“Stop kissing me,” she growled. “I don’t like it.”

Join the club.

“What makes you think you can tell me what to do?”

I was in control here. I decided where she went, who she talked to, and how long she had left to live.

My brows knit.

Since when did I care who she talked to?

“You’re such an asshole.”

“And you’re a pain in my ass.” I barked back. “Just get the fuck out.”

“You get out.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose. Jesus fucking Christ.

Taking a breath, I looked back up and stopped.

There was a sparkle in her eyes. The same one she had yesterday. And it said only one thing… fear. Not of me, but of what just happened.

Suddenly, it all made sense. The lack of anything personal in her room, how she had her photo’s placed, and her reaction to this. Even why Nova dated a weasel like Simon could be explained. It was connections she was avoiding. When I kissed her, she felt something. Want or desire maybe. Whatever it was, that’s what she was scared of.

And just like that, I had a new plan for Novalee Ford and her brother.

NOVALEE

Well, I think my first week of school was off to a great start. I didn’t get suspended until Friday. At least that’s how I’d spin it to Maw Maw when I explained what happened. Last year I got tossed out for a week after day two, but I still maintain that it wasn’t my fault. I should’ve never been left unattended in the chemistry lab. This wasn’t my fault either.

My jaw tensed as I rolled my eyes over to the other side of the room where Gio and Atlee were busy moving stacks of bibles from one box to another. Their task was almost as monotonous as the one Memphis and I were given.

I grumbled under my breath and clapped two erasers together, causing a cloud of white dust to puff out. Why did theyeven have these? I hadn’t seen a single blackboard. Did the staff just decide to keep these stashed away in case a student pissed them off.

“This is a serious health risk,” batting away the cloud, I coughed and looked over at the Nun by the door. “What if I had asthma?”

Sister Mary of the Hallway stared back at me, “You have no health concerns.”

Of course I did. No one as out of shape as me was in top physical condition. I would’ve been able to hit Gio a lot harder if that was the case. My arm still hurt and he didn’t even have a mark on his stupid perfect face.

I sneered at the nun and went back to work. Guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Sister Mary of the Hallway was waiting for us with her arms crossed, when we came out of the room. And she didn’t buy my excuse of getting lost in a secret maze under the school. Probably would’ve helped if Gio didn’t tell her I hit him, so he took me in the room to cool off.

That was such a lie. He took me in that room to kill me. Or to mess with my head. He was doing a good job of that. I could still smell his fresh scent and feel his heaviness weighing me down. What was it with this place? Boys were supposed to smell like dirty socks and sweat.

Yet Atlee was over there smelling like sin on crack, while Gio was all woodsy and masculine. Even Memphis’s scent was better here.

Well right now he kind of smelled like blood and defeat, but normally he was a pleasant person to stand next to. We worked well together. His fresh sweetness offset my stale depression.

Sister Mary of the Hallway cleared her throat. “I trust you four can handle yourselves for a couple of minutes.”

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