Ella Frank - Veiled Innocence

“I’ll wear it just for you,” I promised with a slick slide of my tongue along my bottom lip, loving the thrill I got from the tease.

“Addison?” My name was called from the front of the room.

I swiveled in my chair to face my irritated teacher. “Yes, sir?”

“Do you have something you’d like to share with the rest of the class?”

No, I thought in a silent battle of wills, but I’d love to know why you didn’t single Brandon out. My eyes held his as I shook my head . That would be a negative.

“In that case, how about you keep your mouth shut, and do your work.”

“Yes, sir,” I replied bitingly and went back to writing down the major facts about Catherine of Aragon.

For the rest of the class, I sat with my mouth closed and my mind whirling. When the bell rang, everyone jumped to their feet and made their way out the door.

Brandon, however, lingered by my desk.

“I have to ask a few questions,” I lied.

Nodding, he bent down to kissed my cheek, and I noticed Mr. McKendrick watching us. His attention was on Brandon as his mouth moved to my ear.

“Hurry, my parents won’t be home for two hours,” he told me, and I couldn’t help the smirk I gave when my teacher’s attention shifted to me.

I kept my eyes on the man at the front of the room as I replied loud enough for him to hear, “Two hours is a long time to play.”

Brandon straightened, unknowing of the private exchange. “Yes, it is. So hurry in here, okay?”

Still focused on my teacher, I agreed. “I’ll only be a few minutes, then I’ll drive over.”

“Sounds good. I’ll see ya there,” he replied, making his way out of the room and leaving me to face the intimidating silence of Mr. McKendrick.

Reaching down beside my legs, I picked up my backpack and felt him track my movements. He had his hands clasped on the top of his desk as he sat there, silent and alert. I packed my books and pens away and stood from my seat.

When I stopped in front of his desk, he said nothing. But when I dropped my bag on to the floor, and the sound reverberated in the empty room, he pushed his chair back and stood quickly.

“Miss Lancaster.”

With one finger, I began to draw circles over the wooden surface of his desk. “Mr. McKendrick.”

“Cut the crap, Addison. Did you need something?” he fumed openly.

“Are you married?”

He shook his head, and his mouth pulled into a tense line. “That’s none of your business.”

“So that’s a no.”

“That is not a no. It is exactly what I said it was, none of your business.”

Rolling my eyes, I continued to trace my finger on top of his desk, liking the feel of the rough wood under my finger.

“Why did I get in trouble today?”

“You know why,” he stated matter-of-factly.

“No. I don’t. Why did I get in trouble and Brandon didn’t?”

“You were talking.”

“So was he,” I fired back, unwilling to let him think I was some ignorant child who didn’t know what was going on.

He let out a deep, frustrated sigh and pushed his hands into his pockets. “Addison, you need to pay more attention in class.”

“I do pay attention.”

“Do you? I don’t think so. You’re so busy talking and flirting that I’d be surprised if you took more than three notes.”

Bending down, I snatched up my backpack and unzipped it to pull out my notebook. Opening it to the day’s work, I showed him how wrong he was and then raised my eyes to his, as if to say, see?

“One day doesn’t prove anything. You need to stop disturbing the others around you.”

“Like you?” I challenged.

“Like Brandon.”

“Jealous?”

Emotions I wasn’t familiar with darkened his eyes, giving him away as they singed me. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Is it so ridiculous? I was jealous of you and Miss Shrieve this morning.”

“You’re out of line, Miss Lancaster. Way out of line. You need to leave.”

I made my way to the door, but before I walked through it, I looked back to where he was standing.

“Meet me at my car. I’ll wait.”

As Addison left the classroom, I sat down in my seat and adjusted the erection that was now throbbing like a harsh reminder between my legs.

I felt defeated.

I had come home to be with my father, a man who was slowly fading a little more each day. The same man who’d instilled in me my sense of morality, the difference between right and wrong—yet, here I was, failing him. Just like his heart was.

Addison was a dangerous distraction to a man whose life was in chaos. She was the promise of youth, of being fearless…of being alive . She was everything I couldn’t have and shouldn’t want, but the more she taunted, the more my resolve crumbled.

Temptation had come to visit, and her steely determination would likely destroy us both.

I waited by my car for an hour, and he never came. In the back of my mind, I’d known that he wouldn’t, but I held out hope that I’d be wrong. By the time four rolled around, I had several text messages from Brandon.

Brandon – Where are u?

I was still in the parking lot.

Brandon – I’m waiting…

Yeah? So was I.

Brandon – Thought u wanted to fuck?

I did…just not him.

It was now four thirty. I’d been waiting for an hour and a half, and Mr. McKendrick hadn’t shown. He was probably watching me, waiting for me to leave.

I liked that idea—that he was watching me— and at the same time, I was aware that wasn’t a normal response. Not that I was surprised because nothing had been normal for me, not since…well, since Daniel.

Deciding it was time to leave, I unlocked my door and got inside. As the engine rumbled to life, a favorite song of mine came over the radio. A smile stretched across my mouth as I cranked the volume up and reversed.

Halfway down the road, I turned off onto a side street. I whipped my car around in an illegal U-turn and pulled alongside the curb.

With the engine still idling, I tapped my fingers on the steering wheel and squeezed my eyes shut— one, two, three, one, two, three —and when I opened them, I spotted his black truck as it drove by.

Don’t do it. Don’t do it , I told myself.

How many times could I possibly get away with following him home?

But even as the thoughts echoed in my mind, I put my foot on the accelerator and drove out of the side street.

It takes approximately fifteen minutes to get to Mr. McKendrick’s house. I know that because I have timed myself— every time. Today, I got there in fewer than thirteen.

My car crawled to a stop at what I believed was a safe distance from his drive. I killed the engine and sat there. He’d likely already gone inside. Usually, he didn’t wait around.

He’d park the truck, and make his way to the front door. Once he was inside, I sometimes caught a glimpse of him as he moved through the house, but for today, I was just happy to be close.

Turning up the music so it was pumping through the car, I sat back and undid my seat belt, feeling a sense of calm wash over me—calm at being near.

It was a risk to be parked on his street, but I was willing to take it.

No one knew that I was there , so what would it hurt?

I couldn’t believe she’d followed me home.

I was sitting in my truck with my hands wrapped around the steering wheel. I could see her in the rearview mirror, and my heart pounded in my chest as I thought about my next move.