The Right Kind of Wrong

Pulling the grey t-shirt over her head, Emily fastened her hair with a clip as she turned around and crossed the room, blushing slightly as her eyes landed on Chris’ bare back. They’d shared a bed every night the last couple of nights, and she would lie if she said it wasn't affecting her more than it probably should.

No promises were made, they had put no labels on anything, they weren’t talking about feelings or futures.

But still, the sight of his smooth, still tanned back caused her feelings and hormones to go haywire as she kneeled behind him on the bed, running her hands over the warm skin.

“I thought you had class?”

The husky voice that was filled with humor only served to want to lock the door once again and not leave for the next weeks. “I do,” she groaned as she pressed her lips against his clavicle, wanting nothing more than to just ignore her class and stay in the bed with him.

“Then you should leave,” he smirked as he turned his head, pressing his lips against hers. “I’ll drive you,” he stated softly.

“Fine,” she sighed as she climbed off the bed and pulled on her Converse high tops.

“Don’t be so excited about it,” he smiled, rolling his eyes at her as he stood up from the bed and pulled his white and dark blue horizontally striped polo shirt over his head, running his fingers through his messy hair.

“I’d much rather show you how excited I can get,” she whispered into his ear as he joined her by the door, slipping on his shoes.

“Don’t tempt me,” he growled, pushing her up against the closed door and pressing his lips against hers, using his whole body to trap her against it.

Simply smiling against his lips, she reached up her arms and wrapped them around his neck as she allowed his tongue access and barely contained a moan as his hand slipped under the hem of her top.

Everything that was happening was different than she’d felt before. Every emotion he brought out in her was different, every feeling he drew from her was different and she couldn’t help but think that she’d been missing out…

Pulling themselves together, she grabbed her books and they left the room, walking down the hall together.

“How come you don’t have any classes today?” she complained as she climbed into the dark truck and looked over at him.

“I just don’t,” he shrugged. “Though last year I had at least a class a day,” he told her. “I learn from my mistakes,” he smiled, glancing over at her.

“Yap, yap,” she rolled her eyes at him. “You got practice today?” she wondered.

“Yeah,” he nodded as he drove down the familiar streets. “We’re in the gym then we have ice after that,” he told her.

Nodding absentmindedly, she looked out of the window and watched the streets pass by outside. She’d heard that one before, from her old coach, her ex-fiancé and numerous of relatives during the years…

“So I’ll see you later?” Chris mumbled against her lips as he leaned across the car.

“You’ll see me later,” Emily smiled as she reluctantly pulled away from him and opened the car. “Have fun,” she called over her shoulder, only to feel him tug on her hand. Surrendering, she ducked her head and leaned into the car once again, kissing him once more. “My class is about to start,” she smiled against his lips, closing the distance yet again before backing away from him.

“See you,” he smiled as she grabbed her books again and closed the door behind herself before hurrying across the grass lawn.

Glancing back over her shoulder, feeling a bit like a school girl with a crush, she watched as he pulled away from the curb and smiled softly as she turned back around and walked towards the large stairs leading up to the front doors. Spotting a familiar figure standing at the top of the stone stairway, she sighed softly as she jogged up them.

She had a feeling this wouldn’t be a meeting she’d like to remember.

“Hey,” she smiled as she reached the top of the stairs.

“Hi,” Taylor observed her closely. “I haven't seen you the last couple of days,” he commented as he hurried to keep up with her as she entered the building.

“No,” she said indifferent, turning a corner and jogging up the stairs to the second floor where their class was being held. “I've been busy,” she shrugged as she glanced over at him.

“Yeah, screwing the hockey team,” he said darkly under his breath.

“You really want to go there?” she glowered at him, pushing the heavy glass door open with her hip.

“Sorry,” he apologized, rolling his eyes as he walked behind her.

“Yeah, try it with some feeling the next time,” she glared at him as she walked into the classroom that was filled with students milling around before the professor got there.

“Em…” he tried as he grabbed after her arm.

“Don’t touch me,” she stated darkly as she walked between the desks and sank down in one of them, opening her notebook as she did, pulling out a pen as she refused to look over at Taylor who was still standing beside her.

“Look,” he said as he sat down on the desk in front of her. “You know that I don’t like those people and you said you accepted that.”

“If you accepted the fact that I don’t think of ‘them’ the same way you do,” she pointed out reminding him of their last conversation, watching the tone of her voice as they were in the middle of a classroom.

“I don’t like watching you trail after them like they are god’s gift to women,” he frowned, missing the way her eyes narrowed.

“You should be so glad that there are witnesses around us right now,” she literally growled as she glared at him. “You have no idea what I've been through in my life, why I make the choices I do, or why I make friends with the people I do, but you sure as hell have no right to even think things like that,” she almost broke her pen in two.

“Hey, I don’t…” he raised his hands in surrender, silently wondering what he’d said to make her so pissed at him.

