Page 7 of Beauty and the Nerd

It made her heart tighten hearing the truth in her voice and Emma gave her friend a half-smile.

“I just don’t want to deal with it, especially not if the others stick up for him the way they do when they complain their dates don’t put out.

I pretended not to remember so that Carter wouldn’t attempt to threaten me with anything while I was in the hospital or that first week afterwards.

I waited that week in order to break it off with him, letting him know that I remember so he’d stay away and not try it again. ”

“And Ben the nerd-boy is?” Megan asked lifting a brow at her.

“He’s not a nerd, Megan. He’s a really smart guy—a really smart, sweet, and amazing guy.”

“You actually like him,” Megan said in even deeper shock than over Carter’s actions. “You’re not spending time with him to lead him on to help you with school like the others have been cackling about, but because you actually like being with him, don’t you?”

“I’m in love with him,” she admitted as he pulled in behind Megan’s car.

“I’ve been with him as more than just friends this whole semester and I’m done hiding it.

Look, for right now, just keep it to yourself, please.

If Mrs. Johnson finds out that we’ve been quasi-dating, then he’ll get in trouble over the tutor center stuff, and I don’t want him to get into trouble for it, and it possibly affect his college applications or acceptances.

We do study together; it just doesn’t take us quite as long as we let on. ”

Emma couldn’t stop from giving Ben a smile as he slid out to get the door for her.

“Wow, you so owe me more than just that, I mean it Emma,” Megan said, and she nodded knowing her friend did deserve the truth.

She’d stuck with her for a long time, even when others tried to tear them apart, and she really appreciated their friendship—even if she was a bit worried how she’d react when she showed Megan everything she’d kept hidden from her.

“Stop by tonight or early tomorrow and we’ll talk, okay?” Emma suggested letting Ben have her bag before following him to the car.

“What was your friend so surprised about?” he asked once they were away from the school.

“I told her to stop calling you nerd-boy because you’re not a nerd to me, you’re mine, and I love you,” she said as he turned to look at her, missing the light turning green. “You can go, you know.”

“No, I can’t,” he said leaning over to kiss her before finally pulling through the light.

He carried her things up to her room, sitting down on the bed with her and their chemistry books to spend the rest of the afternoon together. He slid her legs over his, studying her with questions in his eyes. “You told Megan about us?”

“I did and that she needed to stay quiet because I don’t want you getting into trouble with the tutor center stuff.

I anticipate she won’t be able to wait until tomorrow to get more answers, so she’ll probably be by later tonight to ask about us.

” She gave him a bright a smile, shrugging a bit but looking completely okay with it, and he stole her lips in a full kiss.

It didn’t take them long to get through the chemistry guide and her mom called to let her know she had to work late. Her dad was out of town until just before Christmas and she invited Ben to stay with her, moving them downstairs to make something for dinner.

She pulled out the grapes to make a yogurt salad for herself, and he teased her about eating bird food making her toss a grape towards him. He caught it with his mouth, and she laughed, betting him he couldn’t do it again.

“What do I get if I do?” he questioned wiggling his eyebrows at her.

“A kiss for each one you catch and a foot massage for me for each one you don’t?” She suggested the wager with a grin knowing either way she’d come out ahead.

“Bring it on baby.” He agreed then proceeded to hold up a finger for each one he caught. He was on nine when she tossed it short and he headed her way, catching it with ease before sliding his arms around her to pull her close to him. “That’s ten Em, ten stolen kisses anytime I want one.”

“Who said they’d be stolen hmm?”

He lowered his lips to her neck brushing her long dark hair aside making her tingle from head to toe.

“That’s when they’re the sweetest, just like you, baby,” he stated, before claiming her lips letting it linger between them.

“Holy hell.” They heard the shocked comment and Emma turned spying Megan in the doorway, thankfully alone but with her jaw almost to the floor.

“Meg, I wasn’t expecting you quite this early,” she said as Ben reluctantly let her go, moving to the stove to get the food before it burnt.

“I can pretty much tell that,” Megan stated, watching Ben with wonder. “I just…wow that was totally not what I was expecting to find.”

“Do you want me to give you two a few minutes?” Ben asked, brushing the hair from her face after turning the burner down on the chicken.

“Do you mind?” she asked, and he shook his head no. “Thank you, it shouldn’t take too long.”

“I’ll just run up to your room and grab my things, have them ready, so your mom doesn’t think we’ve spent all night up there,” he teased putting a light color in her cheeks as he kissed her nose before moving out of the room leaving her with Megan.

“Wow,” Megan said taking a bottle of water from the fridge before sitting down on a stool watching Emma. “I mean like, wow…that…”

“He’s amazing, especially to me.” Emma moved over to cut the grapes for the salad, needing to do something with her hands. Megan took the knife from her and tossed her the walnuts to crunch up instead.

“I can see that; I mean it’s totally what you deserve.”

“You’re okay with this then?”

