Devil on the Rooftop [Book 1]

Chapter 107 - Khaleel

Mr. Hermans was going to kill me for skipping so many of his classes, but I decided to take that chance and head out for some fresh air. I wanted to kick back in the student council room and reflect there, but the door was locked. I assumed Matilda got out of her way to make sure I didn't loiter in her domain anymore. It was probably for the best.

My last resort was the courtyard. It was the only other place I could think of going to during classes. I made my way around the basketball court and eventually reached the soccer field. Thankfully, there were no classes in session. I reached the school's willow, also known as Zander's make-out spot, and decided to waste time there. He was out of commission, so I was sure he wouldn't mind letting me borrow it.

I turned to settle down on the grass when I spotted Arisa Hoffman sleeping against the trunk. There was a half-eaten cucumber sandwich in her hands, and her school blazer was covering her legs. I couldn't help but smile. "I can still see the appeal," I laughed, taking a seat next to her. I decided to keep the little spitfire company. It was a beautiful day to play hooky and who better to do it with?

I stole the sandwich out of Arisa's hand and helped myself. "It's tax," I said biting into it. "For making me want you so bad."

Ten minutes later, the sandwich was gone and I was daydreaming about my bleak future. What if this woman, dad wanted to marry turned out to be a horrible witch? What if her two daughters were nothing but spoiled brats with attitude problems? What if none of that was true and they turned out to be good people? What if I was the problem? What if  I didn't know how to treat a step-mother or how to take care of step-sisters?

Arisa's groggy eyes batted at the sky before she turned to find me sitting next to her. "Jezz--you scared me!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same."

She sat up straight. "I was talking with my dad and then I lost track of time." I watched her brush her hair with her fingers. "I guess it's good you found your way to me. I wanted to talk to you, Khaleel."

"Yeah?"

Arisa looked straight at me. Goosebumps covered my arms and legs. It was pathetic really, I never thought I would be so self-aware around another human being. "I'm sorry for pushing you away," she said. "I'm sorry for making it sound like your wants and needs didn't align."

I told my heart to shut up and continued to listen to her. "I kissed you back that day," Arisa went on. "That's why you weren't giving up on us."

"Pretty much."

Arisa hung her head. "I shouldn't have kissed you."

"Really?" I laughed. "And here I am hoping it will happen again."

Arisa surprised me with her words. "Are you being like this because you found out I broke up with Loyal?"

"Uh, no," I drawled fixing my posture. Loyal spilled the beans about Wade Cainan and Miss. Findlay. That would shock any normal person. "I didn't know you guys broke up. What happened?"

"He told me the truth and I didn't know how to handle it." came the casual reply. "Maybe you can tell me how you supported him after learning all the terrible things he did?"

"Pretty easily," I replied. "But that's because I've done some fucked up shit too. Although, I did tell him I couldn't be his enforcer anymore."

Arisa blinked at me, dumbfounded. "What—really?"

"He's leaving Jackheights at the end of the term," I reported. I waited for her to react to the news but she didn't. Maybe she already knew about it or assumed that was the case. "He wanted me to help him tie up some loose ends, but we were fighting at the time, so I said no."

"And you're sticking to that no?" Arisa asked.

I nodded and stretched my arms. "My life's taken a scary fucking turn. Plus, Hino won't shut up about setting a good example for my sisters."

"You have sisters?"

I cringed. "I don't want to talk about it."

Arisa didn't probe. We both stood up and enjoyed the gentle breeze. I picked her blazer off the ground and secured it over her shoulders. She turned up to look at me, her electrifying eyes casting me under their spell again. "Did you eat my sandwich?" she asked suspiciously.

"Busted."

Arisa laughed. "Unbelievable."

I beamed, happy to have her talking to me normally again. We had been through so much and I wanted to do what I could to make sure she knew how much I cared about her. "Can I ask you something?" I asked. I waited for her to nod before continuing. "I don't want to come off as in inconsiderate prick anymore, so tell me if I'm out of line."

Arisa nodded.

"Logistically speaking, how long do I have to wait before asking you out again?"

A smile crept on her face.

"I'm serious!" I insisted. "What does our timeline look like?"

Arisa got a hold of my face. I couldn't tell my heart to shut up anymore, it was relishing her touch and the tingling sensation sliding down my back. Is this what she called a moment? Is that what we were having? "Aren't you the guy who said high school relationships don't last?" she teased.

"Ah fuck," I was at the mercy of her fingers. "I did say that."