Page 11 of Student Seduction

Lord, please don’t strike me down for lying.

Aiden came to my rescue before I got squirmy in my seat. “She has already apologized to me for being uncharacteristically impolite as well as tardy. I have accepted and we’ve both moved on from the incident. As far as what other students might be saying, I can’t corroborate gossip of any profanity being used.”

“Yes, it seems the story has been blown out of proportion.” Principal Stewart looked as if he wanted to say something else, but he stopped and paused for a moment. “Emersyn, do you need a pass back to class?”

I shook my head. “It’s my lunch period, sir.”

He gave a quick nod. “You may return to lunch now. In the future, please try to be on time. I do hope your mother is feeling better.”

“Thank you, sir.” I stood and headed toward the door. Aiden stood as well.

“Aiden,” Principal Stewart said evenly. “Hang tight just a moment. I’d like to speak with you privately.”

My heart thudded heavily against my ribs.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

I’d gotten him in trouble.

I waited outside the office until he exited, wiping my sweaty palms on my skirt. The door clicked and I peeked around the corner. He was smiling and shaking hands with the principal as he left. I took that as a good sign.

I stepped out from the stairwell as he headed toward his classroom.

He startled visibly when we came face to face. “Jesus, Emersyn.”

“Sorry. I just wanted to thank you.”

“You don’t owe me anything. Principal Stewart just told me your mom has Lupus. I’m sorry. I remembered you said she was ill but I didn’t know.” He reached out as if he was going to touch me, then thought better of it and took a step backward. “Just makes my behavior this morning all that more inexcusable.”

“Well, thank you. But I don’t want your pity. Or anyone else’s. What you did in there, you didn’t have to do that. You could’ve let me hang for how I behaved.”

He eyed me for a moment. “Technically, I could say the same. We all make mistakes.”

“Seems I’m making a lot of them lately.”

His head titled to the side. “You’re allowed. You’re seventeen. No better time to make them.” He scratched the stubble on his chin. “Me on the other hand, I could probably face jail time for what we did. At the very least I’d lose my teaching license. Typically though, mistakes aren’t so bad, so long as you learn from them.”

“I’ll be eighteen in three weeks,” I informed him. “In my world, a mistake can mean the difference between a future or a funeral. A successful career or a life struggling as a single unwed mother.”

He was quiet, thoughtful. Then he smirked. “Seems we live in a similar world after all.” He leaned closer as if telling me a secret. “But you know what I’ve learned?”

I waited for him to tell me. He didn’t. I waved my hand. “Please. Enlighten me with your twenty-four years’ worth of wisdom.”

He lifted one corner of his mouth into a sexy smirk. “You don’t have to take life so seriously all of the time. None of us are getting out alive anyway.”