Page 21 of Rekindled

“Okay, I guess I’ll just have to wait until tomorrow afternoon when we can get together to ‘study’ again.”

She let out a laugh. “Lucky for you, my parents haven’t questioned my daily study sessions with a fellow student.”

He nodded. “For sure. I don’t need your dad coming after me with a shotgun.”

“I wouldn’t put it past him,” she said with a smirk. “So you better let me get going.”

Spencer walked Molly over to her Toyota Corolla. Once she was seated behind the wheel, he leaned down and kissed her one more time. He backed out of the way and watched her drive off.

He was fumbling with his car key when he heard Tiffany say behind him, “I saw you with that nerdy girl.”

Spencer froze for a moment, trying to process what Tiffany said. He spun around and folded his arms across his chest. “What of it? She’s my tutor.”

“Do you kiss all your tutors goodbye?” she accused.

Fear seized Spencer’s heart. He shouldn’t have been so careless to kiss Molly out in the open like that. Over the past couple of weeks, he had let his guard down. Now, if he couldn’t fix it, they would both pay the price.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Spencer said defensively.

“Don’t try to deny it,” Tiffany said as she glared at him. “I know what I saw.”

“You’re being silly, Tiffany. It was nothing,” Spencer said with a shrug, “you’re overreacting.”

“If that’s the case, prove it,” she said, placing her hands on her hips.

“And how do I do that exactly?”

“Kiss me,” she demanded. “If you do, I’ll know that she means nothing to you, and I won’t have to tell everyone about the two of you.”

Spencer hated the idea of giving into Tiffany’s blackmail. If he kissed her, it would be a betrayal to Molly and what they shared. If he didn’t do it, however, Tiffany would certainly follow through on her threat.

He braced himself, leaned down, and placed a quick peck on her lips.

“What are you doing?”

Spencer’s heart lurched at the sound of Molly’s voice. He swiveled around to find her getting out of her car. She had a hurt look on her face as she approached them.

He stepped back from Tiffany like she was fire and he was paper. What was he going to do?

“What does it look like?” Tiffany asked in a haughty voice. “He was kissing his girlfriend.”

Molly’s eyes teared up as she accused, “How could you? I trusted you. I believed you wanted to be with me, and this whole time you were with her too?”

“No, it’s not what it looks like,” Spencer said, rushing towards Molly. “I’m not with Tiffany. I haven’t been in months.”

She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. Whatever this is, it’s over. I can’t be with you anymore, Spencer,” she said, moving away from him and back towards her car.

“Don’t say that,” he said as he reached out to stop her. “You know how much I care about you.”

Molly averted her eyes as she whispered, “I thought I did, but apparently, I was wrong.” She glanced up and over at Tiffany, then back at Spencer. “I can’t stay here one more minute.” She got in her car and took off out of the parking lot.

“Good riddance. Now, you can focus on us again,” Tiffany said as she wrapped her hands around his arm.

“What are you talking about, Tiffany?” he accused as he pulled away from her. “There is no ‘us.’ We’ve been over and done with for a long time now, but you just can’t seem to stay out of my life.”

“That’s because you belong to me, Spencer. I’m not giving up on getting you back.”

“Well, you should. I will never, ever be with you again. I want to be with Molly, and I’m going to do whatever it takes to win her back.”

---