I raised my wrist to check the screen on my smart watch for the third time, frowning at the time. Two minutes later than the last time I checked. I also had a text from my mom asking if I was on my way home yet. Since she and Dad both had to work, she asked if Jackson could drop me off home. He did. Just not at my home.

I chewed on my fingernail, wondering where Emmett could be. If he didn't hurry, we wouldn't get to see each other before I had to go.

This was the fourth time we'd met up at this empty house to get a few minutes to ourselves. I had to give it to Carrie. This was brilliant. It was the perfect hideaway for a brief encounter—brief being the operative word.

A small, yappy dog barked at the next house over, hidden on the other side of the privacy fence that surrounded the backyard.

Someone grabbed my shoulder from behind and spun me around. Emmett smashed his lips against mine, pushing me until he had me pinned against the brick wall. Emmett hooked his injured arm around my neck. His other hand held my face. My hands gripped Emmett's hips, drifting down to his butt.

We had to take our moments when we could get them, since someone was always in the room with us at either of our houses. We could never have a moment to enjoy each other. These stolen kisses were the best it got. At least when my parents asked Rachel to babysit us, she would turn her back and put in headphones so we could make out, pretending to watch movies we'd already seen. Just in case my parents asked what the movie was about. Which they had a couple times.

I imagined this must be how people felt a hundred years ago when all dates required a chaperone. Or, more aptly, when homosexuality was illegal.

It was doubly frustrating because I now had the freedom to live out all those weeks of fantasies now that Emmett was my boyfriend. I didn't have to hide that stuff from him for fear of losing him. In fact, I whispered them to him, running my fingers through his hair while he kissed my neck. He grunted in the most satisfying way, grinding a bit harder against my hips, getting us both worked up. I just wanted to find some secluded spot and bring those whispered words to life. Especially when Emmett's hand slipped beneath my shirt, sliding up my abdomen.

When my watch beeped, I whimpered, pressing my forehead to Emmett's temple. "We should probably get home before they send out a search party."

Emmett pulled back and nodded. His hair was a mess from all of my grabbing at it. I thought it was adorable, but I fixed it back into his artful messy style.

Emmett gave me a brief, gentle kiss. "Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say goodnight till it be morrow."

I repaid Emmett's kiss with another. "You and your references. You really need to give me a syllabus, or a reading list, so I can understand you."

"It's Romeo and Juliet," Emmett said, kissing me again quickly. "I thought you'd read it."

"How many times do I have to remind you I blocked out all that shit? I just remember thinking they were both so dumb. I got annoyed. Especially when my girlfriend at the time told me how romantic it was."

"It's kinda the whole point of the play that they're dumb. They're just kids that fall in love and have to deal with a lot of hatred surrounding them, so they do dumb stuff. It's not actually a love story. It's literally labeled a tragedy. I literally cringe every time I hear someone compare their love to Romeo and Juliet."

"Whatever you say, Professor Noble."

"I like the sound of that," he said, stroking his knuckles across my cheek. "I could see myself being a teacher someday. Definitely English. Or some advanced literature course. I could have a classroom full of kids to talk about my thoughts on all my favorite classic books, get them into reading and loving books the way no one did for you."

My hands drifted up Emmett's sides, over the curve of his hips, the smooth stretch of his torso that met the firmness of his ribs, around to the sharp peaks of his shoulder blades. "And they would have to listen to you, because you hold their futures in your hand. You can go on and on and on about all those old books. And teach them about all the gay in Gatsby. And how dumb Romeo and Juliet are."

"Romeo and Juliet are hardly alone in that. You and I were pretty dumb for a while," Emmett said, briefly lost in thought. Probably recalling all the unnecessary harm we'd put ourselves—and each other—through. "Both of us tried to maintain a friendship, even though we both wanted it to be more."

"Fair point. I'm just not a Shakespeare guy."

Emmett clutched at his chest with an exaggerated gasp. "That truly wounds me to my soul."

I hooked my arms around Emmett's neck, drawing him in against me. I loved the feel of his chest against mine, his hands feeling me up. "Is that a deal-breaker for you?"

"I could be convinced to forget it."

"Oh, yeah?" I asked, smirking.

"Persuade me."

I pulled Emmett into a long, slow kiss, his lips sliding gently against mine, his tongue slipping through my lips, past my teeth to stroke mine. So I might be a few minutes late. It was worth the lecture I would no doubt receive for a kiss like that.

"Emmett!" Carrie screeched.

Startled, my shoulders slammed against the wall, sending a shooting pain through my side. We both looked over to find her wearing a harsh sneer. She threw her arm out to the side, stabbing her finger in the direction of the gate. "Get your bitch ass moving."

"You said five minutes."

"I gave you ten." She threw up all her fingers.

"It's okay." I kissed Emmett's cheek. "I'll see you at your house in an hour?"

He nodded, giving me one last peck on the lips before pulling away. "Bye, love."

"Bye." I chewed on my thumbnail, grinning.

Carrie gripped his shoulder, shoving him forward as they headed around the house. "I told you, you didn't time for that today."

"Sorry," Emmett said, not sounding sorry in the least. Especially when he laughed. "He's hard to resist."

My grin got even larger. I suspected he felt that way, but it was always nice to hear.