Touch Me While I Taste You

46 Arabella Rivera “First, close my damn door. And try being a little gentle this time?” Dark annoyed eyes smoked a fog of irritation towards Haiden’s brooding posture that stood in the entryway.

Upon Mr. Boyd's sarcastic request, Haiden’s jaw ticked, the jaw bone growing more prominent by the action. M y eyes leer at the faint bruise he spotted o n the slightly tan flesh of his jaw. The discoloring under his left eye began to fade but was also still very noticeable.

With a low pant of annoyance. Haiden reaches for the door and slams it shut. It rattles, indicating that it was close to falling off its hinges. “Happy?” He asked tightly, voice thickening with what | preswas irritation.

As soon as the words are let out, the sad excuse of a map that hung on the door, falls to the floor limply behind Haiden’s boots.

My eyes draw to Mr. Boyd waiting for his reaction at hearing the blatant bold action at hearing the blatant bold disrespect in Haiden’s voice. The man always looked furious but the shadow of anger he spotted now, competed against any previous one before. Haiden had ticked off the man, a lot.

The tightness of his frand the glare o fannoyance said it all. Mr. Boyd drew in a breath that calmed him down before he said anything out of the way. His frrelaxed too. As if finally realizing that Haiden was not worth arguing with.

He lifts a hand to his forehead, rubbing the skin as if to ward off a splitting headache. “You damn kids.” He murmurs lowly.

Damn kids? He better be speaking about Haiden, | had nothing to do with this sudden annoyance he was now spotting. | n fact, I'm innocent in all of this. | just cto hold up my own side of the deal.

If I knew the guy | would be tutoring was Haiden, | would have probably said no. Then again, the bright red B on my paper was taunting me, therefore | wasn’t so sure | would've turned down the offer.

Mr. Boyd pinched the skin between his Boyd pinched the skin between his brows, pulling it lightly and dragged out a n exaggerated sigh.” You try to help them and they act like little shits of hell.” I draw in my bottom lip between my teeth, chewing on it lightly to suppress m y laughter at the use of Mr. Boyd's words. By doing so, | could feel the pressure of being peered over. | knew it was Haiden, | always knew.

There was just something about his gaze that had a flas flickering as a wildfire creeping through my veins that led to goosebumps raging over my skin.

“Why is she here?” The gruff displeased voice had my teeth loosening on my lip and dropping it entirely out of shock. The way he acknowledgedwasn't all that great considering how his voice dripped with bitterness.

| found my mind ticking like an old clock as I try to think of the reason behind his sudden bitterness. Haiden was cold and I had grown used to it, but the bitterness in his tone was something | didn’t expect.

Did | do or say something wrong? | can’t recall doing anything to him and | hadn't Dr Tutor say smung wrong Team Dall doing anything to him and | hadn’t spoken to him in a while too, neither did | say anything about him.

In my dreams perhaps, but it was nothing he’d not like. Actually, | think we both liked it. Dreams aren't reality though. And this reality, was a sucker punch to the gut, unwelcoming and cold.

Mr. Boyd stopped pinching the thin skin between his brows and fixed his gaze on Haiden. He dropped his hand to his sides and with a frown on his face, voices out.” | found you someone who was willing to tutor you.” Haiden’s eyes snap to mine, narrowing o n my face until | could feel the penetrating stare. He was calculating something in his head, | could just tell. The way his brows lined in a frown and the tick of his jaw showedthat he did not quite like Mr. Boyd's words.

And he definitely voiced it out. “You found someone and it's her?” The way he said her was like he was intentionally mocking me.

He snorts unamused. “Yeah forget it.” His heavy tone of displeasure was a slight TIL SITUITS CITUDLU TUTULDELIL.

heavy tone of displeasure was a slight jab that | tried to ignore. Haiden turns around ready to leave, his fingers already wrapping around the door handle when M r. Boyd's edgy voice stops him. “If you walk out of that door, you'll be saying goodbye to your high school diploma.” Haiden completely freezes, posture turning rigid as he slowly turns around. His eyes are like ice, cold, chilling and unsettling. “The fuck you just say?” A brewing of a storm. One I'd not want to get trapped in. Unfortunately, it seems | have tangled myself in this situation unwillingly and unknowingly. Was it too late to back out and just face the rude awakening of getting my first B? As happy I'd be backing out of the deal, | couldn't. | needed that B to turn into an A. | can’t afford to have my perfect report card tainted by something so unappealing Mr. Boyd slams his fist on the desk. The sudden action hadyelping faintly as | nearly jumped out of my very own skin. His face turned a shade of pink as he tried to calm down his growing anger. Haiden wasn’t exactly helning calm down his growing anger. Haiden wasn’t exactly helping Spitting profanities atwouldn't help you boy.” His voice is gruff and heavy with outrage.

Mr. Boyd looked at Haiden without battering a lash. “And you heard me. Your chances of ever graduating will go down the drain if you fail this class. You're slacking off boy. You barely cto class. And when you do, it’s like you're in your own world.” | took a peek at Haiden, my eyes falling o n his clenched fists at his sides. My stomach twisted when | spotted the torn flesh on his knuckles that looked fresh. Tiny red cuts also decorated his big hand, worming down to his long fingers.

Haiden had definitely been fighting. That explains the faint bruises he had been sporting recently.

“What are you saying old man?” The emotionless voice of Haiden hadsnapping my eyes up to look at his face. H e doesn’t sparea glance, only arrowed it to Mr. Boyd.

| hated how awkward | was just standing there while listening to two angry males that tried to intimidate each other. None backed down, so | suppose this will take longer than | expected.

Mr. Boyd sighs heavily, exhausted by just talking to Haiden.

“I'm saying that if you can’t keep up with the rest of your class, you will be held back. I'm not the only one who has agreed to this Haiden.” His eyes snap to my fidgeting self and he finishes. “Arabella is exceptional with all subjects and may be the only one that can help you keep up with your studies. If not, you'll be repeated. You need her Haiden.”