Page 56 of Forbidden

“Okay, personal question, shoot.” He uncrossed his arms and took my hand. “We’re relocating. Dad’s study gives me the creeps.”

“Why?”

“Is that your question?”

I followed behind him, hating the fact that I liked him holding my hand. “Yep, sure. It can be.”

“Well, when I was little I used to be called in there to be told off.”

“I can only imagine you as a child. You would be a terror.”

“I wasn’t!”

“Sure, you weren’t.”

“Well, I bet you were clumsy.” He looked back at me. “And misplaced a lot of shit.”

My mouth fell open. “How the hell would you know that?”

“You walk so careful it’s almost as if you are scared of falling. Like you have face planted more than a few times. And you are forever walking up to class missing something.”

So he might have been ignoring me but he was still monitoring me. “I hate being watched.” It was a fact.

The corner of his lips twitched up. “Pity everyone is watching you, then.”

“What do you mean by that?” I asked as we walked into a very expensive and well-decorated lounge room.

I pulled my hand from his. We were here now. I didn’t need to be guided. I could have followed him to begin with. I didn’t need him to hold my hand. But why had I liked it so much? He was everything I swore not to fall for.

“Everyone at school is watching you.” He lit up a cigarette, sitting down in the middle of the couch. “Well, all the males are.”

I frowned for a second, not understanding, and then remembered what he’d said. He thought people were watching me.

“I would have noticed.” I looked at the spot next to him. How rude would it be if I sat in one of the recliners?

“Have you noticed how Jed always leaves his science book behind?” He tilted his head, looking up at me.

“So?”

“So, he always has to share yours. He always has to brush his leg against you and last science class he insisted on tying your hair back when you had gloves on.”

“So, he’s nice? I don’t get how that automatically puts him down as watching me.” I looked at the couch one more time. Maybe I’d just stand.

Tyson grinned. “Does he look like a nice guy?”

An image of Jed ran through my head. His shaved head, pierced tongue and lip. He was always wearing black and greys. We had made some small conversation and his life seemed to revolve around parties and alcohol.

But I didn’t judge people by their image. I judged them by their actions. Jed was always friendly, and made an effort to catch me up in class when I wasn’t paying attention. Sometimes I think he only paid attention to tell me the details.

Whenever we did experiments, he knew I didn’t do blood and gore and so he’d take over. He was nice.

Sure, maybe his image screamed bad boy and to stay away from him, but to me, he was nice.

“I like him.” I crossed my arms. “He isn’t moody or selfish. He always makes an effort with me. And when he tied my hair back, I was thankful.” I stared back at Tyson. And that was all I was sharing with him.

“Okay, if he is a nice guy, then what to call Ethan?”

“A flirt.” One I could handle and have been handling. “And really good in gym.”