Chapter 14. Tutoring a Richard brother.

Glancing at his wristwatch, he tapped his feet left with nothing to do. The single drop of perspiration rolling down his back wasn't helping matters either. Asking her this question was a huge step for him and the fact that she seemed to be late contributed to his fidgety state.

Mr. Yale kept babbling on and on about the history of something he wasn't keeping track of. History of art? Whatever it was, Lake couldn't stop alternating between his watch and the door.

As if the world was finally working in his favor, the door banged open and there she stood, panting and covered in a light sheen of sweat but he wasn't complaining because he was no different.

Still recovering from her light run, Adana apologized to the teacher, and wanting the attention of the class off her, she hurriedly searched for an empty seat. Familiar dark eyes and dimpled cheeks smiled at her, patting the seat beside them.

"You're late." He confirmed in a low voice. "What happened?"

She placed her books on the desk, taking notes and pretending not to hear him. Her mother, as usual, had delayed her by demanding another round of pancakes, threatening hell and high waters if she didn't do what she wanted leaving her with one choice; making more pancakes. She ended up throwing them away saying she wasn't in the mood anymore.

Adana chewed on her bottom lip when the incident came to mind. "Things happened."

Lake caught the tone easily. It was a dismissive tone when someone didn't want to talk about something anymore. He put off his question until lunch.

"This weekend was the bomb," Leilani exclaimed after the trio had settled in their usual spot; the forbidden table, according to the school but they didn't care. "You should've seen all those hotties over at Ronnie's neighborhood."

Ronnie giggled. "Thank goodness for binoculars."

"Wait, you spied on them?" Adana couldn't believe her ears but this was Leilani she was speaking of. She didn't know why she was surprised. "You know that's an invasion of privacy right?"

"Oh come on, you act like you don't have even a little curious about what they do when they're alone." Leilani was now giving her the puppy eyes with a distinct pout.

A smirk danced on Adana's lips considering what Leilani said. "Well, when you put it that way, now I'm curious too."

They lowered their combined giggles, the perfect picture of hormonal teenage girls. For the umpteenth time, Adana longed for a normal family, where she was given the freedom her friends seemed to have.

"Hi girls," a smooth male voice interrupted causing a startled quietness to descend on the table. "Can I steal Adana for a second?"

Leilani winked at Adana and Ronnie had shifted forward in her seat, round-eyed with raw interest. It was Ronnie who spoke, breaking the stare-down between the two.

"Yeah you can steal her all you want," she said dragging the 'all' out a little more.

Shooting them daggers, she stood up followed, walking beside him, he pushed the doors to the cafeteria open, waiting for her to go in. What could he want to say that was so important that he just had to get her alone?

When they sat on the bleachers, under the clear cloudless sky, she turned to him, raising her eyes in question.

Lake released a breath and avoided her eyes. "I'm having a little trouble with the literature assignment and since you're a topper in literature, I was hoping you'd help."

Silence.

"I totally get it if you can't," Lake continued mistaking her silence as a negative sign. "And I won't pressure you anymore."

"Say something, please?" Her silence was killing him. This was the first time he would ask for tutor help from a girl and he wasn't taking the results well."

"I'll do it."

He wasn't sure he heard her right so he turned to make eye contact, drowning in those bright eyes in a neutral face. How did she pull off that look even in normal situations?

"Don't give me that look," there was a teasing undertone to her words. "I said I'll help, I'm not gonna start flying and singing like some celestial angel."

Oh, you're much more than that. You're a goddess. The words almost slipped through his mouth and he caught himself. What was it about her that made him want to tell her everything? Like she would listen to his boring stories but what if she would?

"Lake?" She was waving her hand in front of his face. "You okay buddy?"

A laugh escaped his mouth. "I'm fine. My place, after school?"

"Yeah sure."

"Great." He stood up and held his hand out for her. He held the silk-soft hand in his firmly before pulling her to her feet.

"Thank you."

"Why are you thanking me? I'm only tutoring you," she said, "and besides, you're not that bad in literature."

"If only you knew." The words were out before he could stop them. Where the hell had that come from?

They were now in the middle of the still empty hallway, facing each other. Adana tilted her head with squinted eyes. "What?"

"Never-mind, the break is almost over," he rushed out thankful that she hadn't caught his silly slip-up."

Before she could question him any further, he turned away from her and almost bolted to the cafeteria, thinking of cold food and snacks; milkshakes, soda, ice-cream. Anything to distract himself from the heat spreading from his neck into his cheeks.

"Bye Lake." She whispered to herself, her hand going to touch the source of the erratic beating. "After school."

The day dragged along and Adana found herself feeling edgy at the prospect of tutoring Lake. The boy was handsome. They both were but she had never tutored anyone. She topped the class in literature, so tutoring wasn't the problem. The boy in question was. She had never tutored a guy, much less one as handsome as Lake.

He had that calm aura about him that made her feel at ease, teasing her to open up but she had decided a long time ago not to lower those big, strong walls around her.

"Okay, go tutor Lake, then off to work." She recited her routine staring at those familiar

tired-looking eyes and frizzy hair in the mirror when the final bell had gone off.

A ping followed closely by vibration on her hip, alerted her to a new message. She dived into her pocket to open her phone to click on the message. It was from Lake, giving her the address. She typed in a response and stuffed it back in her pocket.

After what felt like an eternal walk, she stood before the solid thick door, ringing the doorbell and shifting from one foot to the other.

"Coming." It was a muffled male voice.

Pausing his video game, Storm ran to answer the door, "oh, you."

His eyes scanned her, taking in all he could and she wasn't far from doing the same thing. His lighter chestnut hair was loose, grazing his shoulders, light hints at strong abs and solid chest was on full display.

"You like?" He smirked when her gaze lingered on his body. Her eyes snapped up taking in the smug expression and she scoffed.

"If I like garbage, maybe," she said. "Are you gonna let me in now?"

"Oh, feisty. I like it." He stepped aside holding the door wider for her. "Welcome to the Richards mancave."

Interesting. . .