My Sweet Corrupted

Nathan raised an eyebrow, a slow smile spreading across his lips. "I'm sorry, did I do something to offend you?"

Eden blinked at him, not sure how to answer. It wasn't fair for her to be angry at him for her own issues. Not that they were issues in the first place, but Skye's words kept repeating in her head and each time she found them more and more disturbing. At the same time, it wouldn't have been that difficult for him to keep his hand to himself. After all, she'd only picked up his books. "You don't look very sorry," she replied with pursed lips.

He laughed. Stretching out his legs from the picnic table, he pulled a mock-solemn face. "In that case, I sincerely apologise for being run into this morning by you and your friend. I hope you can forgive me."

Pulling the strap of her bag up her shoulder, the harshness of her face faded at how ridiculous he seemed, like an adult pulling silly faces to amuse a child. "I guess I can forgive you," she said slowly. "But you have to promise to never do it again."

The easy grin returned to his face, brightening his well-sculpted features. He held up three fingers in a familiar gesture. "Scout's honour."

He spoke easily, confidence radiating from him with the slightest curve of his mouth or movement of his arm. Good looking guys weren't uncommon in a school that valued prestige and sports above all, nor was arrogance difficult to locate. But there was something so distant about Nathan, like he didn't belong in that uniform, with the neat, leather satchel perched on the chair. His chocolate brown hair was attractively dishevelled and his stubble more noticeable now it had reached the end of the day. "Well, um, I guess I should be off now," she said slowly, tripping over her words. She didn't know this boy and she didn't know if she wanted to.

"Eden," he said suddenly as she began to walk. She paused, looking back in surprise. He pulled himself up from the picnic table, pulling the strap of the satchel over his shoulder as he pushed through the park's gate. "I'll walk with you."

She hadn't been expecting that. Her thoughts racing, she pulled out the first thing that came to mind, Skye's words from that morning. "Isn't that kind of pathetic?"

Nathan smirked, shaking his head. "Yeah, real pathetic that I live in this direction and thought you could use the company. Don't flatter yourself into thinking I'm being chivalrous."

"Then what would you call it?"

"Practical. Curious."

As they walked, she turned her head to look up at him. He seemed to be almost a foot taller than her and she was practically skipping along the footpath to keep up with his long, easy strides. "Curious? About what?"

She could practically feel him roll his eyes from beside her. "Geeze, enough with the questions. This isn't the fucking inquisition."

Eden's head bowed in silence, taking in the gaps in the pathway as she walked over them. She hadn't meant to make him angry, he just scared her. And confused her. And, god, made her feel something that she knew had to be wrong, just on the way it made her skin shiver.

Nathan sighed. Stopping on the pathway, he grabbed her wrist, pulling her to face him. A spark shot up her arm, running through her chest like a shock of electricity sizzling away a couple of billion of her nerve cells. She yanked her arm from his, holding it to her chest protectively while meeting his gaze irritably.

"Look, I'm sorry. How about we start over." He looked genuinely apologetic, but if anything it only made her even more guarded. He held out his hand in what was supposed to be a simulation of a greeting. To Eden it translated to his skin on hers equalling dangerous. "I'm Nathan."

She didn't hold her hand out for him. "Yeah, I know."

Standing patiently, he continued to hold his hand out. "Wrong answer. Try again."

Eden gave an over-dramatic sigh, not caring if she looked like a child scared of cooties as her hand lightly touched his. "Hello, Nathan, I'm Eden."

He grinned, his hand wrapping tightly around hers as he shook it. Instead of letting it go, he yanked it forward, Eden tripping over her feet as she fell into his chest.

And then he kissed her.