Will's eyes are truly tortured.
"Moira," He husks, his voice low and his expression twisting in existential pain. "I asked you to come with me tonight for selfish reasons."
"What?" I gasp. "Are you kidding, Will? What you did was incredible."
"I mean, what I'm doing right now is wrong," Will continues. "I told myself that I was helping you, that I wasn't going to let my feelings get involved. I was lying to myself, but I can't lie to you."
I'm too stunned to answer, so we're both quiet.
"I have feelings for you, Moira," Will's voice is anguished but all I can hear is my pulse slamming in my ears. "Feelings that are too strong to deny and completely inappropriate given our situation. I want to apologize for putting you in this position. I shouldn't have said anything, fuck."
Hearing him cuss is hotter than he realizes. Everything he's saying, in fact, has me hot and bothered.
Will turns his face up to the sky to take a few slow breaths.
"I have feelings for you too, Will," I'm barely able to get the words out. "And I'm done apologizing for-"
Will's lips brush mine as our mouths move in a tender kiss that sets my whole body ablaze.
My lips part in a surprised gasp as his hands cup my jaw to deepen our embrace. His thumbs tenderly stroke the hallows of my cheeks as his tongue slides over my teeth in a sensual swirling motion that sent shivers into my bottom.
As far as first kisses go, it was intoxicating. Soft lips. Sweet breath. A stolen moment. I didn't want it to end.
"That was amazing, Moira," Will pulls away still holding my face in his hands. "And it can't happen again."
"Why?" I blurt.
"You know why," he whispers against my lips. "I'm your teacher. You could get kicked out of school and I could get fired. We cannot do that again until you graduate."
"So, we're friends, for now?" A smile builds on my still-tingling lips.
Will pulls me in for another hug.
"Friends, for now," He whispers into the top of my head. "We should go back to the car before you freeze."
Will stands up and offers me his hands to pull me off of the log.
A mixture of disappointment and desire feel as if they are weighing down my legs but together, we slog through the damp sand toward the boardwalk.
When we've reached his car Will pulls me into his body once more.
I know he's going for an innocent embrace, but I can help myself and I push my lips to his.
The deep vibrations of his tormented moan send shivers into my core as Will kisses me like he can't get enough.
My head is practically spinning out of control when he pulls away (again).
"This is going to be really difficult," Will pants sheepishly.
I can feel the heat of his desire in his breath fanning my face.
"Yup," I agree.
The drive home is fantastic. We chat like old friends without a single lag or break in our conversation. It's weirdly freeing to know that Will has listened to my ugliest secrets and none of it fazed him in the slightest.
"One forty-three Glenview Drive right?" He asks, still laughing at my story about the time I tried to adopt one of the raccoons that lived under my grandparent's porch.
My mouth dries up when I realize that Will thought I lived at Keri's house.
He still has no idea that I live in a trailer park.
"Uh, no," I struggle. "You can just drop me off at Longview and Mather."
"You want me to drop you off at a street corner?" Will eyes me like I'm crazy.
"Yes, please," I reply.
"Why?"
"Because..." My voice trails off.
"C'mon, we told each other some pretty deep stuff today," Will says. "At least let me take you home so I know you get there safe."
"Please, Will, I don't want you to see where I live!" I plead.
Will pulls the car over somewhere on the outskirts of Auburn and turns to look me in the face.
"You can't scare me away now, Moira," he tells me.
His blue eyes grow as dark as a stormy ocean.
"One-Fourteen Mather," I admit.
He starts up the car without another word.
I can feel my guts knot as he turns into the filthy trellised gate to our trailer park. Garbage cans line the entry because it was trash day, only adding to the ambiance of the home I've tried to hide for so long.
When he cuts the engine again we're in front of our house and all I want to do is melt into a puddle.
Will, however, is smiling.
"May I walk you to your door?" He asks.
"Really?"
"Yes, really," he chuckles.
Will follows me up the makeshift gravel path to our front door and waits while I fumble with my keys.
"Goodnight, Moira," He says as soon as I'm inside.
"Goodnight, Will," I murmur.
He doesn't kiss me goodbye, but that's because we're just friends, for now.
When his headlights have disappeared from sight and I'm alone I do a little happy dance.
I'm too excited to even try and sleep, so after a shower, I set myself up on the couch to sketch and watch TV. The design just flows from my hand, and soon, I've created an ethereal dress that's a cross between a wrap dress and a gown.
Sometime around four in the morning, I passed out on the couch in a dreamless slumber until an urgent buzzing sound irritated me awake.
When I looked to see what was causing the noise, I found my phone on the floor.
"Good morning," I slur and smack my lips.
"Morning," Will's gentle laughter startles my eyes open wide. "Did I wake you?"
"A little bit," I rub the crusted sleep from my eyes and mutter.
The sound of Will's deep voice floods my memory with images from our non-date that ended in two very passionate kisses.
"Well, you mentioned last night that you had work today at nine," he reminds me. "I just thought I'd call you in case someone kept you out too late last night."
"What time is it?" I search our living room for a clock (that we don't have) and leaped off the couch. "Crap! I'm going to be late! Crap! Crap! Crap!"
Will waits on the other end of the line while I run around like a chicken with its head cut off.
"I'm so sorry, I've gotta go!" I hang up on him when I realize he's still on the line. "Bye, Will! Thank-you-for-last-night-it-was-lovely!"
Then, I finish shimmying into my uniform while trying, very unsuccessfully, to brush my teeth.
After grabbing my purse, I bolt out the front door only to find a familiar Volvo in our parking spot.
There behind the windshield is a handsome driver grinning at my shock and still holding a phone to his ear.
He rolls down the driver's window and sticks his head out, "I figured you might need a ride?"
"I do," a goofy grin spreads across my face.
The heat is blasting when I climb into his car, but I'm still shivering from his chivalrous gesture.
Now I don't have to wait in the freezing cold for a bus that will make me late for work. Instead, I'm going to have a chauffeured ride next to a gorgeous man that makes me want to swoon.
"Are you cold?" He asks, eyeing me in my rumpled uniform.
"Yeah, I think I forgot my coat," I realize in real-time.
Will drives at speeds I wasn't exactly comfortable with, but he managed to get me to work on time.
He even offered me his jacket (which is Burberry!) and walked me to the front door of the diner. I didn't want to take his coat off because it smelled like Will.