The Benefits of Sexting

Chapter 9

Not that all jocks were idiots. This one was just particularly idiotic.

"Hey, if you ever need someone to swing by and cut the grass I'm willing to. I don't know if you have a lawn mower but I can load mine into the truck," Sawyer said as we trudged through the long grass.

I cringed at the mention of our unkempt lawn. "We do have a lawn mower. I just haven't been—"

"I mean not that it looks bad," Sawyer interrupted, obviously aware of how uncomfortable the subject was for me.

I gave him a funny look, raising one eyebrow. "Oh, so you think the wild, shin high grass is a good look?"

"I mean if you're going for that kind of thing."

I rolled my eyes but smiled, surprised by his generous offer, no matter how embarrassed I was. "Okay, smart ass. Not all of us have the time to cut our grass every week. And thanks for the offer, but I was going to cut it today anyway."

We climbed up the back porch steps, our weight causing the wood underneath us to groan in protest. I'd been right about the back door being locked. When I reached up to pull the sliding door open, it barely budged.

"Fantastic."

"Do you want me to take you back to the party?" Sawyer asked.

I thought about having to ask Ty for his keys to get into his car, but the thought of interrupting his private moment with Emily made me cringe. "Maybe I'll see if my window is open. But I might need a boost."

Without waiting for Sawyer to agree, I bound off the back porch and toward the side of the house where my bedroom window was located. As I'd predicted, the window was just a little too high for me to open and pull myself into.

"Hey, Saw—"

Before I could even get the rest of my sentence out I was lifted from the ground, two strong hands tightly gripping my waist. I gave out a little squeal of surprise, flailing like a total idiot. Thankfully, Sawyer steadied me as I gripped the bottom of the window and pushed it open. He held me further in the air as I lifted myself up and squeezed my body through the space. I'd like to say my landing was graceful, by my back made a funny popping noise as I rolled onto the floor with an "oomph."

"Ouch."

"I wish I could have seen that," Sawyer said, lifting himself through the window with ease before landing gracefully on his two feet.

Sawyer Armstrong was in my bedroom.

"What are you doing?" I asked him as he straightened up and shut the window.

He looked at me like I was crazy. "I was just shutting the window. I figured you ought to if you didn't want bugs getting in."

"No, I mean why are you in my bedroom?"

Sawyer, as if just realizing he was in fact in my bedroom, gazed around, his eyes scanning the picture covered walls and barely visible floor. Even though I had a perfectly good laundry basket, somehow my clothes always ended up scattered across the ground. Truthfully, I wasn't the cleanest person, which was why I didn't usually let people into my room.

Especially not people named Sawyer Armstrong.

"You know, I thought you'd be cleaner," he said thoughtfully, picking through a few things that sat on top of my dresser. "But I like the color, green is nice."

I pushed myself off the floor with a sigh and grabbed Sawyer's arm. "Out," I demanded, pulling him toward my bedroom door.

He followed behind me obediently, his feet shuffling against the floor as I dragged him into the living room. "Nice house," he commented, looking around at the pictures on the wall.

Yeah, it'd be nicer without you in it...

"Do you normally climb through people's windows without asking permission?" I asked him.

He gave me a dazzling smile. "Only if I've just given them a ride, free of charge, and then helped them break into their own house."

Sawyer looked down at me, his lips curving up to form a grin. I'd never noticed how much taller he was than me, but it was evident when we were standing so close and he had to bend his neck just to look me in the eyes. I could tell by the way that he was watching me that there was some sort of challenge in his stare. He knew I wasn't exactly fond of him, but after he drove me home and helped me into my own house it seemed as though the polite thing to do was thank him, and he knew it.

"Thank you so very much, Sawyer," I said, a hint of sarcasm in my voice. "Is there anything I can do in return?"

"Actually, now that you asked, I do need a favor."

I raised my eyebrows as if to tell him to continue. "My little sister needs some help in math. I know you only tutor high school kids, but her usual tutor just graduated last year and—"

"And you wanted me to tutor her?"

"Yes. If you can fit her in your schedule."

That was not what I was expecting to hear.

I always tutored on Wednesdays after work at the library, and one of my recent clients had just ended their lessons. There was no doubt that I needed the money, but was it really the best idea to tutor Sawyer's little sister? Sure, I wouldn't be spending my time with him exactly, but it did open doors for the possibility of future communication, and that was one thing I wasn't sure I needed.

Then again, I'd see Sawyer at school no matter what. And, if he did go out of his way to talk to me, it wasn't the end of the world. Sure, he was a troublemaker, and most of the time he had a dirty mouth, but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle. At least now I knew better than to plot a revenge plan with him.

"I can squeeze her in at seven thirty. My shift ends at seven, and I tutor in the back study room at the library. Checks are fine, but I prefer cash."

He smiled. "Sweet. Oh, and I wouldn't mind a glass of water too. Or maybe even some lemonade."

There it was. There was the annoying Sawyer I'd come to know. "Anything else, your majesty?" I asked as I walked over toward the kitchen.

"A sandwich would be nice."

Why did I even bother to ask....