37. COLD LUST

MIA’S POV. The hallway outside Jennifer’s room was dim, perfect for a quickie or makeout. I bet there's gonna be no one on this side for a while. I pressed Benny against the wall, my hands clutching at his shirt. His breath hitched and before I could think twice, my lips found his. He stiffened for a second but didn’t pull away, so I deepened the kiss, tasting the faint trace of Coke on his tongue. Coke? My fingers trailed up his neck, tugging him closer until his back thudded softly against the wall. I didn’t care if anyone saw. Or what he had. I didn’t care about anything except silencing the whirl of thoughts spinning in my head; his voice, Mr Hale’s voice, was still echoing there. Benny’s hands came up, but instead of pulling me closer, he gently pushed at my shoulders. “I can’t,” he muttered, shaking his head, his voice trembling. “I can’t, I’m sorry.” And just like that, he was gone slipping past me and disappearing down the hall without another word. I stood there for a