Chapter Fifteen — Sandra

The rest of Sandra’s shift flew by, considering she was barely conscious of anything that happened around her. She helped elderly patrons check out their items, scanned books as they were returned, and shelved them once she was done. But it was all on autopilot. Her smile came easily as she moved through the tasks, her thoughts on Blair. As soon as she was finished here, she would be able to see him.

For a moment, she doubted her decision to stop going to school. She didn’t think she’d gain anything by going to class, and she did have a point to make, but staying home seriously cut into the amount of time she would be able to spend with Blair.

Not that they were a thing.

Except, he’d shown up at the library to see her. And they were meeting up after she got off work. That was the type of thing that couples did, right?

Sandra tried to keep her excitement, and her expectations, at bay.

Like that was going to happen.

She’d never felt this way about a guy before, and she was loving it. It was a type of happy insanity that drove her crazy but she couldn’t get enough of. She didn’t want to get enough of it.

“Say hi to Blair for me,” Mrs. Klemin called after Sandra as she rushed to grab her coat and purse from the back room.

“Sure thing,” Sandra said as she left the library. Yeah, not likely.

She got to Twisters a few minutes early. She grabbed a seat at a table and stared out the window as she scanned the dark for Blair’s car. There were plenty of headlights, but none that belonged to him. At 7:16, she started getting worried.

Okay, he was only one minute late. But still. It felt like an eternity.

At 7:20, a Jeep pulled in. It looked an awful lot like Amanda’s. Wait a minute…it was Amanda’s. Panic filled her gut. Sandra had been avoiding telling Amanda and Gracie about the date—about the kiss.

She was bursting to tell her best friends and could barely contain it, but Sandra knew if she told Amanda anything, she would tell Cameron, who would tell Blair. And things were new enough that Sandra didn’t want to ruin anything. She needed to figure out if Blair even wanted a relationship. She’d seen him with a lot of girls over the past year, and she didn’t want to hop in line without knowing if he expected to move on in a week or two.

Except, as Amanda walked toward the fast food restaurant, Sandra noticed she wasn’t alone. And it wasn’t just Cameron that was with her. Gracie was here. And…

Blair.

Why had he ridden over with Amanda?

Dread replaced the panic.

He hadn’t wanted to be alone with Sandra. She had scared him off by inviting him, and he’d brought reinforcements.

Maybe she could sneak into the bathroom, then slip out when they weren’t looking. As soon as she moved to stand, however, Amanda spotted her and made a beeline to the table where Sandra had settled in.

“I’m so sorry,” Amanda whispered in Sandra’s ear as she gave Sandra a big hug. She stepped back and glanced away, like she felt guilty about something.

Great. Amanda must know Blair wasn’t interested, and now she was feeling guilty about setting them up in the first place. This was just getting worse.

Sandra said hi to Gracie and Cameron as they slid into chairs at the table, but as soon as Blair joined their group, Sandra stood.

“I’m so sorry, but I can’t stay. I’m not feeling well, and Twisters’ food definitely isn’t going to help.”

Everyone exchanged glances, like they could see straight through her lame lie.

“You don’t have to eat,” Gracie said. “But stay. We hardly see you anymore.” Her eyes flitted to Blair, and then back to Sandra.

“I really don’t think that’s a good idea,” Sandra said, taking a step backward and trying to ignore the disappointed looks staring up at her.

It was true, Sandra didn’t get to see her friends anymore. They were at school during the day, and she was at the library every afternoon and into the evenings. The only day she was able to see them anymore was Saturday, and she’d skipped out on the dance with Blair last week.

And despite how things had turned out, she didn’t regret it. In fact, it had been one of the best nights of her life.

But she couldn’t sit here with her friends and pretend she was fine. Not with Blair staring at her. Because his gaze hadn’t left her since he’d walked in, a number of indistinguishable emotions passing across his face. Sandra had finally allowed herself to like a guy, and it had ended before it had the chance to start.

