I messed up Lovefool,

I kinda sorta cheated on my BF. Not like totally, but a little bit with a guy he knows. Like knows really well. It was his big brother but it was only a little kissing and he is a college guy so it doesn't really count right? I'm freaking TF out. What should I do? 

 HELP ME, Sad Cheater

Dear Sad Cheater

Well...I must say that one is a doozie. Even kissing someone else is still considered cheating. I know it sucks but that's the truth. 

 If it were me, I'd be honest with my boyfriend and tell him what happened. Then it's up to him if he wants to be with you or not. 

No matter what Sad Cheater, honesty is always the best policy.

Remember, don't be a fool in love, that's my job.

Lovefool

                                                                            ~

 My eyes stretched as I tried to rationalize what had happened. Did he pair me with Tanner? Tanner and me? Me and Tanner? What was I going to do?

I took a deep breath before turning to face my partner. Okay, maybe this wasn't such a bad thing? Maybe this was the universe's way of forcing me to follow my own advice? This would be fine. This would be good. I could handle this, Tanner, whatever. No problem.

My self-deluding banter halted as Tanner said, "Who the hell is Harriet?"

Considering I was the only other person still standing made his question sting a little more than it should.

I winced momentarily once the classroom erupted in a low rumble of snickering. Then my cheeks instantly heated, and I didn't get a chance to dash to the door and run away, as a backup, when Mr. O'Brien rushed straight for me.

He whirled me around to face the rest of the class. Could this possibly get any worse?

"This lovely young lady, Tanner, is Harriet." His oversized hand gripped me by the shoulder and held me in place. He must have sensed my willingness to flee. "Harriet, this is Tanner," he finished with a wave toward the gorgeous blue-eyed wonder still standing at the back of the classroom.

Forget what I thought. This was worse.

We awkwardly stood there. Thank goodness Mr. O'Brien steadied me because the quivering in my legs made them want to give out.

Tanner stared at me for what felt like eons, as his eyes flitted over me and then narrowed. "Did she just transfer here?"

A few people chuckled at Tanner's comment. Even Mr. O'Brien. What the heck? I plastered a fake smile while the need to pull my hoodie over my head and crawl under a rock compounded as my pounding heartbeat raced.

Finally, the vice principal settled down and patted my shoulder once again. "No, Mr. Wilson. I can guarantee that Harriet has been a student at this school since the first day of freshman year. Right along with you."

Tanner shook his head, and a few longer strands of dirty blond hair covered his brow. "But I don't..."

"Know her?" Mr. O'Brien offered. "That's exactly why we're doing this project." He gestured for me to take a seat and end my seemingly endless embarrassment for the time being. "For each of you to step out of your comfort zone—your inner circle—and learn something about a stranger. Like you will when you graduate from these four walls and head off to college and begin your life."

"Talk about a stranger," Tanner added, earning a few more students snickering at my expense.

Mr. O'Brien moved behind the podium and shuffled a few extra packets together. "By the time you finish this project, Mr. Wilson, I promise you that you and Miss Byrne will be good friends."

Doubtful. Considering my plan was to make a visit to the guidance office first thing tomorrow and drop this class ASAP.

The final bell of the day stopped the class, as Mr. O'Brien finished going over page one of the handout. Everyone stood and was heading to leave as he called out, "Just keep an open mind, everyone."

Yeah, yeah. Easier said than done.

I shot out of the seat and rushed through the doorway.

"Harriet, wait up," Tanner called once I made it halfway down the hall.

It was far easier to pretend like I didn't hear him and charged like a woman on a mission straight for my locker. All I had to do was grab my chemistry textbook and car keys, and I'd make it out of here without having to deal with anything else.

Like Tanner Wilson.

That was the plan, and I almost succeeded too when I slammed my locker door shut and spun to leave.

"Going somewhere?" Tanner's muscular frame blocked my escape route.

My stomach plummeted, just like whenever I rode one of those stupid amusement park rides.

"Yeah actually. Umm." I stalled while it took me a moment to recover from Tanner's immediate proximity. "I have to get to work." That was an absolute lie. My shift at the library didn't start for another hour; only there was no need to tell him all that.

I sidestepped Tanner, and he raised an arm to the locker to stop me. "So when are we going to work on this?" He waved the packet hand back and forth with his other hand.

"I guess I'll work on my part. You'll work on yours, and then we can just exchange answers?" It sounded like a well-enough plan to me. Easy. Simple and would, therefore, save me the trouble of having to spend a good hour in the guidance office tomorrow. A win-win for everyone.

After flashing a brief smile, I turned and started for the other exit. Granted it was at the far end of the building, but if it meant me getting out of here faster than those extra steps wouldn't hurt one bit. Once clear, I picked up my pace, only for Tanner to match my shorter strides. I guess he wasn't getting the hint that I considered this conversation "over."

