Page 80 of The Rebel
“Rules are meant to be broken,” Valencia said right before I kissed her. Though I’m not so sure I kissed her as we kissed each other, our lips meeting in a soft first touch. But as I reached around the back of her neck and her hand rested on my leg, the intensity revved up, my fingers swirling at the nape of her neck, the temperature in the truck rising—and not just due to the heated seats.
Valencia’s lips were addicting but I hadn’t brought her here just for a make-out session.
I brought my hand around to the side of her face, indulging in a whiff of fragrant hair. I was reluctant to separate my lips from hers, but unfortunately, we didn’t have all day.
“Heyyyy,” I prolonged the connection as long as I could, our lips stretched until that final moment of detachment. “So, you really didn’t know your art was selected for the exhibition?”
“No,” she said, shaking her head, “I had no idea.”
“I’m so proud of you.” I dropped a kiss on her forehead.
“Thanks.”
“I mean,reallyproud. Your art is incredible.”
She smiled, like she was embarrassed by my praise. “I have to see Miss Creighton after school.”
“Not another detention?” I teased.
“Nooooo!” She poked my chest. “I think she wants to talk about how to display my work, like mount them or frame them.”
“I could wait for you after school,” I turned away and scanned out the window, “or did you drive today?”
She grimaced and said in a hush, “I drove.”
“You know I can give you a ride to school, don’t you?” I said.
“Ahh, you hate that I’m driving my Mom’s car?” Her nose scrunched as she made fun of me.
“You’re not supposed to. And you don’t need to. I can take you,” I asserted. And I clarified that with, “I want to take you,” landing another soft kiss on her forehead.
She made a noise that sounded like a cat purring.
We walked back toward the school building both eating our protein bars. She tried to detain me from walking her to her locker, and I surmised it was because I’d heard her friends teasing her about me earlier.
“You don’t have to walk me. Your locker’s the other way.”
“I don’t mind.”
“You’ll be late to class,” she said.
“You don’t wanna be seen with me?”
“It’s not that,” she whispered, “but my friends will gossip.” She literally took a sideways step so we weren’t walking close to one another.
“They do know you’re staying at my house, right?”
“Yes,” she hissed, “and that will make the gossip even worse!” She shooed her hand at me. “Before you know it, everyone will know. Including my parents. Go that way!” She pointed down the hallway and veered off to the restroom with a grumpy face. “I’ll see you tonight.”
I couldn’t resist blowing her a kiss, and though her expression didn’t change, she did a quick action where she ‘caught’ my kiss and pressed her fingers to her lips. I assumed that once inside the door, she might have smiled.
I buzzed through the rest of the afternoon and didn’t mind Yearbook Club either. I let Benji do most of the work and chatted with Victoria. Valencia’s Mom’s car was still in the parking lot when I left, and tempting as it was to wait around, I decided to go home. I’d make an excuse and go feed Volley with her later which would give us some alone time.
I wasn’t sure what Mom would make of Valencia and me as a couple.
Whoa—a couple? Was I getting ahead of myself? I hadn’t even taken her on a date yet and I’d labeled us already. What next, Prom King and Queen? Couldn’t happen, I was pretty sure juniors couldn’t be crowned. Not that it mattered, but I was rattled, totally in a flap, unable to think straight.
What would Mom think about me and her best friend’s daughter? And would Mrs. Reid think I was somehow taking advantage? If she knew we liked each other, would she send Valencia to the boarding school for the next few weeks, or worse, fly her out to Europe?
