Forbidden

Chapter Nine

Olivia blushed but she didn’t try to look away. She rested her head on the back of the recliner pulling her legs inward, never breaking the gaze.

“What?” she asked quietly.

“You tell me,” he said with a smile.

“Oh, I, no-, nothing.” Stutter much? “I’m freezin’. I’m gonna go get a sweater or a blanket,” she said as she went to stand.

                He grabbed her by the back of her shirt, forcing her back down. Surprised, she repeated herself.

“I’m cold,” she said slower.

“Well, lucky you, I retain heat,” he said, opening his arms.

                Olivia stared at him, unsure if this was some kind of test she was going to ultimately fail.

“C’mon, I won’t bite.”

                She caved, and before she could stop herself, she was laying in his strong warm arms.

“Is this a bad id-“ she started to ask when he shushed her.

“It’s okay. It’s not a big deal. Just . . . don’t think.”

                She nuzzled up closer to him, breathing in his scent. He started caressing her hair in slow, fluid-like strokes and her skin tingled. Don’t think, don’t think, she chanted to herself.

“If I tell you something, you promise not to get a big ego over it?” he asked.

“I promise,” she answered.

                Her heart picked up speed and she blinked rapidly, unsure of what he was going to say.

“No, never mind, it’s totally inappropriate,” he finally said.

“Oh, like that’s fair,” she pleaded as she sat up to look at him. “It’s okay, remember? Just don’t think.”

                He sighed heavily and rubbed his eyes with his thumb and index finger.

“A ‘right, I’ll tell you, but don’t ever repeat it, okay?”

“I promise,” she said again.

“It’s just . . . you have the most gorgeous eyes I have ever seen. I keep gettin’ lost in them, no matter how hard I try to fight it.”

                She still sat facing him and she felt his hand run over her hair. She closed her eyes as she let the warm sensation take over her body. Wow. She opened her eyes and he pulled her head back down onto his chest and she breathed in his scent. She felt his chest rise and fall in a smooth rhythm. She felt something indescribable. Was it just her? She wanted to stay in that moment forever, knowing it wasn’t possible.

She could feel the butterflies fluttering in her stomach and she resisted the urge to kiss his neck. She suddenly felt his heartbeat beating faster against the side of her face and she put her hand to it.

“You’re thinkin’,” she said.

“You’re right,” he laughed nervously.

“What is it?”

“I just . . . I shouldn’t have said that. It was out of line. I’m your teacher, Olivia. I let this go way too far.”

                She sat up at the sound of panic in his voice. She rubbed her forehead lightly before finally smiling up at him.

“You’re right. I’m sorry.”

“I’m not. But . . . this can’t continue. We could both get in a ton of trouble for this, even if we don’t feel like we’re doing anything wrong.”

“Then why does it feel so right? I mean, doesn’t it?” she asked quietly.

                He thought for a moment.

“Yeah, it does,” he concurred. He took a ragged breath. “If this were any other kind of situation . . . I wouldn’t fight it, but . . .”

“Yeah, I know.”

                Olivia took her phone out of the cup holder in the recliner and looked at the time.

“It’s 9:16. I’m gonna go throw on a sweatshirt real fast and then we can hit the road,” she smiled despite her growing disappointment.

“Right,” he said.

“Really, Mr. Cereno, don’t worry about it, okay?”

“Right,” he said again as she started walking away.

                She turned the lights back on and shut the movie off and told him that she would meet him by the front door. He walked out of the media room, mentally kicking himself for either not making a move or for saying too much, but he didn’t know which he was more upset about. He ran his hand over his hair and sighed loudly as he leaned with his back against the wall. Why did it have to be so difficult?

“Ready?” Olivia asked as she came walking down the stairs.

                He took in how exquisite she looked, even in her Georgia State hoodie. He shook his head and looked down before answering her.

“Whenever you are.”

                The drive back to the school was utterly silent and awkward. They both had regret and disappointment flowing through them that couldn’t be ignored. There was something undeniable between the two and Olivia couldn’t help but think how perfect everything would be if the situation were any different. But it wasn’t.

                They pulled into the school fifteen minutes too early but the janitors van was already out front. Olivia pulled into an empty parking spot and shut the engine off.

“Here you are. You can finally go home,” she laughed.

“Thank you again for . . . saving me from the school.”

“My pleasure. I guess I’ll see you Monday mornin’, unless of course you’d rather we not do the mentoring thing?”

“No. You’ll be there, and I’ll be looking forward to it,” he winked.

                Relief.

“A ‘right then. Monday mornin’ it is.”

                He pecked her softly on the cheek and he hesitated before getting out of the car. Finally, though, he did and Olivia watched as he disappeared into the school. She gripped the steering wheel with white-knuckles and stared at the double doors he had just walked through. I’ll be seeing you. She shook her head in anger of the situation and twisted the key and the engine came alive.