When Summer Ends (39 page)

“Oh okay, well we’re gonna move for the strike. You coming?”
Jimmy asked, already running off through the woods without waiting for an
answer.

I looked at Will in confusion. “What happened?”

Will turned around and showed me his back, which was
splattered with blue paint. “I took one for you. You owe me now, Cutie.” He
smirked at me.

He got shot for me? Jeez that’s sweet!
“Why did you
do that?” I asked, shocked.

He shrugged. “I wanted to take your last life, that ass
looks way too clean,” he answered, raising one eyebrow at me.

“Are you looking at my ass, Mr Morris?” I teased, willing
myself not to blush as I said it.

“You know I need to say no to that question, Miss
Henderson.” he said sighing. “Anyway, I’ll give you a one minute head start,
you’d better run.” He waggled his eyebrows at me, nodding his head off to one
side.

“Seriously?”
He can’t really want to chase me through the
woods so he can shoot me, can he?

“Fifty four seconds.”

“Are you kidding me? We’re supposed to be getting the flags,”
I said nervously.

“Forty six seconds.”

Holy crap, he is serious!
I grabbed my gun and helmet,
turning around and running through the woods, laughing like a crazy person.

“Time’s up!” I heard him call.

I giggled and carried on running. A huge rock came into view
up ahead so I sprinted to it, hiding behind it. I looked around wildly for him
but couldn’t see him anywhere. I realised the rock I was standing against had
another one running along the side of it touching at one end in a kind of V shape.
I slipped between the two of them, sliding in a little so I was hidden from
view on all sides except the front. I could hear him running and crunching on
the dry leaves. Putting my gun down carefully, I clamped my hands over my mouth
so I didn’t laugh.

“Come out, come out wherever you are,” he sang, laughing. I
giggled against my hand and pressed against the rock harder. He was close I could
hear him breathing… maybe the other side of the rock. “Chloeeeee,” he called
teasingly. I bit my lip, trying desperately not to give myself away. I wanted
to finish today with one life intact; Amy had bet me that I would be the first
out, and I really wanted to win that bet.

I heard him run off in the opposite direction so I breathed
a sigh of relief. I crept towards the edge of the crevice and peeked around,
checking the coast was clear. As I tentatively stepped a little further out, he
jumped around the corner. An involuntary scream left my lips from the shock.

“Found you! Turn around.” He smirked, raising his gun,
pointing it at my crotch, obviously wanting to shot me in the butt.

I laughed and stepped back into the crevice. “No way, you’re
gonna have to make me,” I teased.

He laughed and stepped forward. As he stepped forward, I
stepped back further into the crevice. I matched my step to his, watching the
enjoyment on his face as I lured him in further, heading towards where I’d left
my gun.

“I
am
gonna shoot you in the ass,” he insisted, raising
one eyebrow playfully.

My foot touched my helmet so I bent quickly and grabbed my
gun from the floor, raising it at him. At the same time, he jumped forward, wrapping
one arm around me and pressing me against the rock. His hand gripped my gun and
moved it so it was pointing away from him. His hard body was pressing against
mine securely. I was pinned against the wall, I couldn’t move even if I wanted
to.

His eyes locked onto mine, his face merely inches away, I
could feel his breath blowing across my lips. He didn’t move, just looked at me
with a slightly pained expression. My heart was going crazy, I couldn’t think
about anything other than how close he was.

I raised my free hand, gripping the side of his jumpsuit and
pulling him impossibly closer. His whole body was pressed against mine. “Chloe,”
he groaned, looking at me pleadingly. His eyes flicked down to my lips for a
split second.

Oh please kiss me, Will, please. Please don’t pull away
like last time. There’s no one to interrupt this time, please just kiss me before
I spontaneously combust!

“Kiss me,” I whispered pleadingly.

He squeezed his eyes closed, looking like I had just shoved
a knife into his stomach. It was as if I was torturing him or something. He
opened his eyes and gulped. “Close your eyes,” he whispered.

I did as he asked immediately; barely able to breathe I was
so excited. I felt his hand touch the side of my face and trace across my
cheek, slowly moving along the edge of my jaw line. His thumb traced across my
bottom lip, making me part my lips and moan breathlessly. My whole body was vibrating
with excitement. It was erotic and sexy and almost too sweet to bear.

