Page 23 of Muse (The Forbidden Hearts #1)

SOPHIE

B y the end of the school day, I’ve entirely given up on the idea of there ever being an us . It’s not going to happen. I’ve just about convinced myself that he doesn’t like me. That I imagined the whole thing or that I did something, said something, that ruined this beyond repair.

That he probably woke up ashamed of me, of us. Of the time we spent together. Of our kiss. The thought carves into me like a knife. I walk to my car with my head down, eyes glued to the pavement. My self-confidence is buried so deep I don’t know that I’ll ever find it again.

The house is empty when I arrive home. A small mercy. I check the calendar in the kitchen and my stomach twists, I’m missing my sister's dance recital. Shit. Another mark against me. Another reason to be mad at myself. I’ve been so wrapped up in my own head I’d forgotten all about it.

I retreat to my room, grabbing fresh clothes and heading to the shower. I need to forget this day ever happened. Forget the weekend with Theo too.

The hot water scalds my back, the heat soaking into my skin. It burns away the chill that has settled inside me. I let the water run through my hair, down my spine, until I begin to feel faint from the heat. Until the steam clouds my thoughts and there is nothing left but exhaustion.

I barely make it to my bed before I collapse onto it, face buried in the pillow, the world tilting beneath me. My body sinks into the mattress, the memory foam molding to my body, holding me together. Barely. It’s only five in the afternoon, but I let sleep pull me under anyway.

Hours later, the buzz of my phone jolts me awake. I fumble for it, fingers moving clumsily, blinking the sleep from my eyes.

My heart stops for a beat.

It’s Theo. He texted me.

Unknown Number: Trouble?

My stomach flips. Stay. Calm.

Sophie: Yes. Hi.

I watch the message send. Then nothing. But then…

Unknown Number: Are you alright? I feel bad after… this morning.

I hesitate, fingers curling tightly around my phone. My chest aches at the memory of his voice, the way he’d looked at me like I was a mistake. The way he’d pushed me away.

I should lie. Tell him I’m fine, that I don’t care. That he didn’t hurt me. But I don’t.

Sophie: I could be better…

He reads it immediately, thank you read receipts. But he doesn’t reply.

I stare at the screen, at those cursed little dots appearing and disappearing over and over again. Tormenting me.

Finally, a response.

Unknown Number: So could I.

Unknown Number: I’m outside… up the street.

My breath catches in my throat. No way .

I scramble upright, heart racing as I glance towards the window. It’s dark outside. The time on my phone reads 11:04 pm. I slept the entire rest of the day away.

But none of that matters.

I throw back my blankets and rush to my dresser, grabbing the first thing I find. Sweatpants and a hoodie it is. There’s no time to think, no time to hesitate.

Because if I do, he might be gone by the time I get outside. There’s no chance I’m wasting this opportunity.

I creep down the stairs, barely even breathing. Carefully dodging the creaky steps I know by heart, I make as little noise as possible. The house is silent, everyone likely already in bed. Luck is on my side tonight.

The moment I’m out the front door, I’m running. I find him where I knew he’d be. Parked in the same spot where he’d dropped me off weeks ago, the night I’d spent at his house. The night everything changed, that everything was set in motion. Had I known then that we’d be here now…

He’s waiting in his black hatchback, his face visible from the orange glow of the streetlight. I reach for the passenger door, but before I can pull the handle, it pops open from the inside. An invitation.

I slide into the leather seat, slamming the door shut against the cold. He doesn’t speak right away, just reaches over and turns on my heated seat.

He’s so damn thoughtful, even the smallest things. It kills me.

“Hi, Soph.”

His voice is low and hoarse.

“Hi,” I whisper back. Now that I’m here, with him, I’m not sure what to say. My mind whirls with a thousand things, but suddenly, I’m terrified to speak. Afraid that if I do, I’ll break the spell and send him running for the hills .

He clears his throat, his Adam's apple bobbing. “I shouldn’t be here.”

I stiffen.

“But…” he exhales roughly, dragging a hand through his hair. “I was sitting at home and all I could do was think of you. Of Saturday night, and this morning… the way I spoke to you. And the guilt, fuck. The guilt is killing me.”

I swallow, hands fisted in my lap. “Guilt?”

He exhales sharply. “Because I lied.”

My breath catches in my throat.

“Lied?”

What am I, a parrot?

His hands grip the wheel, his knuckles white. “Yes, Sophie. I lied.” He turns to me then, and there’s something in his eyes, something almost desperate. “The way I feel about you, it’s…” he shakes his head. “You’re driving me fucking crazy.”

His voice drops, low and smoky.

“I want to do this. All of it. I want to date you, get to know you, be with you . You’ve lit up my world after too long in the dark. I look forward to class every day, not because I want to teach a bunch of high school students, but because I want to see you.”

I can’t breathe. I can’t think.

And then I’m moving, and so is he. Our hands grabbing, pulling, desperate to touch each other. Our lips crash together, each of us devouring the other. Starving for each other.

His body is hard beneath my hands, and suddenly, I’m not in my seat anymore. His hands grip my waist, lifting and moving me until I’m straddling him. Holding me tighter, he presses me flush against his warm body.

The car is too small, the space too tight. My legs are squished between his and the door on one side, the middle console on the other, but I don’t care.

All I care about is him . The heat of his body, his hands on my skin. The way he groans against my lips, like he’s losing control. I move against him, rocking my hips, and he shudders.

More. I want more. And the hardness between my legs conveys he does, too.

His fingers slip beneath my hoodie, rough palms skating up my spine, igniting every nerve in my body. I’m on fire.

“Sophie,” he groans, breaking away just long enough to breathe my name, and it’s nearly my undoing.

We lose ourselves in each other. It’s more than just a kiss, it’s a release of every emotion, of all of the tension, that’s been strung tight between us since the night we first met. The bar, all those months ago.

Who knew that we’d end up here, teacher and student, yet something so much more.

I tug his bottom lip between my teeth, a soft whimper escaping from my throat…

And then my phone rings, the sharp sound cutting through the steam in the car like a knife. I freeze and my heart plummets in my chest.

The only people calling me this late would be Sal… or my parents. I snatch the phone, terror seizing in my chest.

Dad.

Fuck.

Theo sees the name before I can hide it.

My hand shakes as I swipe to answer the call. I steady my breathing. “Hello?”

“Where are you?” His voice is sharp, loud. I cringe, my body going taut. Theo does too, his large frame going rigid beneath me.

“I—I went for a walk.” I stammer. “I needed some fresh air.”

“Get your ass home. NOW.” He yells, his voice steely. “It is way past curfew. Keep pushing it, Sophie, and you’ll regret it.”

Theo’s jaw locks, his grip tightening on my hips .

My head falls forward, resting on Theo’s chest. The weight of reality crashes back onto me.

“Yes, sir.” The phone clicks dead as he hangs up.

Theo tilts my chin up, his touch unbearably soft and light. “Are you okay?”

I nod, tears burning my eyes. “I’ll be fine.”

But I don’t feel fine.

“Okay…” he says, still not letting go. “But please, if you need me… I’m right here. I’ll wait, just in case.”

“Thank you,” I whisper. I press one last, desperate kiss to his lips before I slip out of his car, into the cold dark night. And I run home like my life depends on it.

Because it does. I know if I take too long, my father will come looking.

And I know damn well how that would end.