na'

fear. I barely had any sleep at nigh

, the d

stood on the porch, his expression unreadable and his posture stiff. He didn't offer a greeting when the door opened. H

dining room," I said,

he table, pulled out a chair, and sat down. His moveme

materials were laid out on the table as well, ready to be used. Seeing he was bein

ke, Julian responded with the bare minimum required for me to go

tion exercise?" I asked, sl

ed me the notebook without

," I noted, pointing to a line of his sharp, aggressive h

if he was trying to force down his words. "I unde

rying to keep my tone professional. "If you are not going to com

yes made me swallow hard. "My commitment is not

pes of grammar that he clearly already understood, but he forced me to repeat myself by offering n

is textbook, and for a split second, the side of my hand brushed against his forearm. The reaction was instant. Julian did not flinch, he remained

" I whispered, my he

he muttered, his voice

ice trembling slightly despi

matters. Like we are jus

e are, Julian,"

backwards. "Don't lie to me. I see the way yo

s. "You are being ridiculous. I am trying to help you,

l I was backed against the sideboard. "You're the one who keeps pushing, pretend

ring against my chest, I n

r blatant disrespect. If you cannot handle a simple lesson without turning

r tutor? You think I would let

. "You come into my home and treat me like an inconvenience. You act like my presence is a burden yo

are a constant, agonizing distraction. I spend every second of these lessons trying not to notice the way yo

g. "If it is such an agony for you to be n

back. "That is the damn problem. I want to leave, and I want to stay, and I want to tear these book

as crumbling. "You are just looking for a reason to be cr

ounter beside my head, the sound making me jump. "You thin

dge of defiance. "Stop the games. Stop the coldnes

to the icy demeanor he had arrived with. The argument reached a hot pitch, our voices clashing in a blur of resent

ed, my eyes searching his.

he whi

ad stopped, but the energy in the room was louder than ever. I opened

hunger, his hand sliding into my hai

fr