“It just feels so right?”
She nodded excitedly. “Yes. Exactly. It just feels so right. You have a way with words, Mr. Cox. You sure you aren’t a writer too?”
“I’m a man of many talents,” I joked. “And please—call me Dylan from now on. Or baby.”
“What if I want to call you Mr. Cox in the bedroom?” she asked slyly.
“Then I won’t stop you,” I replied. “As long as you’ll wear that witch outfit for me every Halloween.”
“It’s a deal!” she giggled. “And I just can’t wait for you to teach me more.”
“You belong to me now, Emily,” I said. “And I belong to you, and I’ll never stop teaching you.”
Chapter Thirteen
Emily
I was absolutely glowing as I made my way home, keeping to the shadows of the trees so no one would see me in my skimpy witch outfit. My whole body was on fire and my head was spinning. It might sound crazy—to be sure you were in love that quickly—but there was no denying what I was feeling.
I guess maybe I had known, deep down, that Dylan was more than just a cute teacher I liked to flirt with. But it had taken me months to realize that there was more to it—so much more.
When Margie had brought me to his house and he’d opened the door, I’d been spun for a loop. Now I was completely head over heels. I’d only gone out for some candy, but I’d found the sweetest man in the world and come home with his love.
It had been staring us both in the face and I thought back to the last day of school when I’d stayed after class to talk to him. I didn’t know it then, but I’d really wanted him to do something.
Of course he hadn’t; he was a responsible, good man that knew his boundaries. He’d waited, and I’d gone off to college, and a chance encounter had brought us together again.
Chance? I thought as I climbed back up to my bedroom window and slid inside. No. Destiny.
“Look who it is!”
I almost jumped out of my skin as Margie, who had been sitting in the darkness, flipped on my bedroom lamp and smiled at me like she’d just caught me robbing a bank.
“Jesus, Margie!” I hissed. “Just because it’s Halloween it doesn’t mean you have to scare me like that!”
“I was just waiting for you to get back,” she smiled. “I don’t even have to ask you where you went.”
I sighed. I guess there was no point in hiding it from her now. Everyone was going to find out sooner or later.
“Fine,” I said as I switched out of my witch’s dress into a pair of sweatpants and a SpongeBob t-shirt. “I was over at Dylan’s house.”
“Dylan?” she teased. “Not Mr. Cox?”
“Dylan,” I repeated as I sat down on the bed beside her. “Yes, we’re on a first name basis now.”
“And why’s that?” she asked.
“Because we—we did it, Margie,” I said. It felt like such an incredible relief telling her. “I—I gave my virginity to him and it was incredible! God, he’s so amazing.”
“I hope you’re joking,” she replied.
I laughed. “I’m not. God, I even told him I loved him! He said it too!”
“Please, Emily,” Margie said, suddenly serious. “Please tell me you’re joking.”
“I’m not joking, Margie,” I replied. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
I knew my sister well enough to know when she was messing with me and this wasn’t one of those times. There was something on her mind and I felt a pit begin to form in my stomach.