“Maybe it would be better if we just stopped being friends,” she told him. “I mean, we haven't known each other for long so it’s not really like it’s going to be that tuff of a loss.”

“Emily, I want to have you as a friend,” he disagreed.

“Then learn to deal with me living my life the way I want and choose to,” she threw back at him. “I've had friends like you, who think they know what’s best for me, ever since I was in junior high, they haven't stuck around and if you continue the way you are, odds says you won’t either,” she told him honestly. “Besides, what or who I do is none of your business,” she pointed out simply. “You might like me in a not so friendly way, but the only thing I want with you, is a friendship,” she stated.

“But…” he tried to stop her, but wisely shut his mouth as he saw the look she sent him.

“You should find a seat, the professor is here,” she said simply as she crossed her legs and leaned back in her seat, not giving him another look as she turned her gaze to the front of the room.

Defeated, Taylor sighed and pushed himself away from the desk, finding himself a seat two rows away from Emily and sinking down in the uncomfortable chair. How could she not see that he was looking out for her? The guys on the hockey team ate girls like her for breakfast…

He’d seen it before, girls got caught in their web and they chewed them up before spitting them out, not giving them another look. He liked Emily, she’d caught his eye the second she tried to sneak into the class at the start of term and he didn’t want her to be crushed as the romantic storyline she’d most probably drawn up in her mind came crashing down around her when whoever it was that she was hung up on moved on to the next girl.

Glancing over at her as she watched the professor go on and on about whatever at the front of the class, he shook his head slowly. She had no idea what she was getting herself into and considering how incredibly stubborn she was, he doubted that he was going to be able to convince to stay away. And it irked him in a way he hadn’t felt before.

“I'm sorry.”

Looking up from her notebook where she was writing down some last minute notes and reminders, Emily cocked her eyebrow as her eyes landed on Taylor who was standing next to her.

“I shouldn’t have let my own opinions get the best of me,” he apologized sincerely as she stood up and carefully observed him, not saying anything.

He’d been stared down by his mother before he moved away from home, and a fair few of his girl friends’ too, but he realized in that moment that Emily was right up there with his mother in making him feel extremely uncomfortable. “I don’t know you very well and you could clearly be smart enough to make your own decisions.”

“We went over this before and you promised to let me be,” she pointed out. “I've had enough friends trying to steer me in directions which they think is best and I've certainly had enough people lying and breaking promises they’ve made, if you're going to be one of those, I know I'm better off,” she stated as they walked out of the classroom together and continued down the hall.

“I won’t,” he promised, managing to suppress the urge to roll his eyes as they headed down the stairs. She had no idea what was waiting for her…

“Good,” she stated. “And I’d appreciate it if you didn’t make up ideas about me being some poor little defenseless girl in your mind,” she added, not having to look at him to know that he was surprised.

“What…I mean, I don’t know what you're talking about,” he tried to save face.

“Taylor…” she said slowly. “You don’t know me,” she said seriously. “There are a lot of things you don’t know about me, don’t try to put me in a mold,” she told him. “I've been through things that don’t let me qualify for the spot of small, defenseless girl.”

Not knowing how to respond to that, he watched her as they walked across the ground floor. No matter how grown up and experienced she claimed to be, he wasn't about to take her word for it, because didn’t every girl/woman claim to be bigger and better than she was to up themselves?

“So what was that thing between you and that hockey dude this morning?” he questioned as he held the door open for her.

“His name’s Chris,” she rolled her eyes at him. “And…I don’t know,” she shrugged as she walked out on the stairs, unable to keep a smile from spreading across her lips as her eyes landed on a familiar vehicle before her.

“Huh?” he frowned.

“I don’t know,” she admitted. “But…we like spending time together,” she told him. “And now I have to leave.”

“I thought we could grab some lunch, maybe get some studying in,” he said quickly, only to frown deeply as he saw what she was looking at.

“Rain check,” she stated as she headed down the stairs. “But, I’ll call you,” she called back over her shoulder before jogging across the sidewalk.

Shaking his head disbelieving, he watched as she pulled the door open and disappeared into the car. She was off far worse than he’d thought, but he’d be damned if he’d stand by and watch her get her heart shattered by some hockey playing punk.

“Do I know him?” Chris asked as Emily got into the car and he caught the gaze of a tall, blonde guy standing in the middle of the stairs, seemingly watching him.

“Oh, that’s just Taylor,” she shrugged off. “We have two classes together,” she told him as he leaned across the car and quickly kissed her.

“Huh, I might just have to keep an eye on him,” he smiled. “He doesn’t seem to like me.”

“He has a thing against hockey players,” she smiled back at him. “And he likes me,” she smirked, as he whipped his head around to look at her.

“He does?” he asked surprised, slowly pulling out in the slightly congested street.

“Apparently,” she nodded. “But don’t worry, he’s not my type,” she smiled softly, watching him closely. She wasn't about to reveal it, but Taylor shared an uncanny number of similarities with Erik…