I head to where East is already talking to a few people and start stretching out. Circuits are killer, but doing this shit is going to get me in better shape than I’ve ever been in before. Mac would be proud.
Thinking of him, I realize I should probably find a self-defense class around here somewhere to keep up on the training I was doing with him before. He’d be so disappointed if he found out I’m slacking, and that is more of a dagger to the gut than I need. He was basically my second dad on tour, disappointing him totally isn’t something I want to do.
I really need to text him back later too.
East blows his whistle, calling my attention back to him, and I stop my stretching. His sadistic grin inspires a little bit of fear to spear through my gut. Circuits are already a bitch without that smile.
“Ladies, since you all enjoyed them so much, we’re going to start today with suicide drills and learn not to fuck with other people’s shit. Am I clear?” He glances over to me. Goddamn, why does he have to be so pretty when he’s going all white knight on me? Those gray eyes of his practically fucking sparkle. I smile down at my shoes as everyone groans.
Serves those assholes right for what they did to my clothes and my car.
I’m not surprised he knows, though I am surprised he’s doing anything about it. Not one other faculty member has even mentioned what happened to me. Though considering Maverick seems to have the principal wrapped around his little finger, I’m not that surprised. That and the sheer amount of money floating around this school is enough to keep any teacher under their thumb.
East blows his whistle again and starts the drills. Personally, I have zero issue with them. I mean they fuck my shit up, but I like running, so it's not exactly a hardship. The other circuit shit is worse for me.
He keeps running us until half the class looks like they’re going to pass out. I can’t even laugh because I’m so freaking out of breath, but it’s such a good feeling seeing the others so fucked up that I’m not sad about it. Not even a little.
East blows that fucking whistle of his again, his sadistic grin still in place. “Get your asses up off the floor, we’re not done yet. Start your circuits; and if I see anyone slacking, I’ll keep you extra long!”
I laugh under my breath and head toward one of the empty circuit points, smiling at East as I do. My foot suddenly catches on someone else’s ankle, and I trip and fall, barely managing to catch myself without smashing my face on the hard, wood floor. I may have saved my face, but my knees are fucked.
I turn to see one of the bitch squad, whose name I literally haven’t cared to learn, snickering as she skips away from me like she didn’t just trip me. “You stupid bitch!”
I push myself to my feet and go to charge her, finally seeing red because today was a good day, goddammit. An arm wraps around my waist, and I’m literally lifted off of my feet. “Calm down, V. She’s not worth it.” East plants me back on the floor, pointing in the other direction. “Serena, detention tonight.”
“Sounds fun, sir,” she flirts, fluttering her lashes, and I almost want to be sick when East smiles back at her.
“I didn’t say it was with me, did I? Detention tonight is with Mr. Avery. Have fun with that.”
I burst out laughing because Mr. Avery has some serious hygiene issues and is more than a little bit of a creep. Obviously he wouldn’t do anything to her, but just the thought of detention with him is enough to make her almost cry. She stomps her foot as East turns his back on her before blowing his whistle again. “Circuits!”
This time when he yells the word, I don’t even care. I’ll do all the circuits in the world if it means she has to suffer.
* * *
I practically bounce through the halls after class. Gym wasn’t exactly fun, but seeing someone in this school finally getting punished for being a giant bag of ass has me all kinds of gleeful.
Even the fact that I have to walk home doesn’t get me down. The sun is shining, the sky is clear, and today might just have been the best day I’ve had since being forced back to this horror show town.
I make my way through the parking lot, slipping my aviators on, when a white Mustang pulls up beside me, the roof retracting. “Need a ride, V?”
I smile at East, who looks way less like a teacher right now with his backward cap and his sunglasses. He’s rocking that whole hot as fuck college frat boy vibe with his music blaring from the car. “I’m not going to say no if you’re heading straight home?”
I can practically feel eyes on me as I walk around his car, dropping my bags on the back seat before climbing in. Maybe I should feel a little more wary of him, considering how his brother has treated me since I got here, but I’m not about to hold him accountable for Lincoln. That would just be a shitty thing to do.
“Yeah, I’m heading straight home. Buckle up.” I do as he says while he grins wide at me, and as soon as I’m secure, he peels from the lot so fast that my head shoots back against the headrest. A laugh rips from me at the exhilaration that comes from the speed. He drives like he’s a street racer, but he seems so confident and at ease that I don’t panic at all.
I enjoy the thrill as he drives through the town, the disapproving glances bounce off him like water off a duck’s back, and it is so refreshing. I’m almost disappointed when we pull up to the gates in front of my house. “Thanks for the ride.”
“A gentleman doesn’t drop a lady at the gates,” he says, wagging his eyebrows. “Drop the code in. I need to see Smithy about some cake anyway.”
“You and your cake,” I say, shaking my head as I have to almost crawl over his lap so I can key the code to the gate. I can feel his breath on my neck as I reach out to the box, realizing I should have just given him the stupid code. The tension ramps up by about three thousand degrees when I realize just how close my hand is to his dick as I lean on his thigh.
I shift back, accidentally brushing my hand against it and gasp, looking up at him with wide eyes as my heart races. Part of me wants to lean in and kiss him, but the other part, the part who doesn’t want to be rejected by him, freezes. His eyes are hooded as he stares down at me, and I can’t breathe. His face is so close to mine, and he leans in further just as the gate groans open.
The noise seems to pull him back to reality, and he jerks back. The moment is shattered, and I hurry back to my seat. Heat creeps up my chest as I blush. East might have featured heavily in my fantasies for as long as I can remember, but I’ve never considered that he’d feel like that too. And well… I wasn’t imagining the fact that he nearly kissed me just then.
Was I?