Free Always In: The Shore Series Book 2 by M.R. Joseph Page A

evening. Should be interesting. I better go. See you tonight, Harlow."
    Daniel walks out the door and I peer around the archway and watch him walk away. He walks in a way where his body stands constantly at attention, but yet casually. His stagger so dignified, so confident, so frigging hot! I mean, what I mean is it's hot in here. In my classroom. No the fact that he's wearing a nice pair of khaki pants that shows off his muscular...
    "See I fucking knew it!" I jump at the sound of Willow's voice behind me.
    I clench my hand to my heart and turn to her.
    "Are you trying to kill me, Willow? Jesus, you scared the crap out of me."
    "Oh, for Christ's sake, Har. In case you didn't know, you almost died a few months ago. God doesn't want your ass, so you are going to be here for a long time, sister."
    I hobble back to my desk and Willow is on my tail. Casually, she leans on the chalkboard behind me, picking at her nails. I look at her with that mischievous smile on her face, then back around.
    "So, Mrs. McGillicuty in room 204 tells me she saw Miss Hannum and Mr. Mathewson canoodling in the hallway during lunch, and then Mrs. Harper, the troll from the math department, tells me on my way back from lunch, that Mr. Mathewson came running in asking in that sexy-as, fuck-me-sideways accent where Miss Hannum keeps her lunch. She shows him, he grabs it, and runs out the door."
    I roll my eyes without her seeing and go about my business. I try to ignore her. Really, I try but I haven't been able to since I was eleven years old.
    "Then I find Miss Hannum checking out Mr. Mathewson's tight bum right there in that doorway."
    "So?" I answer.
    "So? That's what you say to me, my friend? So?" I turn in my chair and look at her. Arms crossed, and she's sweating like a pig in heat, but for the debutant with a mouth like Satan, it doesn't faze her.
    "You heard me. I fell. He picked me up. That's all." I go back to grading papers and some of my students start to walk into the room.
    "Hi, kids," she mutters.
    She comes over closer to my desk and leans down in my ear.
    "What you're telling me is nothing? A hallway picnic is nothing?" I shoo her away.
    "Go back to your classroom. I'll see you around five in the girls’ locker room to get ready for the dance."
    She gives me one of her icy but oh-so-friendly glares and smirks at me as she strolls to the door. Before she exits she turns to me speaking in her not-so-good impression of a British accent.
    "Rumor also has it that Mr. Mathewson will be chaperoning the dance tonight as well. It should make for an interesting evening, shan’t it, Miss Hannum?" She winks and swings her blonde hair around as she leaves.
    Tonight is going to be a long night.
    ***
    Surprisingly enough, when Willow and I are getting ready, she asks me no further questions, which I’m glad for. Nothing happened anyway. I mean he helped me up, got me my lunch, and ate with me. What's wrong with that? And so what if he's a nice-looking man with eyes the color of autumn leaves, full lips, wavy blonde hair, tanned skin, and a slim, athletic body. So what?
    After we change our clothes and freshen up our makeup, we walk down the street from Grayson Elders to a small pizza shop to grab a slice.
    When I take my first bite, something tastes familiar.
    "Wills, have I ever had this pizza before?" She chews and nods. "Yes, but not from here. They have several franchises. You had it in Sandy Cove."
    "I had this pizza. I remember this pizza. We ate it all the time when we went up on the boardwalk. I remember that. I can see us all sitting on the benches outside eating it. I can close my eyes and see us all! I remember a new thing! Oh my God, Willow."
    She stands up and runs around the table to hug me. She jumps up and down, holding me because I can't get up and jump. I want to cry and scream in happiness.
    Wow. What a feeling to have a memory come back. It scares me a bit, remembering something I had forgotten, but I welcome it and don’t