“Sorry,” she said, taking another step toward the door. She gave a little wave, then hurried out the door. As soon as she was outside, she stopped and breathed in the cold air. It awakened her and cleared her head. She moved away from the door, where her friends wouldn’t be able to see her, and leaned against the wall of the restaurant. Her warm breath spiraled up into the darkness, the lights from Twisters illuminating the vapor.

“Mind if I join you?”

Sandra jumped at the voice.

Blair.

“I was just taking a moment before heading home,” she said, her gaze dropping to the ground. “Upset stomach, you know.”

Blair leaned against the wall next to Sandra. “That’s too bad.”

Sandra shuffled her feet on the sidewalk. She didn’t want to be here, having this conversation. Did he think it would be more noble to let her down face to face? If so, he should stop trying to do the right thing. Sandra was fine with letting things be awkward for a while.

“These things can come on suddenly,” she said.

Blair blew out a long breath that mingled with Sandra’s. “Look, I’m sorry. I know having everyone here isn’t what we had planned.”

“It’s fine. I get it.” That didn’t mean Sandra liked it. “I really need to get going.” She moved to leave.

Blair placed a hand on her arm. His touch was gentle, but it stopped her. “You don’t understand. I had to invite them; my mom wouldn’t have let me come otherwise.”

Sandra’s gaze snapped up. He seemed completely genuine, and for the first time, she noticed the sadness in his eyes. It hadn’t been there before. Certainly not at the library. “What happened?”

He pulled his phone from his back pocket. “Remember how we had to fill out that release form at the climbing gym?”

“Yeah…” She wasn’t sure what that had to do with anything. The form had said that they wouldn’t sue if they got hurt, which neither of them had.

“Did you notice the last paragraph, the photo release where it said they could take pictures and use the images for marketing purposes?”

So what if they wanted to use a picture of Blair and Sandra on their website or a pamphlet or something? All people would see was their backs. That didn’t seem like a huge deal. “No, I didn’t.”

Blair hesitated, like he didn’t want to tell her the next part. Her heart thudded. There was something about the way his gaze dropped that made her suddenly anxious. “I’m not eighteen yet, so I had to use my dad’s name on the release form. And his email address—I don’t have my own.”

“Okay…”

He rubbed his neck. Even in the dim light, she could see the hives. “Someone from the climbing gym took pictures of us, and they’ll be using one of them in their advertising. They sent my dad an email letting him know.” He paused. “And the picture.”

That was quick. It had only been a couple of days. Sandra’s mind whirled as she tried to think of the ramifications this could have. She came up blank, still not understanding why Blair was worried about this.

Blair’s fingers tapped across his phone screen, and then he held it out to her.

She reached out to take it, but then hesitated for a second, suddenly not knowing if she wanted to see what Blair had to show her. Her fingers wrapped around the phone.

What she saw took her breath away. The picture was of them hanging midair, Blair’s arms around her as they kissed. He was in his suit and she in her dress.

It was beautiful.

No wonder the climbing gym wanted to use it in their marketing.

Sandra couldn’t stop herself from smiling as she handed it back. “I’ll have to check my email when I get home.”

Blair slipped his phone back into his pocket. “My mom saw it.”

Oh.

But was that so bad? So what if Sandra and his mom weren’t exactly on friendly terms? Okay, that was an understatement. They couldn’t stand each other. But her son was turning eighteen soon, and he was graduating in a few months, and it wasn’t like there was a lot his mom could do about it.

Unless…

“Why did you ride here with Amanda?”

Blair’s lips pulled into a frown, like he was reliving a bad memory. “It was the only way she’d let me leave the house. I told her I had plans and was meeting people at Twisters, but she knew it was only one person I was planning on meeting—you. So I lied and said I was going with Cameron and Amanda.” He ran a hand through his hair. “To make me prove it, she told me I could have them pick me up—no sense having everyone drive separately.”

“I see.” Sandra folded her arms and looked up at the starry sky, a wave of disappointment hitting her. Sandra liked Blair. A lot. But no matter her feelings, this wasn’t going to work. His mother was an impenetrable barrier. What were they going to do, sneak out every time they wanted to see each other? Have Cameron and Amanda tag along on all their dates? Assuming Blair wanted to go out with her again.

