Your Tutor

Chapter Eight

"Am I supposed to go fight him now? I quite like Brooks," Mackai says.

"No, I'll take care of that," Cameron adds. "You're the support."

I giggle, dragging the bed sheets up higher on my body. "I'm not upset or mad at him. He just confused me. I'm just confused. You guys are acting like I'm dying. I'm perfectly fine."

"I completely agree." Mackai loves to help. I know he isn't upset that he's here with us, he just doesn't entirely understand how to help sometimes, so he just gets us food and sits with us. And the snarky comments come and go.

Cameron tosses a pillow in his direction. "May, you being confused is equivalent to me wanting to cry. You don't like being confused."

"I'm okay, Cameron. I am just fine."

She moves from the end of the bed up to me and sits a few inches away. "Do you want to tell me what actually happened?" she asks.

"I did."

"Maylee."

"The truth is that he told me he didn't take me out because you told him to, he did it because he wanted to actually take me out." And that's not a lie. Withholding the other details does not count as lying. "That's what happened."

"Do you want to know how I know you're lying, or do you want me to just keep asking until you tell me?"

I shift my glare to her.

She tilts her head slightly, eyes softening. "Tell me, May. Please."

"I don't know what more you want from me."

"I want you to tell me."

Letting out an irritated groan, I sit up against the headboard. "You want the whole truth?" She nods. "Will you let me finish without freaking out on me?"

She shrugs. "No. I'm mad at him right now. There's nothing he can do that will make me happy."

"All right." I sigh. "So, I wasn't lying. He did tell me that. And then, when we were leaving, he kissed me."

I watch her face redden and her lips press into a firm line. "Hm?"

"Go ahead. Smile, squeal. Do it. I'm going to the bathroom." I move to stand up, but Cameron grabs my arm.

"No! I'm listening, I swear."

I exhale a heavy breath. "Fine." I was going to show her the picture, but I should've known better. "Uh, he said that he wanted to take me out, I guess cause he's bored and needs a girlfriend, and then he mentioned my looks—"

"I mean, you are insanely attractive. I would've done the same thing," Cameron chimes in. "Sorry, continue."

"And I got upset 'cause, yeah, say you want to take me out and then say it's cause I'm pretty. So I got out of the car, trying to just come up here and sleep it off, but he swore he didn't mean it like that. And that's where you came in." I shake my head. "That's what happened. Whole truth, nothing but the truth."

Mackai shuffles from the chair. "Speak of the devil," he says, looking at his phone. "He said — and I quote, 'tell Maylee to pick up her fucking phone or I swear to God I will kick her door in.'" Mac grins, clearly finding it humorous.

I turn back to Cameron. She gives me a look that explains my every thought in a nutshell.

Who the hell does he think he is?

Why is this so important to him?

He still cares?

"Oh, there's more," Mac adds. "'Ten fucking seconds.' Does anyone get the feeling that he's outside?"