Free Need You Tonight by Roni Loren Page B

library a few minutes ago.
    “Uh, c-c-can I help you with something?”
    She winced inwardly at his slight stutter, remembering how horrible Doug and Quincy
     had teased him a few days ago at lunch. Kaden hadn’t helped his situation, though,
     when he’d insulted Doug in front of the group. Her boyfriend was mostly harmless.
     Quincy usually was the one who got Doug pulled into stupid crap. But Doug wasn’t going
     to let someone like Kaden call him sorry and let it go. And he’d certainly shit a
     biscuit if he knew she was spending time with the enemy.
    Which is why she needed to come up with a plan. Fast.
    “Okay, so, yeah, I need your help.” She set her bag on the table and glanced over
     her shoulder. Doug would be at football practice by now, but that didn’t mean one
     of their other friends wouldn’t wander into the library for something. A lot of the
     after-school clubs met in here.
    “With?” Kaden prompted.
    She pulled out her latest essay test and flattened it on the table. “I’m failing English,
     and you’re my new tutor.”
    “Y-y-you’re the girl who needs help in English?” He scraped a hand through his too-long
     hair, cursing under his breath.
    “Yes. Me. And look, I know you don’t like me. And I’m really sorry for the other day.
     Those guys can be jerks sometimes.”
    “Sometimes?”
    “It’s mostly Quincy,” she said, peeking over her shoulder again.
    “Sure it is.” He nodded toward the glass partition with a smirk. “What are you looking
     for? Afraid someone will see you in here with the s-s-sick fuck?”
    She gave a dramatic sigh and sank into a chair. This was not going at all how she’d
     planned. She hoped she could smile and sweetness her way through this. She wasn’t
     unaware of the effect she had on guys. God hadn’t given her much. Useless mother.
     Dead father. A crapton of foster homes. And not enough skills to know what the hell
     Hamlet was about. But he had given her a way with boys.
    Unfortunately, this boy seemed immune, so she was going to have to give it to him
     straight.
    “Listen, Kaden. Hate me all you want, but they pay you to tutor and right now, I’m
     the girl who needs help. But I don’t want to cause crap for either of us.”
    “Meaning?” he asked, sounding bored.
    “Meaning if Doug or any of my friends sees us together, he’s going to make your life
     hell. And I’m going to get an earful of shit.”
    He lifted an eyebrow.
    “What?” she asked, the simple look making her feel self-conscious.
    “N-n-nothing. Just never heard you swear before.”
    She winced. Truth was, she’d developed a potty mouth at her last home placement. Her
     foster sister, Sam, had been quite colorful in her speech. But Tessa had learned to
     curb it when she moved in with the Ericsons. Her foster parents were super strict
     and would kick her out if they had any clue how much of a delinquent she was capable
     of being. And there was no way she was giving them up. They’d been the closest to
     having a real family as she’d ever had.
    “So do we need to do this here?” she asked, ignoring his comment and tightening her
     ponytail.
    “The tutoring? No. I just have to sign off that you showed up and for how long.”
    “Great. Do you have somewhere else we could go?”
    “You mean, where we can hide?”
    She huffed. “Come on, Kaden. I’m not trying to be a bitch, but you know how it is.”
    His shoulders sagged like he’d had a sack of sand thrown across them, but he nodded
     and tucked his books in his bag. “It’s a small t-t-town, Tessa. Where are we gonna
     go?”
    She chewed her thumbnail and peered over her shoulder again. They definitely couldn’t
     go to the coffee shop or the park, even the McDonald’s had other kids hanging there
     all the time. And her place was not an option. Boys couldn’t come over when her parents
     weren’t home, period, no matter what the purpose. “What about your house?”
    He paused in loading up his