The perfect recipe for procrastination includes the following: a church, a category two hurricane, and an irresistible ex-con. Said ex-con is smarter than he looks, and as it turns out, he's also an incredible kisser.
There would be no studying thi...
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Bradley hated class outings.
On one hand, there were the giggly girls who laughed at any and everything, and on the other, the guys teasing each other as they bragged about the last girl they'd been with.
He'd never been with a girl, never even kissed one, but that's not why he couldn't stand the guys. It's just that most of the stuff they had to say about the girls were mean, and that's one thing he couldn't stand with.
Folding his arms, he leaned against a post, resisting the urge to look at his phone because Mr. Davenport, their mentor and science teacher would harass him for not participating.
Participating in what? He didn't know.
They were at the park, and most people had walked with blankets, food, and drinks. Bradley, of course, had come empty handed. He didn't want to be here. He was so over high school and couldn't wait to get this final class get together over with.
"Hey, Bradley! Why don't you join us?" Sophie asked, deep set owlish blue eyes blinking innocently.
He looked at Esmeralda, the only girl he'd ever had a crush on, lying on her stomach alone in the shade under a wide Tamarind tree. She buried her nose in what he assumed was one of her science magazines, peering at the words like she was having trouble reading the small letters, her delicate ankles crossed in the air behind her.
Her long brownish hair was braided in a long ponytail that went all the way down to her waist and he always wondered how soft it was. He'd felt it glide along his skin on many occasions, but he'd never touched her hair to feel the silky richness of it.
"Bradley. Dude, did you hear me?" Sophie's voice sounded irritated.
Bradley slowly turned his head in her direction. She popped a cherry in her mouth and rolled her eyes. Her two friends watched him with keen interest and he wondered what that was about. They were not cute with all that makeup on.
"I'll join you in a bit," he said, walking off toward Esmeralda, his heart beating like war drums behind his ribcage.
But before he could reach her, their teacher dropped himself on the blanket next to her.
Bradley faltered, watching the interaction between teacher and student. Davenport asked her a question and she smiled sweetly, biting her bottom lip before pointing at the pages of the magazine.
Was he crazy? Or was there a gleam in her eyes that hadn't been there before? And was she laughing? Esmeralda never laughed. Not even at his funniest jokes.
His heart clenched painfully and he was forced to look away.
His girl liked older men, and he couldn't help but think that maybe this had something to do with her stepfather coming on to her when she was just a little girl.
