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Only a few more people had filtered in.

I still had time. “I was only there because I was hoping you’d dance with me.”

His brown eyes met mine. It almost looked like he was begging me with his eyes. But he didn’t need to beg. I’d give him anything he wanted.

His eyes darted to my usual seat in the back of his room.

I swallowed hard. He was begging me for something else entirely. He was begging me to walk away.

“You need to stop,” Mr. Halifax finally said, putting words to his pained expression. “Please. Just...stop.”

I couldn’t. My foot was already pressing down on the gas. And I wasn’t the kind of person that could move it to the brake. I just...couldn’t. And if he was asking me to stop, it was only because he was close to snapping. It had to be. He was trying to be a good teacher. Trying to stay away. But I didn’t want him to be good right now when all I dreamed about was him being bad.

So instead of walking away, I propped my hip against his desk, leaning in a little closer. “But that’s the truth. I wanted to dance with you. That was the only reason I was there.”

“You looked plenty busy with your boyfriend.”

I laughed. Was that why Mr. Halifax was upset? He thought mystery man was my boyfriend? “That guy I was dancing with? He was a stranger. I was picturing your hands...”

“That was a stranger?”

“Yeah.”

His eyebrows lowered. “So you were underage at a club, drinking illegally, and dancing like that with someone you didn’t know? He could have been a serial killer, Soph.”

“But you were there. You wouldn’t have let anything happen to me...”

“I can’t save you from yourself,” he snapped.

His words felt like a knife in my chest. Especially because he wasn’t staring at me like he wanted to devour me. He was staring at me like I was a fool.

I swallowed hard. I was trying to make him jealous. And it had backfired epically. He wasn’t jealous. It seemed more like he hated me.

He cleared his throat. “Take a seat,” he said as he looked down at his lesson plan. “Now. Or spend the rest of the class in the principal’s office.”

“But I didn’t even do anything.” I knew that wasn’t entirely true. He’d listed the things I’d done wrong on Saturday twice.

He kept his eyes trained down. “Your skirt is shorter than is allowed per the school handbook. Your top three buttons are undone. Your tie is currently in your blazer pocket. And you’re wearing eyeshadow. So go sit down or go to the principal’s office.”

He was seriously going to send me to the principal’s office when I was dressed like every other freaking girl in his class?

“But everyone else is dressed...” I started.

“Then sit down. Now.”

I opened my mouth and closed it again. I’d wanted him to notice me. That’s all I’d wanted. It seemed like he finally had. And he didn’t want anything to do with me. He thought I was an immature idiot.

I took a step back. It was all my worst fears coming true. I loved Mr. Halifax. And he hated me.

I felt like I couldn’t breathe.

Instead of heading to the back of the room to take my seat, I ran out of the classroom and bumped right into Scarlett coming in.

She put her hands on my arms, steadying me. “Are you okay?”

I shook my head, hoping the tears threatening to spill wouldn’t start flowing. “I don’t feel so good. I’m heading to the nurse.”

“Do you want me to come with you?”