Kiera turned bright red, and I had to press my lips together to not laugh…or picture her without any underwear on. I managed to not laugh. I failed to hold back the erotic image. Jesus, Anna…why did you have to put that in my brain? And just when I was making some headway with her parents. Hopefully they didn’t notice how much I loved the idea.

Everyone in the room reprimanded Anna at the exact same time. Everyone except me. I gave her a discreet, appreciative grin…because I was really enjoying the new-and-improved visual she’d just given me. Jesus. Now I really wanted to skip this party. Goddamn it, Anna. I’m trying to be good today.

Kiera was a bundle of nerves as I drove her to school, anxious about being the center of attention, even if it was just for a split-second. Wanting her to be as calm as possible for as long as possible, I walked with her to where she was supposed to go. She leaned into my side, grateful. “I love how you take care of me,” she said.

Peeking down at her, I asked, “You don’t think I’m…clingy? Always needing to be near you?” Even I felt clingy sometimes. I couldn’t help it. She was my happy place.

Kiera let out a soft laugh as she looked up at me. “No…I think you got that part just right.”

That made me smile. It also reminded me that I couldn’t be that way with her as much as I wanted or for as long as I wanted. This visit was going to be a short one. Far too short. I was flying back to L.A. on Monday.

A group of people loitering in the hallway made me come to a stop. Candy and her friends. Once upon a time, I could barely remember Candy’s name, but after she and her friends had tried to convince Kiera that I’d cheated on her—making up some bullshit story and using my tattoo as proof—everything about Candy was burned into my brain. And not in a good way. She’d gone too fucking far.