"See, here's the thing, dollface," he said.

I stopped and cut my eyes to him. "'Dollface?'"

"Well or sweet cheeks? Sweetheart? Babe?" Tanner shrugged. "Whatever you want me to call you?"

None of the above.

"How about just Harriet."

Tanner chuckled, then narrowed his eyes once he realized I was serious. "Okay then, just Harriet," he elongated the syllables to pronounce my name, annoyingly. "I need an A in this class, and although you'd just want to blow this off because getting good grades doesn't matter to you—"

A hand of mine raised automatically. "Excuse me, but I have a four-point-four GPA. All I was merely suggesting was that we work separately on this project. Seeing as we're both probably too busy to work on it together."

"I'm not too busy." Tanner titled his head to steady me. "What all do you have going on, Miss Popularity?"

I snorted at his snide comment. "I have my job. I have school. I have..." My mouth snapped shut before saying, "I have a blog to run." Instead, I finished with, "Let's just say I have stuff."

"Hmmm. Well, I guess if you're too busy, I can just go in and talk to Mr. O'Brien about it and see if he'll partner me up with someone more willing to commit to the project." Tanner made an about face and took a couple of steps toward the sociology classroom we exited.

If he ratted me out to Mr. O'Brien, there went all hopes of him writing me that letter of recommendation I needed to send off with my college applications. That could not happen!

I gripped his elbow. "Fine. Fine. When do you want to meet up?"

"Ahh. Have a change of heart, did you?" Tanner said with a haughty smile.

A change of something. More like not throwing a wrench into all of my long sorted out plans for my life just because of some idiotic sociology project.

Rolling my eyes was my immediate response. "I guess."

"The only night I'm free is tomorrow."

What the heck? Tanner just said he wasn't too busy. How was only being available one night not a complete contradiction? What a hypocrite!

"Well, I have to work so..."

Tanner rubbed a hand through his hair and sighed. "I can just come over after you get off."

He acted like this was all some huge imposition. What a jerk. Although, maybe this could still work in my favor?

"That won't be until after eight." I feigned a frown. "Sorry." There, now it was his problem and not mine.

I began walking toward the door again only for Tanner to fall into step beside me.

"That's fine by me." He threw me a sidelong glance and my breathing hitched. "Give me your phone."

"What? Why?" I asked as Tanner held out his hand.

He grabbed onto my hoodie to keep me from walking through the constantly opening back entrance to the school. Smart boy. Once I made it out those doors, I planned on making a run for it and never looking back.

A crowd of underclassman strode past, and Tanner steered me toward a side wall. "How else am I going to get your address?" He threw me the duh look to make me feel like a complete idiot.

"How about you don't?" I offered with a sly grin.

Tanner smiled, and my heart skipped a few beats. Darn, he was too handsome for his own good. "I think Mr. O'Brien was right," he said.

Doubtful that those words had ever been uttered out loud—by anyone. "About?"

"I think we're going to be friends," Tanner whispered while leaning in close. The warmth of his breath flitting across my skin sent shivers zipping down my spine. "Harriet Byrne."

And just like that, I whipped out the phone from my front pocket and handed it over. Tanner was smooth; I had to give him that. Not like I had much practice in the resisting hot guy's requests department, though.

Using his thumb, he pressed a few buttons and gave the phone back to me.

"What did you just do?" I asked as his phone chirped.

He grabbed his from the back pocket of his jeans and raised it, so the screen was visible. Sure enough, there was a text from my number. Then he played with his phone again before passing it over for me to read.

Under his recent contacts, it listed the name "Dollface" in the top spot.

"I thought we decided you were going to call me by my actual name?" I scoffed.

"Oh, I didn't like your suggestion and vetoed it." He coughed back a chuckle. "Anyway, Harriet is a grandma's name."

I nodded. "That's because it was my grandma's name." My mom's mom to be precise.

Mirth lit up his eyes. "Exactly. See, you just proved me right."

Tanner seemed completely unfazed by the dirty look I shot him. And my crossed arm stance and blatant scowling did nothing either.

"Well, you're not calling me dollface, so." I took a solemn step forward.

He countered by moving in front of me. "Okay, Harry."

"No." I shook my head. "That's also not going to work."

"Your choice? Or I can always call you sweet cheeks?" Tanner sighed and patted my face once. The lingering heat from his touch lasted a lot longer than I thought possible. Either that or I was running a fever. Maybe? Well this encounter with him was causing my stress level to rise exponentially, so a sudden onset of some rogue illness wasn't out of the realm of possibilities.

"I'd prefer that you don't," I said.

Tanner smiled again and moved out of my way. Finally, I was free to go. Or was I?

"Harry it is!" he shouted while ambling toward the door, and leaving me behind in his wake.

And let the fun begin.

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