She blew out a frustrated breath. “Well, I guess that’s that.”

Blair took a step forward, his brows furrowed. “Seriously?”

Sandra threw her arms in the air. “What do you want me to say? That I like you? That we should pull a Romeo and Juliet so we can be together forever?”

“A little heavy on the drama, don’t you think?” Blair’s brows relaxed and he gave her a half-smile. “Anything Shakespearean should probably be shelved. Things rarely turn out well for his characters.”

Sandra’s frustration slipped away, and she realized how ridiculous she must have sounded. “I’m sorry, it’s just that…we’ve only been on one date.”

“And?”

Was she really going to have to spell this out for him? “And we’ve seen each other at parties and school and stuff, but I really don’t know anything about you.”

“And?”

Did he really not get where she was going with this? “If it’s this hard just to go on a second date, maybe…”

His eyes clouded with understanding. “Maybe it’s not worth the effort?”

When he put it that way, it made her look like a big jerk. But that was what she had been saying, wasn’t it? Sandra gave a small nod.

To her surprise, Blair’s eyes cleared, and his smile returned. “I really like you, Sandra. That’s a scary thing for me—to really like a girl I go out with.”

Sandra stared. He’d never liked the girls he’d dated? “Are you trying to tell me—”

He held up a finger, indicating he wasn’t done yet. “I’m putting myself out there. You know, with the whole expressing,” he swallowed hard, “feelings…and stuff.”

Okay, that was just adorable.

Blair continued. “Saturday was one of the best nights I’ve had in a long time. And I’m not willing to turn my back and pretend it didn’t happen, just because my mom has issues.”

“So, you’re saying you’re not allowed to date me, but you’re willing to go behind her back to give…” Sandra pointed at herself and then at Blair. She couldn’t bring herself to say ‘us.’ That seemed so formal. Terrifying, even. “…a shot?”

Blair grimaced, and Sandra wondered if she’d said something wrong. “It’s not just dating you that’s the problem.” He looked away. “I’m not allowed to see you. She’s gone so far as to tell me that if I need something from the library, she’ll pick it up for me.”

Sandra’s throat constricted, and she had a hard time breathing. Blair’s mom, the principal of her school, hated her that much? This wasn’t right. It wasn’t fair. And it was painful. How could someone think so little of Sandra?

Moisture sprang to her eyes, and she shook her head in frustration, anger replacing the pain. “She can’t hold you hostage.”

“No, but she pays for my phone, which means she can track it.”

Blair was willing to defy his mother to be with her. And considering who his mother was, that was pretty impressive. And Sandra couldn’t deny she had feelings for him in return. Yeah, she and Blair had only gone out on one date, but it had been enough for Sandra to know she wanted more. Lots more.

There had to be a way to be able to see him.

Sandra’s thoughts screeched to a halt when she realized there was. And she couldn’t see any other way around it.

With a dramatic groan, she stomped the ground with her foot.

Blair took a step toward her, looking slightly alarmed. “What?”

Her shoulders slumped as she said, “Looks like my brief reprieve from school is over. And I haven’t even finished season three of Love Triangle yet.”

“Love Triangle?” Blair did not look impressed.

“Hey, don’t judge.”

He snorted. “As long as you don’t judge my weirdly obsessive fascination with turtles.”

It was Sandra’s turn to be surprised. “Really?”

“Oh, yeah. Did you know they actually have a turtle of the month calendar? It’s awesome.”

For some strange reason, this news made Blair even more attractive than he already was, and she hadn’t thought that was possible. “I’ll have to see it sometime.”

He grinned. “Yes, you should.” He paused, and his smile slipped.

Oh, right. Sandra would probably never see the inside of Blair’s house, with the whole ‘forbidden to see each other’ thing.

Blair studied her. “Did you say you’re coming back to school?”

Sandra grimaced at the thought. “Yeah.” Her tone conveyed how not happy she was with that decision. “Your mom can track your phone all she likes, but she can’t stop you from going to school.”

