Page 36 of Best of Me

“I work earlies this week, so any evening will do.”

“Wednesday?” she asks, and I readily agree. “Good. Can I pick what we do?”

If it were Val asking that, I’d know it was her way of passive-aggressively telling me she didn’t have fun, but with Mallory, I know she genuinely enjoyed herself today and has something in mind she thinks I’ll like. It’s kind of crazy how well I already know her; it’s almost as if my soul has a direct line to hers.

“Sounds good,” I murmur, my voice thick and rough as I look down at her.

We stare each other down like we’re in the schoolyard and the first one to blink loses. Or hell, maybe I’m just so entranced by the way the gold specks in her eyes seem to dance in the fading light of the sun that I can’t look away. I don’t know. What I do know is when her pink little tongue darts out and slicks across her bottom lip, I can’t help but lean down and capture it between my lips.

She twines her arms around my neck and leans into me, into my kiss. She opens to me, and I groan in delight as I thrust my tongue into her mouth, tasting her. Mallory kisses just like she lives, with all of her heart and soul, and here in this moment, I know she’s claiming a piece of both of mine.

chapter twenty-one

Mallory

The start of the week passes in a blur of teaching, grading, Netflix-ing, texting with Duke, and second-guessing almost everything.

On Monday I woke up to a good morning text from him, and my brain almost went into hyperdrive. Did he text me because I was at the forefront of his mind first thing in the morning, or was he just being nice?

On Tuesday I mentioned that I forgot my lunch at home, and at eleven on the dot, the front office called my room to tell me I had a delivery; he had called in lunch for me from the little sub shop in town. Once I reconstituted myself from the puddle of goo I dissolved into, I sent him about forty-millionthank youtexts. Honestly, I was floored; it’s the nicest thing anyone—Ashley aside—has ever done for me.

It’s crazy really, how Duke and I went from being at one another’s throats to being in each other’s arms, metaphorically and literally. But I wouldn’t trade it for anything—except having Valorie back, even if it meant there never being an us.

I mean, not that thereisan us. We’re just…Duke and Mallory…two people with a complicated history, navigating the waters of life and trying not to get swept away in the tide.

At least, that’s what I tell myself when the guilt creeps in. I feel like I’m constantly toeing the line between crushing guilt and a happiness so profound it has wings. While my guilt is rooted solely in my growing feelings for Duke, my happiness stands on its own, ingrained in the life and friendships I’m building here. For the first time in my adult life, I feel whole, like I’m on the path I was meant to be on. And dang it, contentment feels good.

That’s not to say I wasn’t happy in college. Ashley worked wonders in helping me become my own person; out from under my mother’s watchful eye and razor-sharp tongue, she showed me I could be anyone I dared dream to be. But then I got with my ex and he stuffed me right into another box, molding me into who he wanted me to be.

It’s finally Wednesday and I’m still in bed, just waiting to see what will come first, my second alarm or his text. My phone vibrates, and I snatch it off the nightstand.

Duke: Good morning, Cricket, did you have sweet dreams?

Me: Hi. How did you sleep?

Duke: Not as good as when you spent the night.

Me: Haha. Are we still on for tonight?

Duke: Yup. Want to tell me what we’re doing?

Me: *evil laugh* Heck no! Meet me at 5? I’ll text you the address later.

Duke: I’d rather pick you up.

Me: Nope. We’re meeting. Be safe today.

Duke: Always. Text you later.

My belly flutters with nerves; I really hope he likes what I have planned for tonight. To some, it might be corny, but only time will tell what Officer Kincaid thinks.

However, before I can find that out, I have young minds to shape, and I certainly can’t roll up to my classroom dressed in cat-print pajamas with hair in a ratty poof on the top of my head.

If it weren’t for the rambunctious five– and six-year-olds, the day would’ve passed like molasses. Tatum especially kept things interesting by announcing that she was going to marry Ben Thompson and didn’t care if he wanted to or not. Personally, I thought it was funny and imagined Natalie would, too—Alden on the other hand, probably not so much.

But now, I’m on my way home to get ready for my date—at least, I think it’s a date. Would it make me seem super lame if I asked for clarification? My plans for us are incredibly low key, so I don’t have much to do in the way of prepping, just a fluff of my hair and a spritz of body spray, really. Oh, and cuter shoes. I learned the hard way that a kindergarten classroom is no place for heels, at least not for me. My kids are far too active for me to be able to keep up in anything other than flats.

Not even twenty minutes after getting home, I’m heading back out to meet Duke. I text him the address before heading for the little locally owned bookstore in town. The closer I get, the more my doubts start to creep in.What was I thinking? I don’t even know if he likes reading.As I park, I send up a quick prayer that I don’t make a fool of myself tonight.

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