Illegal Innocence (Student/Teacher Relationship)

Chapter 31

Chapter 31

His soft lips lightly brushed mine, sending the intense, electrifying shock throughout my body. I held back a pout when he slowly pulled away from me and lightly kissed my forehead. I slid out of the car and closed the door behind me, not wanting him to leave. It was a chilly night; I shivered against the wind as I made my way to the front door in the darkness. When I approached the door, I turned around and gazed at the car. I couldn't see his face, but I knew he was staring at me. I lifted my hand and gave a small wave, then pushed the door open and went inside, leaving him to drive away.

"Mom, I'm home," I called into the house. The scent of gravy and cranberry sauce flooded into my nostrils. My mouth began to water, and my stomach growled. I hadn't realized how hungry I was until now.

"In here, honey!" my mom called. "Dinner is almost ready."

I shrugged off my overcoat and hung it on the coat rack by the door, then pulled off my gloves. A glint of silver caught my eye, and I gazed down at the silver band around my finger, vaguely remembering what happened only a couple hours earlier. I smiled and touched the ring, feeling the coolness spike my finger.

I moved my hand behind my back when I heard Josh padding down the stairs, hiding the ring.

"Hey, I heard dinner was almost ready," he said, leaning over the railing.

"Yeah," I said, nodding towards the kitchen. "Smells good."

"Heck yeah it does." He narrowed his eyes, giving me a half-smirk. "Whatcha hiding?"

"Hiding?" I asked, swallowing a shaky breath. "Nothing."

"Mhmm," he hummed. He walked down the rest of the stairs and passed me, walking towards the kitchen. Before he went through the archway, he turned and looked at me. "Probably from a boyfriend, huh?"

"I don't have a boyfriend," I lied, giving him a playful smirk. "See you at dinner."

"Whatever," he shrugged. I ran up the stairs after he disappeared into the kitchen, and went into my room. It was clear that my finger wasn't the safest place for the ring, so I rummaged through my jewelry box for a silver chain, wove it through the ring, and put it around my neck.

"Avery! Dinner is ready!" I heard my mom call from down stairs.

"Okay, just a second!" I called back to her. I dropped the ring down my shirt, and when the coldness of the ring hit my skin, I shivered. It was well hidden, giving me a sense of relief. I kicked off my boots and ran down the stairs, then into the kitchen. My mom, dad, and Josh were waiting at the table, holding hands, waiting for me. "Sorry."

"It's okay," my dad reassured me. I slid into the empty chair and joined my hands with my mom's and Josh's. We all looked down and I closed my eyes as my dad began the prayer.

It took several long minutes, and by the time he was done, the food had cooled down quite a bit. "Amen," everyone said when he finished. Josh and I dug into the food, while my parents took it slowly.

"This is delicious," Josh said with a mouth full of mashed potatoes.

"Mom's food is always delicious," I commented, cutting through a piece of ham. My mom smiled at me and took a bite of her bread roll. She then looked at my dad, who winked back at her. My chewing slowed as I looked at them suspiciously. "What?"

"We have one last Christmas present for you guys," my dad said, smiling widely.

Josh and I looked at each other, then back at our parents. "Really?"

My mom and dad glanced at each other and then back at us, nodding. "Yes," my mom said, clearly excited.

"What is it?" Josh asked.