“And if you’re there…”

“Then she can’t stop you from seeing me,” Sandra finished.

Blair pushed away from the wall. “I can’t ask you to do that.”

“Why not?”

“That’s a big decision to make for something that’s so new.”

Sandra folded her arms, suddenly realizing how cold it was.

He must have mistaken her silence because he continued as if he’d offended her. “Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate it. Just…think about it.”

Sandra had thought he’d be thrilled with the idea. He hadn’t exactly been supportive when she’d announced she was dropping out in the first place. “Why are you trying to convince me to not go back to school?”

Blair looked away as he gave a small shrug. “You don’t want to be there, do you?”

Not really. But she had to admit she was starting to miss spending time with her friends at lunch or goofing off in the halls between classes. Heck, she was even missing the classes themselves. Most of them were a complete waste of time, but she loved learning, and watching reality TV all day wasn’t really doing it for her.

And of course, there was Blair. He was a very convincing reason to go back to school.

“I have better reasons to go back than not.”

His expression took on a hopeful gleam. “Oh, yeah?”

She returned his smile. “One of which is standing right in front of me.” Oh wow, that was bold.

“And what’s the other reason?” he asked, taking a step toward her. His eyes teased her, like he was challenging her to come up with another reason. He probably assumed he was the only one. He had good reason to think that.

It didn’t matter how many official dates they’d been on, Sandra had spent enough time with him over the past few months—even if a lot of it had been at a distance—to know she had fallen for Blair. Yeah, he was hot, but he was so much more than that. She’d seen his sense of humor, but he never used it to be mean or rude. He was always kind. Sandra also knew he wasn’t afraid of hard work—she’d seen that side of him when they’d been working on the set for the school’s Christmas play. He was spontaneous, ditching the Valentine’s dance and going along with her crazy ideas, not to mention an amazing kisser.

And yet, Principal Howell still managed to interfere with Sandra’s thoughts.

Ugh.

Why couldn’t Sandra just enjoy seeing where this relationship went without bringing Blair’s mom into it? Because Principal Howell kept inviting herself in where she wasn’t wanted.

Blair’s teasing smile had faded and was replaced by curiosity. Sandra took a step back, needing a little space from his intense gaze. She hadn’t realized how close she’d been to the edge of the sidewalk, however. She stumbled off the sidewalk and over the curb.

Blair reached out and grabbed her hand, steadying her. “You okay?” His fingers tightened around hers as he pulled her back onto the sidewalk. She stopped just in front of him.

“Yeah, I just felt dizzy for a moment.” Her voice came out breathless.

“Yeah, that’s been happening to me too. Funny thing is, it didn’t start until the night of the dance,” he said with an adorably awkward wink. “If this relationship goes much further, I may need to see a doctor about it.”

Sandra’s stomach flipflopped. “Did you just say we have a relationship?”

Blair hesitated, like he was unsure what the correct answer was. “Maybe. Does that bother you? Because if it does, I can totally take this thing slow. Like, really slow. So slow you won’t even know we are dating.”

Sandra laughed. “I believe you, considering your obsession with turtles.”

Blair held up a finger. “Fascination. Not obsession. I’m not crazy like those people who have turtle sheets on their beds or anything like that.”

“Or turtle lamps, turtle posters, turtle…” Sandra paused, her eyes widening when she realized Blair’s gaze had dropped and his cheeks had reddened. “Oh my gosh, you totally do!” She clapped her hands, loving that Blair wasn’t the totally cool jock he portrayed himself to be at school.

Blair hung his head. “I do.” He paused, his lips clamped shut like there was something else he felt he needed to tell her, but didn’t want to. Sandra eyed him, knowing he was hiding something. When his gaze met hers, the words burst from his lips like a cannonball. “And I totally lied about the turtle sheets.” Blair clapped a hand over his mouth like he couldn’t believe he’d just told her that.

Sandra grinned and linked an arm through his. Before they rejoined the others inside Twisters, she said, “I think this is the beginning of a beautiful and completely forbidden friendship.”

He eyed her.

“I mean relationship.”