Still being mad at him for ditching me at the beach might have played a small part in my decision but I was not telling him that.

Frustration radiated from him. From his harsh pants of breath to his ticking jaw and to the veins bulging in his arm and in the hands on the locker next to my head.

"Has it occurred to you that I actually need to tutor Chase?" I mentioned to him.

"You are not going." He repeated, his guttural command shaking his chest.

"I really think I am getting through to him. He even made this comment about pasta and Shakespeare." I changed tactics and pointed out that the meeting was entirely educational "We have spent so much time studying together that he is starting to sound like me.

Stone gnarled "What part of that sentence was meant to make me feel better?"

"I am going." I argued, rising on my toes.

"You are not." He grumbled, flicking his attention from my glare to my lips.

"It is none of your business." I told him.

He chuckled humourlessly and then it died out as he gritted out "Say that again."

"Am I speaking Swahili?" I deadpanned before repeating "It is none of your business."

"You are my business."

One of the large hands on the locker lowered until it brushed against my green plait.

Wondering why I was still choosing to remain in his hold, I ducked under his arm so that I was no longer cornered by him.

His vein-struck hands remained on the locker for a second longer before he dropped them and faced me.

"I am going." I stated and made it final "Mr Dankworth trusted me to help him so that is what I am going to do."

The sharp jawline ticked until he spoke again in his rough voice "It is not happening."

"What are you going to?" I mocked, waving my hands around in the air dramatically "Stop me?"

An evil smirk graced his features. He nodded once, a declaration of way.

"Game on, Medusa." He promised darkly.

After what felt like an eternity of him studying me, his gaze softened as he noticed my crossed arms and my angry pout.

I was left speculating what his next move would be as I walked away from him.

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-One

"So, you have to tutor Chase again?" Lana asked while staring up at the clock above the teacher's board.

I nodded as I watched the seconds tick by. It was the last period of the week and I only had to listen to French sentences about directions for another five minutes.

Tapping on the desk with my pencil, I replied to her "Unfortunately. Friday evenings are for a person to go home and do absolutely nothing. Not studying."

As she shut her textbook, she rose an eyebrow "But you go home to read anyway?"