The Hidden(25)

Crap. “What about something else? Can I switch my history class to eleven and take sociology at ten?”

Her nails clicked again before she shook her head. “No availability in any history thirteen-oh-one’s at eleven o’clock.”

Double crap. “What if I take sociology at a different time, like eight or nine?”

She clicked a few more times. “Eight and nine o’clock classes are full, too.”

Desperation sank in. “There’s got to be some classes that aren’t full.” Fuck my humanities credit, I could take it another semester. I just wanted to find something to replace my dropped sociology class, because I didn’t want to lose those three credits. Any open class would do–I could use it as an elective if I had to.

She looked at me from over the rim of her glasses, then back to her computer screen. “Let’s see…Intermediate Spanish…Calculus II…Advanced Guitar…”

I sighed. “So basically nothing without prerequisites.”

She grimaced and nodded. “Sorry.”

Great. It looked like I was stuck with Thomas.





Chapter Eighteen

Saturday, August 29th



EMILY

You’ve got to be kidding me.



I held my phone up, trying to get a signal. Nothing. I moved it lower, then right, then left. Still nothing.

“Fuck.” I put the hazards on and climbed out of my car. The sun beat down on me as I held my phone out, still trying to get a signal as I walked around.

Shit. How the hell was I supposed to call for help when I didn’t have any service?

“Ugh!” I gripped my phone in my hand, trying not to chuck it in the woods. I shoved it in my pocket and wiped away the sweat collecting on my forehead.

I’d just pulled out my emergency gas can when a car pulled up behind me.

Thank God, maybe they can–

I turned around to see Thomas stepping out of a vintage car.

Of course. The one person whose help I didn’t want.

Son of a bitch, I cannot catch a break today.

And of course, this beautiful man would have an equally beautiful car. Pristine and shiny, with glossy black paint and two thick white stripes down the hood, it was what I believe was referred to as a muscle car. It was not at all what I expected him to drive, but it somehow fit him perfectly.

I broke my eyes away from his car to scowl at him.

His flip-flops scraped against the pavement as he approached, and he had a big, stupid grin on his face. He nodded at the red gas can in my hand. “Let me guess. You ran out of gas.”

I rolled my eyes and sighed. “Yes.”

“You want a ride to the gas station?” He twirled his keys around his finger, the jangling metal not only getting on my last nerve, but snapping the damn thing in half.

My jaw clenched as my teeth grit together. The gas station wasn’t too far away…I thought. I could probably walk.

Thomas tilted his head and squinted down the road in front of us. “It’s about fifteen miles to the next gas station,” he said, as if he’d just read my mind. “Round trip would make it thirty. That’s an awfully long way to walk…”

Crap. That was a long way to walk. “Fine,” I muttered, locking my car. My alarm system gave a quick beep as I walked over to his car.

He grinned. “Told you that you’d need me.”

I gave him a tight smile, reminding myself that without him, I’d be stranded, so I’d better be nice. “Yes, you did.”

He held out his hand and nodded towards the gas can. “Here, I’ll take that for you.”

“Thanks.” I handed it over and watched him walk towards his trunk, seeing his calves flex and stretch as he moved. My eyes automatically moved up to his ass, and I bit my lip as images of his naked rear end ran through my head.

I bet it’s just as muscled as the rest of him–

The trunk closed with a loud thud, snapping my mind out of the gutter. I ducked my head and walked around to the passenger side. I really hoped my red face could be passed off as a side effect of the heat…

He slid into his car and leaned over to my door, unlocking it for me. I opened it and climbed in, trying not to grimace at the warmth of his leather seats against my already hot skin. After I shut my door and buckled my seat belt, I noticed the smell. It smelled sweet, like cupcakes. I looked around, trying to discern where the scent came from, but didn’t see anything that remotely resembled a cupcake or its remains.

“You okay?”

I nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

His eyes lingered on me for a second before he stuck his keys in the ignition and turned, the engine rumbling as it started. The gravel on the shoulder crunched under his tires as he pulled onto the road.