His hand moved down to one side of my neck, cupping it
softly. His weight shifted against me, and then his soft lips pressed against
my forehead. I tightened my grip on him, tilting my head up, waiting for his
mouth to move down to mine.

He moved back ever so slightly, his hand dropped from my
neck. I opened my eyes to see him looking at me with his jaw clenched tightly.
His eyes were dancing with excitement, but his face was hardened. I inched my
face closer to his, needing to feel his lips against mine.

He shook his head. “I can’t,” he whispered, looking at me
apologetically.

You have got to be kidding me!
He was still pressed
against me making me hot and bothered. I ignored his protest and inched my
mouth closer to his again.

“Please, Chloe, I can’t do this. You’re a minor, please don’t
make me do this,” he begged.

My eyes started to fill with tears. “I’m not making you do
anything.” He was so close, closer than he had been for six weeks, but it still
wasn’t close enough.

“Chloe, you might not think you are but trust me, it’s hard
enough for me on a normal day, but this is like torture. I don’t want feel like
a paedophile all the time, but I just can’t help it when I’m around you.” His
hand ran down my side slowly, making me shiver.

“You’re not a paedophile, Will,” I protested.

He bent his head forward and kissed the tears away as they
fell down my cheeks. “Technically I am, because I shouldn’t keep looking at you
the way I do. I shouldn’t want to kiss you and hold you. I shouldn’t want to be
near you, and to be the last thing you see before you fall asleep. I shouldn’t,
but I just can’t stop. I’ve tried, honestly, I’ve tried so hard, but I just
can’t.” He frowned and tightened his jaw.

He still looked at me like that? He still wanted me? Oh
my goodness, is he serious? Had Amy been right and I was just too hurt to see
he still liked me?

“Seriously…  you… you still like me?” I asked. Hope bubbled
up inside me.

He shook his head fiercely, and it felt as if he’d ripped my
heart out all over again. “I don’t like you, Cutie. I’m crazy in love with
you,” he replied quietly, looking almost ashamed to admit it.

Chapter Twenty-Five

He loves me? He really loves me?

I didn’t know what to say. I could barely breathe. Did he
really just tell me he was in love with me? Hope and happiness was trying to
consume me, but I didn’t let it. He’d built up my hopes so many times before…
what if this was just another one of those times? What if he suddenly changed
his mind and took it back?

I wasn’t good enough for him, he was incredible and so
special that he deserved so much more than me, he deserved everything. He
deserved someone like Miss Teller who was perfect, and classy, and wasn’t a
stupid little school girl that could barely even look at him without blushing.

He looked at me curiously. He looked a little scared
actually, and I wanted to reassure him. I wanted to scream that I loved him too
and that I wanted him so much, but nothing was coming out of my mouth.

His face fell even more at my silence. “I’m sorry, I
shouldn’t have said that. I’m so sorry,” he said, looking at me hurt and sad.
“I shouldn’t have told you that, I’m your teacher I should be responsible and
try harder. Maybe I’ll quit my job or something so I can stay away from you,”
he mumbled, stumbling over his words because he spoke so fast.

He’s thinking of quitting his job?
I gripped the side
of his jumpsuit as he went to pull away from me. “You really love me?” I
whispered, not trusting my voice to speak properly.

He gulped and nodded. “Yeah, but I shouldn’t have told you,
I need to keep it to myself and deal with it like I have been doing for the
last few weeks.”

I smiled. I couldn’t fight the feeling anymore, my whole
body broke out in goosebumps. I felt my eyes filling with happy tears again as
I realised that I couldn’t not try to be with him if he wanted me. He’d
probably rip my heart out again when he changed his mind, but I couldn’t help
but get my hopes up.

“I love you too, Will,” I replied honestly.

His whole body seemed to tighten. His eyes widened in shock
before a heartbreaking smile stretched across his face. “You do?” he whispered,
pressing me against the rock tighter.

I bit my lip and nodded.
Surely it’s obvious that I’m hopelessly
in love with him; he had to know that before I said it. How on earth could he
have missed it? It probably couldn’t have been more obvious than if I’d written
‘I love Will Morris’ on my forehead.