“If that’s what he’s like with you, then yes, I’m really okay with it. Still surprised to all get out that you’d go for him, but really, really okay with it,” Megan said letting her relax. “I just…how on earth did the two of you get together? I mean, did you even know his name before this year?”

“Yeah, I knew his name, knew he was super smart, but before this summer, no, I didn’t really know him.

That changed this summer. When I told you all I was going to visit my grandparents,” she said, sending Megan’s brow up a bit once more, “I was actually attending a summer seminar in New York. It was at NYU, and we were housed in dorms there for the six-week session. I’d won a spot based on a short-story submission and analysis on a lit piece.

It was day two and I went with a couple girls to a study group.

I walked into the room and there was Ben. ”

“Holy crap girl. I take it he was just as surprised to see you as you were to see him?” Megan asked, and she nodded. “So, what, you two started hooking up while you were there since you already kind of knew him? Because that’s really not you Em.”

“No, we didn’t even kiss while there. We hung out and talked—several times all night about all kinds of things.

I knew I wanted more with him when we left, and we saw each other a few times before school started to just hang out, discuss some of the books we read after leaving there.

I stopped by the tutor center about three weeks into the semester because I’d missed talking with him, really talking with him, being near him—a lot.

I was able to get him as my tutor because he was the only one helping with English Lit and I still have that learning plan on file for the use of music,” she said, and Megan nodded already aware of it even if the rest of the squad wasn’t.

“With that Mrs. Johnson allowed us to not have to stay in the actual tutor center during the time. We’d hang out together, go over stuff, and argue over some of our opinions regarding the lit homework.

That first day though, he saw my journal, asked if I was writing anything new and I let him read it.

It was just the beginning of a piece, with a mostly hidden meaning about what I felt for him.

I hoped he’d get it, understand the meaning after this summer, because I added a couple things into that we’d done in a subtle way without just outright saying, hey, I like you in a more than friends way.

I knew if he did and didn’t feel the same that at least I would only be personally humiliated and not publicly, and if he didn’t then I didn’t have to own up to it yet. ”

“But I take it he felt the same? I mean really who wouldn’t with you Emma?”

“Bryce, Grant, Justin, Eric, David…” She listed off the losers that she’d dated the last few years.

“But he’s not exactly in the same class as them, you know that, right?” Megan questioned her gently, as her brows lifted together.

“Because Ben wears glasses, has the world’s worst haircut, dresses like a geek, mixing preppy and nerdy together without a care?

” Emma saw the relief on her friend’s face at the statement.

“I don’t care about any of that because when I’m with him, I’m just happy.

He makes me smile. Makes me laugh. Makes me feel incredibly special and smart.

He makes me see me—the girl that’s been stuck behind the facade, the girl who’s only popular because of her looks, who was too afraid to take a chance.

For so long, I was just a pretty face that everyone called dumb.

I believed it because my grades weren’t good, and I didn’t know there was actually something in my brain wired differently than everyone else that literally made me feel like I couldn’t breathe while taking a test or studying in silence.

Ben is sweet and charming, a complete gentleman, and the boy definitely knows how to kiss.

To borrow your favorite phrase, I mean wow, he makes my toes curl. ”

That brought a laughing grin to Megan’s lips, but she couldn’t help it. It was the utter truth.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this happy and if he’s what you really want then I’m glad for you Emma. I just don’t know how the others will react if they find out about you all, especially if Carter knows you’re sleeping together,” Megan warned putting a light blush in her cheeks.

“We’re not sleeping together,” Ben said moving back into the room to help her finish dinner. He pressed a kiss to her temple before sitting her down on a stool. “I’ve got this Em; you need to stop using your arm so much.”

“Wait, you’re not sleeping together? Because based on what I walked in on, it definitely makes me think the two of you are far closer than most couples our age,” Megan added, looking between them in surprise.

“No, I’m still a virgin unlike some people,” Emma said meeting Ben’s gaze.

“It’s not going to happen again,” he stated, as Megan’s jaw dropped again.

“I heard her invite you out with her tonight. She still wants you and I don’t like you talking to her so much.”

“You’re adorable when you’re jealous, Em,” Ben mused giving her a soft kiss again. “You don’t have to be though, I promise.”

“Hold up, you’re jealous of who?” Megan asked.

“Crystal Tyler,” Emma answered, and Megan’s eyes widened in shock. “They were sleeping together for over a year.”

“Holy crap, you mean he’s…” Megan stopped looking back at Emma who nodded. “Whoa, talk about a shocker.”

“What?” Ben said looking between them in confusion.

“Let’s just say, Crystal was telling all of her friends about you, just not that it was you, and your sex life from sophomore to the middle of junior year wherever and whenever she could,” Megan stated.

“That’s why you’ve…Em, baby. I don’t know what she was saying but it doesn’t matter. I swear, I’m all yours, I just want to be yours,” Ben said pulling her back into his hold.

“Well, the next time she starts fawning all over you I just might shove her down a flight of stairs,” Emma warned before kissing him, putting a smile on Megan’s lips watching them.