Dangerously Mine

Chapter Five: Unwanted Rescue

Emily's POV

Kyle’s face with that smug terrifying smirk was burned onto the back of my eyelids. He’d found me! In my one safe place!

The professor’s voice was a distant hum like a bee stuck in another room and all I could see was that window.. all I could see was him.

“Miss Sinclair? Emily? Are you quite alright?”

Professor Henderson’s question cut through the panic and the entire class, including a certain brooding heir I was trying very hard to ignore was now looking at me. My face felt hot and my palms were slick with sweat.

“I’m... I’m sorry, Professor,” I stammered, my voice shaky. “I just… I need a minute. Restroom.”

I didn’t wait for permission. I shot out of my seat, my legs feeling like overcooked noodles and practically sprinted into the hallway.

My plan was stupid and dangerous but it was all I had. If Kyle was here to torment me, let’s get it over with. I’d corner him in the hallway, demand to know what he wanted and hopefully not get murdered in the process. A solid plan, right?

I pushed into the girls’ restroom, the door swinging shut behind me with a soft sigh. It was empty.. thank God.

I beelined for the sinks, gripping the cool porcelain until my knuckles turned white. I splashed cold water on my face, hoping to shock some sense back into myself.. or at least get some color back in my cheeks. I looked like a ghost that had seen another, meaner ghost.

Get it together, Emily. He can’t do anything to you here. Not in a school full of people.

Just like I’d hoped, the door creaked open behind me in a slow deliberate sound. My body went rigid. This was it.. time to face the demon from my past.

Without turning around, I let all the fear curdle into anger.

“What the hell do you want, Kyle?” I snapped at the mirror. “Why are you here? I thought I made it crystal clear I was done with you and your… operations when I left.”

A moment of silence.. then..

“Who’s Kyle?”

A low familiar voice that was definitely not Kyle’s filled the tiled room.

I spun around so fast I almost slipped on the wet floor. Leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest and looking infuriatingly handsome was Blake Beaumont.

My jaw practically hit the floor.

“Blake? What are you... get out! This is the girls’ room!”

He didn’t move an inch. His eyes were dark, intense and fixed on me.

“I don’t care. Who is Kyle? And what ‘operations’ are you rambling about?”

Panic lanced through me. This was so much worse. Kyle was a nightmare but Blake… Blake was a complication I couldn’t afford.

“None of your business,” I shot back, marching over and trying to shove him toward the door. It was like trying to push a brick wall. “Get out! Seriously, what is wrong with you?”

He caught my wrists, his grip firm but not painful. His gaze dropped to my lips for a second and my traitorous heart did a somersault. Then he did the absolute last thing I ever expected.

He kissed me.!

One hand let go of my wrist to cup the back of my head, his fingers tangling in my hair and his mouth… his mouth was on mine.

I froze.

The world with all its Kyles and problems and terrifying fathers, just melted away. For one stupid crazy blissful moment, there was only the surprising softness of his lips, the faint scent of his cologne and a feeling of calm I hadn’t felt in years.

I didn’t kiss him back but I didn’t pull away either. I was just… still.

He finally broke the kiss, stepping back like I had been the one to electrocute him. He looked as shocked as I felt, his chest rising and falling a little too quickly and we stood there staring at each other in the light of the school bathroom. What. Just. Happened?!

I finally found my voice, anger rushing back in to cover up the emotions.

“Are you done? What is your problem?”

He ran a hand through his perfect hair, looking genuinely bewildered.

“I… don’t know what came over me.”

“Well, figure it out somewhere else!” I turned my back on him, my own heart pounding for a whole new set of reasons.

I heard him hesitate for a moment before the door swung open and shut again. Silence.. I was alone. I slumped against the sink, staring at my flushed reflection.

Okay, Emily. Process that. Blake Beaumont. Kissed you. In a bathroom. And you… you kinda liked it?!

I scolded myself immediately. No. Nope. Not allowed!

He was an arrogant entitled infuriating jerk. A stupidly good-looking jerk with surprisingly soft lips who made your brain turn to mush for a second. But still a jerk!

I took a few deep breaths, straightened my shirt and decided to pretend the last five minutes never happened. I pushed the restroom door open, ready to face the lesser of two evils... Kyle... head-on.

I didn’t even make it two steps.

A hand shot out, grabbing my arm and yanking me back into the little vestibule outside the restroom. I stumbled, my heart leaping back into my throat.

“Hey! What are you...”

The words died in my mouth. A girl with sleek dark hair and a designer outfit stood there, her arms crossed and she did not look happy. Behind her were two other girls, clones with the same nasty scowls.

“Can I help you?” I asked, trying to sound brave and failing miserably.

The lead girl just smirked.

“I saw him come out of there. You and Blake. In the bathroom.”

Oh, crap. This was not the confrontation I had prepared for.

“I don’t know what you think you saw...” I started but I was cut off by a stinging pain that exploded across my cheek.

SLAP…!

The force of it snapped my head to the side and I saw stars with my ear ringing. I brought a hand up to my face, feeling the heat already blooming on my skin.

“Stay away from my boyfriend, you trashy little nobody,” the girl hissed.

My head was spinning. Boyfriend? Then it clicked.. the cronies behind her were whispering, “Lucy, just forget it, she’s not worth it.”

This was not good

“Look. Lucy, right?” I said, my voice steadier than I felt. “There’s nothing going on. You’ve got the wrong idea.”

“Why was he in there with you, then?” she snarled, getting right in my face.

“I… he just… it’s not what it looks like!” It was a pathetic defense and we all knew it.

“It looks like you’re trying to steal what’s mine,” Lucy said, her eyes glinting. She nodded to her friends. “I think she needs a lesson in keeping her hands to herself.”

They moved in and I braced myself, ready to at least go down swinging. This was so unfair. One against three? Really?

But before any of them could lay a finger on me, a blur of movement came from the hallway. One of the cronies was suddenly shoved hard into a locker with a sickening crunch. A guy... tall, wiry with cold eyes stood there, shaking out his hand.

Kyle??!

My blood ran cold. No. No, no, no. This was so much worse!

Lucy gasped.

“Who the hell are you?”

Kyle didn’t even look at her. His eyes were locked on me.

“You okay, Em?”

Before I could even form a word, Lucy, brave or stupid, stepped toward him.

“This is none of your business! Get lost!”

Kyle’s response was lightning fast. He didn’t shove her.. he didn’t slap her.. he drew his fist back and punched Lucy McGregor square in the face.

The sound was awful.. a thick, wet smack.

Time stopped, Lucy crumpled to the floor with a choked cry, her hands flying to her nose and her friends screamed.

I just stood there, frozen in pure horror. He’d just punched Blake's girlfriend in the face!

This wasn’t a rescue.. this was a catastrophe!

“Kyle, stop! What is wrong with you?” I shrieked, my voice trembling. “You can’t just... just hit people!”

He just shrugged like he’d swatted a fly.

“She was bothering you.”

I was trying to process the insanity of this situation when a new voice, loud and dripping with absolute authority, cut through the chaos from behind me.

“Emily Sinclair!”

I flinched with my entire body going numb…