He sighed, his arm tightening on my waist. “I thought I’d
blown my chance, I honestly thought I’d lost you, Chloe. It scared me to death.
I’ve been miserable without you for the last few weeks.” His grey eyes locked
onto mine making me feel like I was weightless.

I couldn’t talk to him anymore; I needed his lips against
mine. My body was almost desperate for him. “Shh, it’s time to stop talking
now,” I whispered, echoing the words I had said to him once before. I ran my
hands up his chest, slipping them around his neck, tangling one hand in the
back of his hair. He moaned in the back of his throat, and it felt like my body
caught fire.

His mouth was inching towards mine so slowly that it felt
like the anticipation would kill me, but the moment was so perfect, private,
and romantic that I wanted it to last forever. Finally, his mouth reached mine,
his lips pressed against mine softly, and I felt like I could breathe again.

Oh God, I’m kissing him again!
I’d forgotten what it
felt like when he kissed me, how incredible it was. My whole body was burning
with passion, and I couldn’t get him close enough, he seemed to feel that too
as he pressed me harder against the rock, his hands tracing slowly down my back
making the hair on the nape of my neck prickle.

His tongue traced along my lip so I opened my mouth, eager
for more. His tongue slipped into my mouth, massaging mine softly. I moaned
into his mouth as his incredible taste exploded on my taste buds. He kissed me
deeply as I tightened my arms around his neck not letting him go anywhere, not
that he was trying to but I just needed to be sure.

He pulled out of the kiss just as I was getting slightly
dizzy. I thought he was pulling back, but he didn’t, instead he kissed down my
neck, nibbling on the skin lightly, actually making me go weak at the knees. I
moaned breathlessly as he kissed back up my neck to my ear.

“I love you, Cutie,” he whispered.

I grinned happily and tightened my hand in his hair. “I love
you too,” I mumbled, barely able to talk through the rush of feelings and
sensations pulsing through my body.

He pulled back, grinning from ear to ear as he brushed my
hair back from my face softly. “I’m so sorry I hurt you, but I promise I was
trying to do what was best for both of us. It almost killed me to say that we
couldn’t be together. The look of hurt that was on your face, I swear it’s been
haunting me. I’m so sorry, Cutie; can you forgive me and give me another
chance? I’ll never hurt you again, I swear. Please?” he begged, resting his
forehead to mine. His eyes burnt into mine showing his sorrow and regret.

I smiled and pressed my lips against his again for a couple
of seconds. “Definitely,” I confirmed, giggling and blushing. I was so happy I
actually felt a little lightheaded.

He grinned and made what sounded like a victory growl as he
wrapped his arms tight around my waist and lifted me clean off of the floor,
spinning in a small circle making me giggle like crazy. He laughed and let me
slide slowly down his body until my feet touched the floor again. He was
grinning wildly and crashed his lips to mine again; kissing me so passionately
that it was almost too sweet to bear. When he pulled away, I couldn’t keep the
happy smile off of my face. This amazing guy wanted me; he loved me and wanted
to be with me.

“Will, please don’t hurt me again,” I begged against his
lips.

He gasped and shook his head fiercely. “I won’t, I promise.
I honestly thought you’d get over me. I didn’t think there would be any way you
could feel for me like I felt for you. I thought you’d be able to move on and
be happy. I hoped you would because you deserve to be happy. But then when you
tried to move on, I couldn’t stop the jealously I felt inside, and I was so
horrible to you because of it. I’m so sorry, Cutie. I should be able to just
turn this feeling off and ignore it, walk away from you, but I can’t. I’m not
even allowed to be talking to you like this, but yet I can’t seem to stay away
from you. You just deserve someone better than me.”

I frowned. “There is no one better for me than you.”

He smiled at me gratefully before pressing his lips against
mine again, ending the conversation. I was getting really into the kiss, my
whole body was vibrating with the need for more, but he didn’t make any moves
to touch me other than rubbing his hand slowly up and down my back. A loud,
shrill sound cut through the air, making me squeal from shock. Will jumped away
from me as if a bomb had gone off.