[𝟑] 𝐑𝐄𝐃𝐀𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐘 | adam banks

C H A P T E R 13

"El, wait, please. Let me explain," Banks' voice reached me as he followed me out of the cafeteria.

"Not now, Banks," I grumbled, striding quickly, but he easily kept up due to his height.

"Oh, so we're back to last names now, Cromwell?" he said, irritation evident in his tone.

"Why? Is there a problem?" I stopped abruptly, turning to face him with my arms crossed.

"Look, I know what I did back there-"

"You actually didn't do anything, Banks," I pointed out, flashing a sarcastic smile.

"Just let me explain," he sighed, attempting to calm himself.

"Your cousin, Riley asked me to hang out with him today," he clarified.

"And you couldn't say no?" I narrowed my eyes at him.

"El, we're new to this. We need to blend in with them, or else..." he trailed off, and I completed his sentence.

"Your dad," I nodded, lips pressed together.

"And I know you understand my situation with him," Adam said.

"I know, but that doesn't mean you can't defend Kenny, Adam, or our friends in general," I said softly.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

I paused for a moment before nodding at him. He moved closer, wrapping his arms around my waist and drawing me close to his chest. Without hesitation, I reciprocated the embrace.

His cologne filled my senses as I nestled into his chest while he gently stroked my hair.

Silence enveloped us, and I felt Adam planting soft kisses on the crown of my head.

"I..." he began but faltered, prompting me to lift my head, resting my chin on his chest.

He seemed hesitant for a moment before finally speaking up.

"I'm sorry, truly," he said, releasing a sigh.

Before I could say anything, Charlie, Fulton, and Russ dashed down the hallway, followed closely by the entire varsity team in pursuit.

***

After school, the Ducks had practice today, so we couldn't spend time with them since we're on a different team now, which felt quite unusual.

We couldn't practice today as they had the rink booked, and Connie and Julie mentioned they have a game in a few days.

So, eventually, I was with my boyfriend again; he was the only one with a clear schedule.

"I'm bored," he groaned, lying flat on his bed while I focused on my homework.

When I didn't respond, he let out a huff before standing up and approaching me.

"Hey, are you alright?" he asked, putting his hands on my shoulders and starting to massage them, causing me to let out a relieved sigh.

"I'm fine," I whispered.

He stopped what he was doing and picked up my notebook from his study table, inspecting it.

"History?" he asked, causing me to groan.

"I know, I always struggle with that subject," I huffed.

"I can help you with it," he shrugged.

"You sure? I mean, I don't want-"

"Don't worry about it. Come on," he said, gesturing for me to sit on the bed with him, which I did.

He then starts going over the details of the Industrial Revolution. "The Industrial Revolution brought about significant changes in manufacturing, transportation, and technology," he explained, his eyes focused on the textbook and flipped through the history book.

I nodded along, occasionally interjecting with questions, but my mind wandered. There was something about the way he explained the history, the passion in his voice, that drew me in more than the subject itself. Our closeness while discussing the historical events made my heart flutter.

As the afternoon light streamed through the window, casting a warm glow around us, I found myself drawn to his presence. A stray strand of hair fell across his forehead, and I reached out to tuck it behind his ear, my fingertips lightly grazing his skin.

Our eyes met, and time seemed to pause. The air became charged with an unspoken tension, a magnetic pull neither could ignore. Our faces leaned closer, almost instinctively drawn together by an undeniable attraction.

After neither of us initiated the first move, Adam grew impatient, abruptly pressing his lips against mine.

The kiss wasn't soft or gentle.

It was in fact electric and intense, a collision of desires and emotions that left me breathless and craving more.

Without realizing it, I found myself lying down, Adam hovering over me with his arms on either side, supporting himself to avoid putting his weight on me.

His lips trailed from my chin to my neck, planting sloppy kisses that elicited a soft moan from me.

"Adam," I sighed, causing him to pull away from my neck and gaze directly into my eyes.

Biting my lip, I stared up at him before wrapping my hands around his neck and pulling him into another heated kiss.

I was on the verge of saying words that might have changed something between us, but our moment was abruptly interrupted by a sudden knock on the door.

Startled, we pulled back, swiftly sitting up and exchanging a quick, nervous glance. "Uh, come in?" Adam managed, attempting to conceal the brief tension that lingered between us.

The door swung open, revealing the elder Banks with an annoyed expression.

"Have you seen my favorite shirt? The black Kurt Cobain one?" he asked, searching the room.

"Uh, no, I haven't," Adam stuttered, still dazed from our recent actions.

Alex groaned, "Seriously?"

"I could lend you some of mine," I offered, shrugging.

"Yeah, she's a huge Kurt Cobain fan," Adam added, causing Alex to gape at me.

"No way!" he excitedly exclaimed. "Now I finally have someone to talk to about Nirvana, unlike someone with bad taste in music."

"Hey!" Adam protested, looking offended, which caused me to chuckle at their banter.

As Alex finally left the room, Adam glanced at me with a smirk.

"What?" I let out a nervous giggle.

"Shall we continue your homework?" he teased, the smirk still playing on his face.

I laughed, playfully shoving him. "Shut up, Adam Banks."