Page 5 of Rekindled

“I guess. I just didn’t think she would want to come back here, considering what happened before she left. I know I wouldn’t.”

“Wait until Spencer finds out she’s back in town. He’s going to flip out after the lies she told about him. I still can’t believe she wanted everyone to think they had a serious relationship when all that happened was that she tricked him into hooking up.”

“You know, the weird thing about all of that was that I had a few classes with Molly. She kept to herself and never caused problems. It shocked me when Tiffany exposed what happened. Molly never seemed like the type of person to do all of that.”

“Yes, but it’s always the quiet ones who go all fatal attraction on someone. Besides, can you blame her? It is Spencer Conrad after all. Everybody wanted him back in high school,” then, changing her tone to a whisper barely loud enough for Spencer to overhear, she added, “not to mention many of us still do.”

Jane let out a laugh. “He has held up pretty well over the years, with that full head of dark hair and charming smile.”

“Have you guys, you know, ever? I mean, with all the late nights you end up here working with him, mixing business with pleasure seems plausible.”

“No way,” Jane protested. “Spencer keeps it strictly professional, despite growing up together. I haven’t even seen him look at me that way, let alone make a pass.”

“Too bad, call it a hunch, but an office romp with him would be mind-blowing.”

Spencer decided he had heard enough. Making a “hum-hum” sound, he emerged from around the corner. “Good afternoon, ladies.”

Both froze, turning to face him with embarrassed expressions.

“I wasn’t expecting you back this early, Mr. Conrad,” Jane scampered to his side, patting her brown hair into place.

“Obviously,” he said with a narrowed glance at Allison, who tossed her black hair over her shoulder, trying to appear nonchalant.

“Can I get you anything?” Jane offered.

“Just any messages that I might have,” he said as he entered his office and set down his briefcase. “And a cup of coffee. I can tell it’s going to be a long day.”

He sat down at his desk and flicked the mouse to turn on his computer. He quickly typed in his password, but as he stared at the screen, he hesitated before doing anything.

Molly Price was back in town. Not a day had gone by since she left Bayfield that he hadn’t thought about her. He still felt tremendous shame and guilt, not only over what he had done to her, but what he let others do to her as well. He had been so foolish back then.

Spencer watched Molly as she read his first draft of his latest essay. Though he was making an effort to not let it happen, his eyes kept drifting to Molly’s tempting lips. He liked how they slightly moved as she silently read the words on the paper. He wondered what it would feel like to kiss those pink pillows of perfection, and to feel her soft curves against his muscular frame as he wrapped his hands in her hair.

He shook the image from his head, and tried to focus on English. Though they had started off in a rough spot, he had grown to admire the quick-witted, quirky girl that sat across from him. He had recently noticed she was cute too, with her long, blonde hair, green eyes, and button nose. He wondered why he had never noticed her before.

Because your friends will never let you live it down if you end up starting something with the class nerd, Spencer thought to himself. Stick to your own kind; cheerleaders are more your speed. They don’t make you feel stupid every time you open your mouth.

If he admitted it to himself, however, Spencer liked the fact that Molly challenged him. He was tired of having lengthy, awkward silences with girls that simply wanted to be with him because of his popularity. He wanted more, but he wasn’t sure he was willing to cross his friends to be with Molly.

Get it together and stop this before it’s too late, Spencer chastised himself. You’ve worked too hard to let anyone destroy your reputation.

Creating some distance between them could help. It was time to step back and put things back into their proper place.

“So, what do you think? Are we good here?” Spencer asked with a cold tone.

“Almost,” Molly stated as she finished marking a couple of spots on the last page. “Once you make these corrections, you can turn it in. I think Mr. Warner will be pleased with the work you did on this.”

Molly handed the paper over to Spencer, who yanked it from her hands. “May I go now?”

“Geez, what’s the matter with you? You’ve been short with me all afternoon. I thought we were finally getting to a place where we could work together without things being weird.”

“Let’s make one thing clear, if anything is weird around here, it’s not me, which only leaves you.”

A hurt look crossed her face as she stated, “That was mean. I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but you need to figure it out before our next tutoring session.”

“Ugh, could you be any more sensitive? I seriously can’t take it,” he said, standing up and slinging his backpack over his shoulder. “I’ll talk to you later.”

As he fled the library, he realized he already regretted being mean to Molly. She didn’t deserve it. It wasn’t her fault he was beginning to see her as more than just his tutor. The worst part was that his plan had backfired. He didn’t feel any distance at all, but rather, he wanted to march back in and tell her he was sorry he had behaved like an idiot because he liked her.

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