“Thanks,” I said, but it almost sounded like a question. My head was spinning from the whiplash in his mood. A compliment? That was rare. I waved him off and booked it out of the room like I was late to class, not a half hour early.

Five and a half months to college acceptance. Seven and a half to graduation.

Then no one would call me in early, force me to check things I had no business checking. I highly doubted college professors were as strict and demanding of students’ free time as Tanner.

Wandering through the halls, I contemplated killing the extra time in the coding room, but for once, I wasn’t in the mood. The negative vibe in his office had axed any hope of having a good Monday morning.

Though, grabbing an Americano and an unsweetened venti iced green tea could turn things around. Plus, it would give me the perfect excuse to see Amber first thing in the morning.

Keys in hand, I bounded through the exit doors with a much better attitude than when I entered. I rounded the corner of the exterior building, heading toward my car, but skidded to a stop when I spotted Tessa.

She sat on one of the tables in the quad right next to the school’s entrance, one leg hooked over Colt’s hip, their mouths hardly breaking for air.

“Ah, fucking hell,” I snapped, clenching my eyes shut like I could unsee my baby sister in heavy-make-out-central with her boyfriend.

“Dean?” Tessa yelled. “What the hell?” She scooted only an inch away from Colt, who kept his hand on her knee.

“Hey, Dean,” he said.

I tried not to growl at him.

It was the same every time I caught them, which was more often than I’d like. Tragedy of living in the same house, but normally they kept it contained to there or elsewhere. Never school.

I stopped in front of them. “What the hell?” I mimicked her. “You what the hell?”

“We’re just having breakfast,” she said, motioning to the breakfast burritos on the table behind her. She likely grabbed them from work before coming here, and I almost asked why I wasn’t chomping down on one right this second, but that was beside the point.

“Yeah, didn’t look like it.” I cringed. Tessa had dated Colt practically forever, but it didn’t mean I wanted to see them like that together. “Just, ugh.” I rolled my eyes. “I’ll see you later.” I headed toward my car, trying to blow off the whole thing. I needed that coffee more now than before.

Maybe the caffeine would help burn the image of my baby sister being groped out of my head. Though I doubted there was any fire strong enough.

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

Amber

“You’re wanted in the principal’s office, Ms. Henderson,” Mrs. Angelo said as she stopped me mid-type on my lit paper.