Twenty-four hours later, Samantha still had my car, and she hadn’t shown up at school. I hesitated reporting it stolen because this could be a game for her, but she wasn’t the total idiot I mistook her for. She texted me she was out of town and would be back by Sunday, along with a countdown until the end of the month.
My options were simple—tell Fritz what happened and know he might not forgive me for it, tell Christopher the truth and ruin any chance we might have, or continue this cat-and-mouse game with Samantha.
I couldn’t talk to anyone about it, and the lack of what the right thing to do was eating me up every second I wasn’t distracted. The second school got out, I was glad to have the literacy center to keep me busy because going back to my apartment alone, pretending everything was fine, was less than ideal.
I could try to convince Grace to grab a drink after too, maybe try to tell her what I’d done, what I had caused. She wouldn’t hate me for it, but she could judge me, and I wasn’t sure I was ready for that. But better with her than Fritz. I sighed, hating how this year knocked my normal confidence to shreds. My professional life was my safe space, where Grace and Fritz were my family. Samantha coming into our lives ruined the entire balance, and I would never forgive her for it.
“Hey,” Christopher said, pulling me from my self-pity and leaning against my door frame. He wore a dark-green button-down shirt and khakis that fit him well. His heated looks at our staff meeting that morning made my belly do a roller coaster, and the sparkle in his eyes gave me hope. “I have after-school duty, but I noticed your car isn’t here. Is it at the shop?”
Yes, that makes the most sense. I nodded.
“Want a ride to the lit center?” He spoke so nonchalantly, like it was no big deal for us to be in the same car together.
“Yeah, that’d be…great.”
“Perfect. I’ll come get you when I’m done watching the littles get picked up.” He took a step off the door and gave me another soft look. “I’ve decided that the rainbow is your color.”
“What do you mean?”
“It doesn’t matter what color you wear, you look fantastic.” He assessed me from head to toe before leaving, his compliment warming me inside out.
His change in attitude toward me had to be fueled by something, and with the two of us getting dinner, I would figure it out. Now, I had to keep my nerves at bay until then, something that was becoming more and more difficult as my life seemed to implode around me.
The email from Dave sat in my inbox, asking me about preferences for the conference next weekend. It was all about data and how we could use it effectively—not just talk about it. His assistant needed my meal preferences and basic information to make a reservation at the hotel. A part of me felt bad I got to go and not Christopher. He’d love something like this, but I won and was chosen to go. It would be such a learning experience, and it would be foolish to pass up because of my uncertain feelings toward my buddy teacher.
The email sent with a swoosh, and a smile broke out as I thought about escaping for a few days. I could shop on Michigan Avenue and treat myself—shit. My funds wouldn't be lifted by the time the conference came around, and it dulled the spark of hope that retail therapy offered me.
I put on some lotion, a new layer of lip gloss, and got my lesson plans and materials ready for the next day and was about to head out into the hall when Christopher walked back in. We stood a foot apart, just inside my classroom, and his gaze dropped to my mouth and stayed there for a few seconds, so much that his attention made me squirm.
He cleared his throat. “Ready?”
“Uh-huh.” I swallowed and followed him out of my room toward the parking lot.
He looked back at me, the sun hitting his face at the perfect angle to see a light dusting of freckles on his nose, and he was so good-looking, it was distracting. The urge to kiss him threatened to make me say to hell with my reservations. His full lips curved up, and his white teeth were a hair crooked, and I was smitten.
“How long will your car be in the shop? Hope it’s not anything too bad. The last time I had to take this there it was like a grand.” He winced and unlocked the passenger side door with his key before moving to his side.
The lie fell off my tongue with an ease that worried me. “A week.”
“Well, I can give you a ride to the lit center tomorrow if you’d like.” He gave me a large grin before he got in on his side, and the urge to tell him the truth was right there—this was the moment. I took a deep breath and got into the car, noting the creaky door and the weathered look. His car was old but very clean.
“Thanks. Yeah, I’d appreciate a ride again if it’s no trouble.”
“Not at all. Gives me an excuse to see you outside work.”
“Looking for reasons for that?”
“Perhaps.” He slid me a look before backing out of his spot and getting on the road. “Starting to wonder more and more about you, Gilly.”
“Like what?”
He got onto Main Street and tapped his fingers against the wheel like he didn’t have a care in the world. “What makes you laugh, are you always so nice to everyone, that sorta thing.”
“I laugh at dumb movies and great jokes, and I’m usually nice to everyone. There are always exceptions.”
“Like former hookups who acted like an ass for a few weeks?”
I snapped my gaze to him, but he stared straight ahead, hands on ten and two on the wheel. “That’s one very specific example, yes.”
He sighed and turned onto the road that led to the literacy center, and I swore tension fell off him when he said, “I’m doing this all wrong, but I can’t seem to stop myself.”
“Doing what wrong?”
He cracked his knuckles with one hand before glancing at me with torment in his eyes. “We need to talk and I owe you an explanation, but all I can think about is kissing you. Even now, when you look confused and probably a little annoyed with me, your pink lips are driving me crazy.”
