E: I am very careful, and the building is secure.
L: I suppose so. Lock up tight, pretty girl.
We sent a few more texts as I got ready for bed and settled against the pillows, making me think that we were going to be just fine. This would work out, or it would end for acceptable reasons. That happened a lot, didn’t it? It was part of being an adult, and I was going to enjoy it as long as I could.
Liam
Elena got a fucking A on the test. I didn’t worry about holding her back and hoped that she was doing nearly as well in her other classes, quizzing her about that over dinner at my house the night after they were handed back to the class. Elena assured me that she was doing just fine and would focus on school over anything else. I kissed her softly in agreement, smiling when she laughed at me.
Marie pinned me down at lunch the week after she met Elena. We always went to this diner, and she picked a table in the corner, staring me down until our drinks were ordered. “So, who was she?”
“I knew that you wouldn’t let it go,” I muttered as she raised an eyebrow at me. “She was there about class, Marie. The thing is…she’s a student in it.” Her eyes widened, and I reached out my hand. “I know, I know.”
“You could lose everything, Liam. You’ve worked so hard.” Her eyes filled with tears and I took a deep breath. “Why would you get involved with a student?”
“I didn’t mean to. Neither of us did but there was a connection, and we couldn’t fight it,” I said as she glanced up. The waitress dropped our drinks off as my voice drifted off and I stared at the table for a few moments. “It’s been going on for a few weeks. Nobody knows about it apart from you and they won’t. It’s a private thing.”
“It only takes one time, Liam. Do you know what might happen? Is this to help her grade?” Marie asked, hitting a sensitive spot for me.
“Fuck, no. I was worried about that even though we never discussed the class at all. Elena is a smart student, and the only thing that she did was get some help with the tutor before we even saw one another.” Marie raised an eyebrow. “I had nothing to do with it, and she did better. She got an A on my test.” I looked into Marie’s stern face. “I didn’t help her at all. I was prepared to end things with her if it was worse. She writes for a living to make a little extra money. Her scholarship is only partial, so she needs to make ends meet.”
“Does she have a family?” Marie asked, and I thought about the subject that she hadn’t discussed yet.
“She just mentioned that her parents didn’t have money for college and that she worked hard to get in. They were disappointed by her partial scholarship so Elena found something she could do from home to pay rent. That’s all she said, but I suspect that they don’t live close by and she generally keeps to herself,” I replied as suspicion crossed her face. “She’s an independent girl and has it together, though I don’t like the neighborhood that she lives in too much. I am not considering anything crazy, though, Marie. Don’t worry.”
“Your place is pretty big. She might just disappear into the walls,” Marie joked. She thought the three-bedroom home was big, but Mom’s house was cozy and on the smaller side. That was more her style.
“If she lived there, I wouldn’t want her to disappear. It hasn’t gotten that far, though. We’re taking it day-by-day until we’re not in the same room together for the class.” I watched her nod as she sipped her tea. “For now, I’m happy. Elena is great, and we enjoy each other.”
“You’re not being a man whore, are you?” Her voice was low as I felt someone’s presence, thankful that I didn’t need to look at the menu here. We ordered burgers, and I sipped my soda as I rolled my eyes.
“No, just her. She’s enough.” Marie tilted her head at the words, knowing that I’d never felt that way before.
“Is she in for you?” Marie asked, making me wonder if that was the case. I hadn’t thought that far ahead, but it did mean a lot the night Marie saw her for the first time and we talked it out or fucked it out. There was a bit of both.
“I don’t know. I can’t think beyond tomorrow these days. It’s confusing.”
“Bring her over for dinner sometime. I’d like to meet her.”
“How about during the break?” I asked as she smiled and nodded.
“Just be careful. I don’t want anything bad to happen to you.” I promised her that I would be. Elena and I were both concerned about that as well since I’d been in school for so long to work and she was a Junior. She needed to finish school and start her dream.
We talked about other things through the meal, though I saw Marie’s maternal side coming through. She’d tried to set me up over the years with friends, but I avoided that, not wanting to ruin anything for her. She hugged me tightly before she left me there, reminding me to be careful before she told me that she loved me. I returned it, only saying the words to her and Mom over the years. Never a woman, since I didn’t meet anyone that meant that much.
I headed through the city to my condo, taking in the brief glimpses of sun in the sky. I loved Seattle. I loved growing up here, and it was an easy choice to move back here. I hoped to settle here and keep teaching until retirement because the university was a perfect job for me. I could start over somewhere else, but I didn’t want to leave this city.
I didn’t want to leave Elena behind.
I glanced across the street to see a redhead walking with Elena, smiling brightly. They seemed to be shopping, and I stared at Elena as she shook her head at something her friend said. My conversation with Maria played back in my mind as I wondered if she was in for me. She was beautiful, and her kindness showed even rig
ht now as they walked into a boutique.
I found out later that night that they were shopping for a party. Ginger was taking her to a mixer at one of the frat houses, and the idea made me instantly uncomfortable. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
“It’s a party. People go to them all of the time, and I promised her that I would hit a few a year with her since we met our first year here,” Elena told me as I stared into the fire. I’d heard about the darker sides of the parties, both personally and in news stories.
It didn’t go unnoticed that I was feeling protective of someone other than my sister. I looked back at Elena sitting on my couch and smiled. “They do. I did, and that’s part of why I am concerned.” Elena shook her head.