Breathe (student/teacher)

Chapter 9

He grabbed my wrist the moment I ran through the door and pulled me through and unfamiliar hallway. I followed him up the stone steps in silence as he led me to a separate housing quarters I had never been to before. I assumed it was the staff housing. Ironically, teachers literally did live at my school.

He dragged me into a dark room and closed the door behind us, flicking the light switch on only after we were secluded in the room.

His back was turned to me, but I could tell he was breathing heavily. I didn't understand why. I approached him, laying a delicate hand on his shoulder.

"Sir," I said quietly. "Are you alright?"

He turned suddenly, pulling me into an embrace. His arms entwined tightly around my waist, and I was left wondering how to respond appropriately to my teacher clinging to me like this.

I came to the conclusion that there was no appropriate way. Nothing about this situation was appropriate.

That being said, I put proprieties aside and acted with my heart. Slowly, I ran my hands along his muscular forearms, up his biceps, and connected my fingers around his neck. It felt so good to be close to him, to have his arms around me. It almost felt like a dream. For a moment I was convinced that it was.

My bliss shattered the moment that I realized it wasn't.

Oh god, what was I doing? Hugging my teacher like this?

Okay sure, a hug is a hug. It's nothing scandalous. But this wasn't a quick embrace. It had been quite sometime, and yet here I stood still tangled in his arms, never wanting to leave.

His warm breath hit my neck as he exhaled, sending shivers down my spine in the most delightful way.

"Are you okay, Caraway? I saw you with that boy, and I..." he struggled to find the words. "I worried. He wasn't treating you...properly."

He pushed away from me, and my heart sank.
I nodded. "I'm okay," I lied. "I'm fine, I'm really fine."

He took a step toward me, reaching a hand out to touch my cheek before retracting it, realizing how inappropriate the gesture was.

It's not like it really mattered at that point, though.

"You don't have to lie to me, Alex."

I sighed, sitting down on the burgundy comforter atop the bed behind me. "He's my ex boyfriend," I explained, watching Mr. Traynor visibly become more tense. "He cheated on me, and apparently he transferred here this year because I ruined his reputation and he wants some sort of revenge." I shook my head. "I don't really understand it."

"You ruined his reputation?" He looked perplexed. "How did you manage that?"

I shrugged. "I told people that he cheated on me, and I guess that was the wrong thing to do."

He closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. "He didn't hurt you in any way, did he? He didn't...he didn't touch you, did he?"

I stood and walked toward him, moving his arm and holding his hand in my own. His eyes opened and peered into mine.

"He didn't get the chance. He might have been planning to, but I ran before he could. I'm unharmed, sir."

He relaxed. "Oh, thank God."

We were silent for a moment, staring at one another. My heart ached in his presence. Never in my life had a person enthralled me as he did. Never had I felt such a close connection so soon. Never had I felt the sparks he made me feel. Around him, breathing was easier. Around him, anything was possible.

"Oh, Alex." He ran his index finger along my jawline, once again captivating me and causing goosebumps to arise on my skin. "What are you doing to me?"

I looked up at him through long lashes. "I was going to ask you the same question, sir."

He dropped my hand and tightly pulled my waist against his, inching his face closer to mine until our noses touched.

"This is wrong," I whispered.

"It's okay," he replied. "It's okay if it feels right." Oh and how it did. It felt so right as his hands roamed my waist. So right because it was wrong. "Tell me to stop and I will, Caraway. Just...tell me to stop."

I shook my head. "Don't stop."

His hands moved down, cupping my butt as he lifted me and turned us so my back was pressed against the wall. Our lips hadn't even touched yet, but it added to the intensity of this all. Passion boiled over within me as his lips gently assaulted my neck. My toes curled as they moved along the surface of my skin. His trail of kisses moved along my collar bone and up the central column of my neck, until finally they detached themselves from my skin. They wavered above my lips, just a millimeter away.
We breathed heavily, eyes locked, lips nearly touching. My gaze drifted down to his pink lips, and I readjusted myself so my hands were more firmly tied behind him.

"Kiss me," I whispered.

And he did.