Burnout - Coralee June Page 0,27

local labs that have internship programs.”

He opened the door and stepped inside, but I kept my feet firmly planted in the hallway. “Can you please stop talking like this is a done deal?” I asked before taking a step inside. I was so busy staring at him that I didn’t fully take in the room.

“Can you stop pretending like you’re not going to give in?” Decker whispered as I paused right in front of him. My shoulder tapped his chest, and he leaned over before brushing a long, pale strand of hair behind my shoulder. “I think you’d really like it here if you gave it a chance,” he added.

His lips were so close to my ear that a shudder traveled down my spine at his whispered words. I wanted to believe him. I really did. I was a sane, rational person. I could look an opportunity in the face and know if it was good for me. I hated my self-destructive nature in that moment. It reminded me too much of Mama.

Tearing my eyes from the floor, I twisted to stare at him, praying that my eyes didn’t look as heated as my entire body felt.

“Only if you stop pretending like you know me,” I replied, feeling proud of myself for my confident clap back. When his mouth dropped open in shock, I took that as my cue to enter the lab and start looking around.

It was nice. Every bit of technology occupying the lab tables was highly advanced. It looked more like an expensive pharmaceutical lab than a high school chemistry classroom. Every square inch of this room was filled to the brim with the highest quality testing equipment. And even though I was ashamed to admit it, it really was nice. I would’ve never had an opportunity to even look at some of this stuff back in Texas, let alone work with it.

“Holy shit,” I said before running over to a centrifuge to stare at it. I’d never seen one up close! Right next to it was a fume hood and one of the most expensive microscopes on the market. “And students get to use this?” I asked.

“Under supervision, yes,” Decker replied with a smile.

“You don’t play fair, Mr. Harris,” I replied with a sigh while running my hand over the microscope.

“I know I was kind of an ass when you first got here…”

“Kind of?” I scoffed.

“Don’t make me regret this, punk. This is a good opportunity, Blakely. But don’t get confused; I’m doing this for Lance.” Yeah. Sure you are, asshole. There was more between us. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but we were like a chemical reaction boiling over in one of these beakers. I felt hot whenever Decker was near, as well as intrigued by him. Maybe the allure was because he was forbidden, but there was something definitely there.

I took another moment to look around. This really was a phenomenal school. And with the money I’d save by living with Lance, and a potential scholarship, I might actually be able to go to college, maybe even graduate from my undergrad early with a few credits from here. The idea of trusting Lance was starting to sound better and better. So what was holding me back?

“You know I’ve always loved school. It was my first escape from Mama. The only break I got was in the classroom,” I said mostly to myself before spinning around to face him fully. Decker was looking at me with quiet heat, his dark eyes hooded and mouth parted in that sexy way I’d been dreaming about since I met him. What I wouldn’t give to know what he was thinking.

“I know the feeling,” Decker murmured before letting out an uncomfortable cough. “We can cater your electives to fit pre-med if you are genuinely interested in that,” Decker added before biting his lip. “You could also sign up for the kinesiology course, too. We don’t have any teams here, but we partner with another high school and attend their football games as a sports medicine elective. Would look good on a college application. I can take you to the department head right now if you’d like? They started a week ago, but they’d be happy to have you.”

“Wouldn’t I have to be a student to sign up?” I asked, already knowing where this was headed.

“You’ve been signed up since yesterday, Blakely.”

I let out a frustrated exhale, though I wasn’t truly mad, not after seeing how kickass