Touch Me While I Taste You

46
Arabella Rivera
“First, close my damn door. And try being a little gentle this time?” Dark annoyed eyes smoked a fog of irritation towards
Haiden’s brooding posture that stood in the entryway.
Upon Mr. Boyd’s sarcastic request, Haiden’s jaw ticked, the jaw bone growing more prominent by the action. M y eyes leer at the
faint bruise he spotted o n the slightly tan flesh of his jaw. The discoloring under his left eye began to fade but was also still very
noticeable.
With a low pant of annoyance. Haiden reaches for the door and slams it shut. It rattles, indicating that it was close to falling off its
hinges. “Happy?” He asked tightly, voice thickening with what I presume was irritation.
As soon as the words are let out, the sad excuse of a map that hung on the door, falls to the floor limply behind Haiden’s boots.
My eyes draw to Mr. Boyd waiting for his reaction at hearing the blatant bold
action at hearing the blatant bold disrespect in Haiden’s voice. The man always looked furious but the shadow of anger he
spotted now, competed against any previous one before. Haiden had ticked off the man, a lot.
The tightness of his frame and the glare o fannoyance said it all. Mr. Boyd drew in a breath that calmed him down before he said
anything out of the way. His frame relaxed too. As if finally realizing that Haiden was not worth arguing with.
He lifts a hand to his forehead, rubbing the skin as if to ward off a splitting headache. “You damn kids.” He murmurs lowly.
Damn kids? He better be speaking about Haiden, I had nothing to do with this sudden annoyance he was now spotting. I n fact,
I’m innocent in all of this. I just came to hold up my own side of the deal.
If I knew the guy I would be tutoring was Haiden, I would have probably said no. Then again, the bright red B on my paper was
taunting me, therefore I wasn’t so sure I would’ve turned down the offer.
Mr. Boyd pinched the skin between his
Boyd pinched the skin between his brows, pulling it lightly and dragged out a n exaggerated sigh.” You try to help them and they
act like little shits of hell.”

I draw in my bottom lip between my teeth, chewing on it lightly to suppress m y laughter at the use of Mr. Boyd’s words. By doing
so, I could feel the pressure of being peered over. I knew it was Haiden, I always knew.
There was just something about his gaze that had a flame as flickering as a wildfire creeping through my veins that led to
goosebumps raging over my skin.
“Why is she here?” The gruff displeased voice had my teeth loosening on my lip and dropping it entirely out of shock. The way
he acknowledged me wasn’t all that great considering how his voice dripped with bitterness.
I found my mind ticking like an old clock as I try to think of the reason behind his sudden bitterness. Haiden was cold and I had
grown used to it, but the bitterness in his tone was something I didn’t expect.
Did I do or say something wrong? I can’t recall doing anything to him and I hadn’t
Dr Tutor say some mung wrong Team Dall doing anything to him and I hadn’t spoken to him in a while too, neither did I say
anything about him.
In my dreams perhaps, but it was nothing he’d not like. Actually, I think we both liked it. Dreams aren’t reality though. And this
reality, was a sucker punch to the gut, unwelcoming and cold.
Mr. Boyd stopped pinching the thin skin between his brows and fixed his gaze on Haiden. He dropped his hand to his sides and
with a frown on his face, voices out.” I found you someone who was willing to tutor you.”
Haiden’s eyes snap to mine, narrowing o n my face until I could feel the penetrating stare. He was calculating something in his
head, I could just tell. The way his brows lined in a frown and the tick of his jaw showed me that he did not quite like Mr. Boyd’s
words.
And he definitely voiced it out. “You found someone and it’s her?” The way he said her was like he was intentionally mocking me.
He snorts unamused. “Yeah forget it.” His heavy tone of displeasure was a slight
TIL SITUITS CITUDLU TUTULDELIL.
heavy tone of displeasure was a slight jab that I tried to ignore. Haiden turns around ready to leave, his fingers already wrapping
around the door handle when M r. Boyd’s edgy voice stops him. “If you walk out of that door, you’ll be saying goodbye to your
high school diploma.”

Haiden completely freezes, posture turning rigid as he slowly turns around. His eyes are like ice, cold, chilling and unsettling.
“The fuck you just say?”
A brewing of a storm. One I’d not want to get trapped in. Unfortunately, it seems I have tangled myself in this situation unwillingly
and unknowingly. Was it too late to back out and just face the rude awakening of getting my first B?
As happy I’d be backing out of the deal, I couldn’t. I needed that B to turn into an A. I can’t afford to have my perfect report card
tainted by something so unappealing
Mr. Boyd slams his fist on the desk. The sudden action had me yelping faintly as I nearly jumped out of my very own skin. His
face turned a shade of pink as he tried to calm down his growing anger. Haiden wasn’t exactly helning
calm down his growing anger. Haiden wasn’t exactly helping
Spitting profanities at me wouldn’t help you boy.” His voice is gruff and heavy
with outrage.
Mr. Boyd looked at Haiden without battering a lash. “And you heard me. Your chances of ever graduating will go down the drain if
you fail this class. You’re slacking off boy. You barely come to class. And when you do, it’s like you’re in your own world.”
I took a peek at Haiden, my eyes falling o n his clenched fists at his sides. My stomach twisted when I spotted the torn flesh on
his knuckles that looked fresh. Tiny red cuts also decorated his big hand, worming down to his long fingers.
Haiden had definitely been fighting. That explains the faint bruises he had been sporting recently.
“What are you saying old man?” The emotionless voice of Haiden had me snapping my eyes up to look at his face. H e doesn’t
spare me a glance, only arrowed it to Mr. Boyd.
I hated how awkward I was just standing there while listening to two angry males that tried to intimidate each other. None backed
down, so I suppose this will take longer than I expected.
Mr. Boyd sighs heavily, exhausted by just talking to Haiden.
“I’m saying that if you can’t keep up with the rest of your class, you will be held back. I’m not the only one who has agreed to this
Haiden.”

His eyes snap to my fidgeting self and he finishes. “Arabella is exceptional with all subjects and may be the only one that can
help you keep up with your studies. If not, you’ll be repeated. You need her Haiden.”