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9. Troubled

We managed to make it through breakfast without covering each other in syrup.

As soon as I finished my last bite, Paige stood up from the bar stool and grabbed my plate, heading over to the sink.

"You don't have to wash my dishes." I said as I removed myself from my seat.

"Well, I made the mess.." Paige coaxed, slowly turning the faucet on and grabbing the soap from the cabinet under the sink.

Deciding that I should just let her do it, I sat back down on the stool and watched her methodically scrub all the dishes she used to make breakfast.

"So, I have to leave in about 2 hours to tutor at the school, and I don't really have anything planned after that." She raised her voice so I could hear her over the running water.

"What do you teach?" I always knew Paige was intelligent, in pretty much everything. Was there anything she wasn't a wiz at?

"I say tutor because," giving up on speaking loudly, she shut the sink off before continuing, "that's what my paycheck says, but I actually work in guidance. I talk to the 'troubled kids'" She puts air quotes around the last part.

"Troubled kids?" I chuckled, a prestige school with troubled kids?

"Yeah, ones like you and me." She states simply, drying and putting away the dishes she cleaned.

"You mean traumatized and screwed up for the rest of their lives?" I laughed, making my way around the counter to help her put away dishes.

"Yes, exactly." She giggled even though I knew she knew I was being serious.

"I should probably head back to my house, you can come and clean my dishes since I cleaned yours." Paige smirked at me, rubbing her hands on a towel, drying them off.

"It would be my pleasure." I countered, knowing she was kidding.

"I was joking, Landon. You do not have to do my dishes." She said seriously, her eyes meeting mine.

"Oh, I know. But, I haven't been to your house in years." I said, thinking back to the grand house on Myers Street.

Paige sighed before speaking.

"If you insist." She mumbled, turning away from me and making her way out of the kitchen.

I heard the hesitation in her voice, but I didn't dwell on it. Instead, I put a big smile on my face, and grabbed her by the waist as she walked away from me.

"Landon, what are you-" She stammered before I put my lips to hers, hoping to ease her stress. Her hands found my hair and I knew her mood was gone. I pulled her closer to me and memorized the feel of her body in my arms.

"Go put that yummy cologne on while I change out of this nasty shirt." Paige smiled, looking down at my t-shirt that she was wearing.

"Yes ma'am." I winked, letting go of her waist, but not before she could grab my face and plant a wet one on my lips.

I walked into my bathroom and took a look in the mirror.

What the hell?

My hair was all over the place, I mean, crazy looking. I had some popcorn pieces here and there, and some whipped cream was in a few places on my face. How does Paige manage to wake up looking like a goddess and I wake up looking like this?

Shaking my head, I grabbed everything in my reach to make myself look presentable before I pulled the green bottle off the counter and dousing myself in it.