My body hummed at his comment, and I flipped my hair over one shoulder, needing to busy my hands with something. It validated my own thoughts of that night, kissing him, but his words were also like a bucket of cold water. He did owe me an explanation. “Then I guess don’t look at my mouth when we’re in the center.”
“I’ll do my best,” he teased, and the tension disappeared. He pulled into the parking lot, and we got out, his gaze landing on me with a small smile. “After this. We’ll talk.”
“And you’ll explain why you were a total ass to me the past few weeks?”
“Yes, Gilly, I will.” He nodded toward the double doors. “As soon as we’re done, I’ll tell you how I thought you were a con artist.”
“Wait, what?”
“Come on, we’ll be late, and we can’t have that.” He grinned as I tried to have him explain his comment, but he just walked in the door.
Thank God working with kids was distracting because what the hell did he mean?
The sun started to set when we walked out of the center, and as soon as we got out of the building, Christopher took my hand in his and intertwined our fingers. “Ready to grab some food?”
“No, and I refuse to go anywhere until you explain that very insane comment.” I yanked my hand out of his, and he laughed. The dang man laughed. “Is this funny to you? I’d like to get to the bottom of it right now.”
“I know, but you’re cute when you’re annoyed.”
“I’m annoyed because I keep thinking about you, but I shouldn’t. I should wait to hear your explanation, but my body doesn’t seem to get the memo.”
There, I said it. It was the truth, and I refused to feel stupid for saying it.
He moved fast. One second we were a foot apart in front of the passenger door, the next, Christopher had one hand on my neck, the other digging into my hip as he pressed me against the car. “Damnit, why are you making this so hard?”
“Making what hard?” I said, my pulse pounding at our position. He just had to bend down an inch to connect our mouths. We could kiss now, talk later. I was sure of it.
My heart pounded against my ribs so hard it hurt. His minty breath hit my face, and my legs trembled when he dragged a thumb over my bottom lip. I needed him to kiss me, and I gripped his waist, telling him without words to do it. Close the distance.
His chest moved faster under my hand, and as he bent down, a car door slammed, making him jump back a foot. His eyes went wide, his face tight, and he wiped a hand over it. “Shit,” he said, letting out a groan, making me feel all sorts of stupid.
He wanted to kiss me. I felt it, yet he stared at me like this was my fault.
He shook his head, wet his bottom lip, and walked over and opened the door for me. “Sorry, let’s uh…talk.”
I got in and waited for him to walk to his side of the car, and he slid in with a twisted expression on his face.
He didn’t appear like a man who had almost kissed me. He seemed ashamed. His face paled, and he scrubbed a hand over his face before he leveled his gaze with me. He started the car and turned the air on, but rested his hands on his thighs as he swallowed hard a few times. His jaw was so tight, it looked painful, and his eyes looked tortured when he glanced at me and said, “All those months ago, I thought you stole from me. I thought you had conned me. My dad…he trusted the wrong people. Kayla’s college fund is gone, and my parents won’t be able to retire for another two decades because of a con. I had worked for months to save money to help my parents out, and it went missing after that night with you.”
“Christopher…” I trailed off as it felt like someone fisted my heart and squeezed it. “I didn’t…I didn’t take your money.”
“I know. I know you didn’t. Money is a really sore subject for me.” He blew out a breath and looked so sad, so apologetic, I just listened. My lips still tingled from the lack of a kiss, but that didn’t matter.
“I admire you, Gilly, how you spend your teacher’s paycheck on your students. I misread you. This has been weighing on me for a while, and I’m glad I can finally say it. I know we don’t see things the same way when it comes to teaching, but I understand you weren’t using materialistic things as a crutch. You’re a phenomenal teacher.”
Oh God. His words were like a hug and a fire that couldn’t be put out. Hearing this from him meant so damn much even though his evaluation was partly a lie. I pressed my lips together before I said something stupid. I took a few seconds to digest his words and knew I had to tell him. Even if it sucked.
“Look—”
“That buddy that I brought to that event Monday? His ex-wife already had a ton of money from her inheritance, and she still dragged him through court and took every penny he had.” He hissed and clenched a fist at his thigh. “Entitled people with so much money they don’t know what to do with it…” He shook his head. “I just would hate to go through what my dad did, what my buddy did, where money destroyed their shot at happiness. I know you can’t always protect the people you love, but knowing money had something to do with it makes me bitter.”
The truth was right there, but then he reached over and squeezed my hand. “With both of us being teachers, I feel like I’m on level ground with you.”
No. I couldn’t tell him, not yet. Not at the way he looked at me and said those words. My response evaporated, and I nodded, unable to look him in the eye.
He tilted my chin up and spoke softly. “I’m sorry for misjudging you.”
“I understand why you would.” I gave him a small smile, my lie making me feel all sorts of awful.
“All right, let’s head out. Want to stop for a quick burger on the way?”
“Yeah, sure.”
He flashed a grin, this one not holding the lingering hesitation he often threw my way. It felt like an elephant sat on my chest the longer I remained quiet about my truth, my background, but things were finally better between us. A selfish part of me wanted it to last.