The Ivy Lessons (35 page)

‘Marc?’ I whisper.

‘Sophia,’ Marc calls up.

M
y heart shudders.

‘What are
you doing here?’ I say
. ‘How did you get in without being seen?’

Marc smiles. ‘I have my ways. Can I come up?’

I throw my arms around myself to stop me fro
m shivering. ‘How can you? If I come down and let you in, some of the other students might hear.
’

Marc puts his foot to the wall and climbs the metal drainpipe
. He jumps up each bracket until he’s inches away from the balcony. Then he springs across
in one swift, easy movement, swinging himself over the rail.

‘Romeo, Romeo,’ I say
.

Marc
scoops me up and carries me inside, rubbing my arms to warm me up and kicking the glass doors closed behind us.

It’s dark in my room, but the fire embers create a warm glow.
He holds me tight in his arms and kisses me. Then he
puts
me on the bed and lays beside
me, propping himself up on his elbow.

‘It is the east, a
nd Jul
iet is the sun.’ He smiles
that devilish, beautiful Marc
Blackwell
smile
. ‘I thought
if things were going to end, they
couldn’t end without me seeing you one last time.’

‘Who says things are going to end?’ I ask.

‘I just had a hunch,’ he says, ‘that you might have had enough of me. My drama. The challenges that come with me.’

‘Not yet,’ I say, looking
into his eyes. ‘Maybe it’s you who’s had enough of me.’

‘Never.’

‘I’m glad.’

He kisses me and I melt into the bed. Then he makes love to me, moving slowly, loo
king into my eyes
.

‘
I want to let go
now,’ he tells me, moving deeper. ‘I want to let go with you.’

‘You can,’ I say. ‘
I want you to. It’s what I want more than anything.’

He moves faster, his blue eyes growing softer
. He holds my face in his hands, and
his breathing gets quicker.

‘Oh God,’ he says. ‘Oh God, Sophia. Yes. Oh yes.’

He explodes inside me, looking deep into my eyes, his eyelids flutt
ering and his lips falling open
.

I don’t look away. I can’t. I feel like I’m seeing right into his soul. And it’s beautiful.

Marc
falls onto me, and whispers in my ear:
‘I need to know
.
Are we’re going to do this? Or am I going to have to get over you?’

I look into his blue
eyes, so full of emotion – power, strength and fear –
and I know I made my decision months ago. ‘Yes,’ I say. ‘We’re going to do this.’

‘You’re sure?’ he says
.

‘Yes
.
’

‘I love you.’ He strokes my hair. ‘It’s still taking me by surprise. But I’m learning.’

‘Me too,’ I say.

‘In the morning then,’ he says. ‘We’ll leave the college together. Hand in hand.
Let them take their photographs.
’

‘Okay,’ I say, feeling his arms slide around me. ‘Okay, tomorrow. First thing.’

We fall asleep wrapped in each other’s arms, our foreheads touching.

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Where the Ivy Grows
,
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now
.