Translation: my mother.

I cut to the chase. “My mother isn’t coming back for a few hours. She won’t know.”

She chewed on her bottom lip, and I wished I could have been the one biting it.

“Okay,” she finally said. “I guess there’s no harm if it’s quick.”

“Cool.”

We got in my car and drove to the same Starbucks as last time. Raven ordered her same macchiato. This time I opted for one, too, to try it. I wanted to know what she liked, what made her tick—everything about her.

On the drive home, I decided to stop at a hidden inlet only a few people knew about.

“Why are we stopping here?” Raven asked.

“I want to show you something.”

After we parked and got out, she took my hand for balance as we climbed down the rocks to the ocean.

She looked out at the water. “This is beautiful. I would’ve never known this was here.”

“Yeah. It’s sort of hidden. It’s my secret spot when I want to be alone. I come here all the time to think.”

Her green eyes sparkled in the sun. “It’s amazing. Good find.”

We sat on some rocks and watched the waves crash.

“I haven’t seen you around much this week,” she finally said.

My eyes drifted away, unable to look at her and lie. “Yeah...I’ve been busy.”

“Really? I thought maybe your mother told you to stay away from me.”

Shit.

“I haven’t wanted to get you in trouble,” I admitted. “My mother thinks she can control every aspect of my life. I won’t let her. What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her. She can’t tell me who I can and cannot be around. That said, I don’t want her making trouble for you or your mother. That’s the reason I’ve kept my distance. The only reason, Raven.”

“You didn’t have to lie. I can handle the truth. It’s not like you’re telling me something I don’t already know.”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t honest. I won’t do that again.”

It bugged me that she knew I’d intentionally stayed away from her. Not only did it send the wrong message, but it made me look like a fucking wuss. But that was the price I’d have to pay for trying to protect her.

My eyes followed a flock of seagulls that had surrounded us. I had a lot on my mind and decided to let some of it out.

“Everyone probably thinks my brother and I have it all. But for once, I’d just like to live my life without being told what to do.” I blew out a long breath. “My mother doesn’t realize that by threatening me, she only makes me want to go against her more.”

Raven’s brows drew together. “So, you’re hanging out with me right now as an act of rebellion? Because she’s not home?”

“No, no, no. I didn’t mean to make it sound that way. I’m hanging out with you because I think you’re cool as shit.”

“Why? Why do you think that?”

How do I even begin to answer? “First impressions are everything. You had me from the moment you called Weldon a pin-headed prick. That’s when I knew you were my people.”

I managed to make her laugh.

“Honestly…” I said. “You’re a breath of fresh air. I find myself unable to tolerate being home sometimes. It’s stifling. The same old shit. The same close-minded people. My mother thought by sending us to England she was keeping us out of trouble here, but being in London actually afforded me more freedom to realize what else is out there. If she knew half the shit I did while I was away, she would’ve made me come home a long time ago.”

Raven’s eyes glimmered with curiosity. “What’s the thing that would make her freak out the most?”

I knew the answer to that question almost immediately, but didn’t know if telling Raven was a good idea.

Screw it. “I slept with one of my teachers.”

Her eyes widened. “What?”

“Okay, before you freak out too much, I should note that she was in her twenties, and I was eighteen at the time.”

“That’s still pretty wild.”

“Yeah.”

“Who came on to whom?”

“It was mutual. But technically, she made the first move as soon as I turned legal.”

“What ended up happening?”

“We stopped after a few times. She eventually got together with another teacher. No one ever found out about us. No one knows…except you.”

“Wow…that’s so salacious. I guess she felt you were worth losing a job over. Impressive.”

“Yeah. You should remember that.” I winked.

She laughed.

I smiled. “I’m just kidding. That was way too easy. I had to do it.”

Our eyes locked. The way she looked at me made me want to pull her close and show her just how worth it I was. I had a different kind of chemistry with this girl than I’d ever felt before. She wasn’t trying to prove anything. She was just being herself. When she looked into my eyes, I felt like she was really seeing me. And I loved the way that made me feel.