A Different Kind of Education

Chapter Twenty - Two : Surprise!

My heart is heavy as I walk away from Jay, going back to the party. I spot Justin leaning against a wall, not listening as a cute blond girl chatters on next to him. He nods mindlessly, glancing toward the kitchen door where I had just exited from. When he sees my distraught face he immediately walks to me, ignoring the pouty blond. She sees that he's walking to me and sighs before joining her friends. Justin cups my face once he stands in front of me.

"You okay?"

As I'm about to respond Jay walks out of the kitchen. I see pain in his eyes when he glances at me and Justin. My heart hurts even more at him expression, I just want to wrap my arms around someone and be held until I sleep. Looking away from Jay, I smile gently at Justin.

"I'll live." I reply.

"Let's go home." He says, wrapping an arm around me.

"Yeah."

The two of us head for the door and I'm extremely aware of all the eyes staring at us - one pair of those eyes being Jay's. One down,  two to go. The car ride home was silent and slightly tense. Despite the fact that Jay had popped up during our conversation, neither of us has forgotten about the kiss. We hadn't kissed more than a few seconds, but it had still happened.

Part of me was secretly glad Jay had interrupted us because it gave me time to think and avoid reacting right away. I honestly had no clue how to react or feel about that kiss. It was something I'd always wanted and I definitely enjoyed it, even if just briefly. Did I want to do it again? Hell yes. Did it surpass how I felt kissing Mr. Hayes? I couldn't say. When I had been with Matt, I was lust filled and emotionally distraught. Plus I had been concerned about the external morality of the situation, so I couldn't give an honest answer. Now that I was free of any ties, I could discover how I really felt.

It would be a lie if I said part of me wasn't still in love with Justin because I was. Yet at the same time I hadn't given Matt and I enough of a chance to see where it would lead since we had both been in relationships, but now we weren't. I decided I would test the waters with Justin and spend a bit of time with Matt to discover who I truly wanted to be with. My brain was yelling at me to run back to the party and try to reverse things with Jay. He's safe! The tiny voice in my head screamed.

But I didn't need safe.

Not surprisingly my parents' cars were missing from the drive way and they had left a note saying they'd be gone for a few days on business. I pay little to no attention to the note, other things taking up my thoughts. Justin and I silently walk to my room. I go into the bathroom to change into my pajamas, as he changes in my room. Even though it's incredibly wrong, I find myself cracking my door open and sneakily looking. He's just pulled off his pants and stands in boxers and his tshirt. I keep my eyes trained on him as he pulls off his shirt and puts on a pair of flannel pants.

An idea forms in my mind and instead of overthinking it I embrace it almost immediately. Just before he can grab his shirt. I swing the door open, creating the faintest of sound at the gust of wind the movement makes. He snaps his gaze in my direction, eyes wide open in shock like the day I told him I loved him. A billion of thoughts went through his mind as he carefully assessed the situation. Him utterly shirtless, me having obviously stared and my body only clad in my mid thigh length pull over, my pajama pants lying rejected on the bathroom floor. My heart is pounding as Justin and I look at each other intensely, the tension between us thick. I made the first move by approaching Justin slowly, setting my hands lightly on his bare chest as I kept my eyes trained on his.

"Andie." The nickname rolls off his lips as a caress.

"Tin Man." I say, a playful smirk on my lips after the words left my mouth.