Rowan
"Roger, please stop pushing Corey," I say, exasperated. As expected, his relationship with Jamie ended in drama a few short days after it started. He told her that her daddy didn't know everything. She wasn't happy about it. There were tears and some shouting, and then they decided they were going to be best friends.
Now Corey Cochran follows her around like a puppy.
Roger hates it.
Jamie is annoyed with both of them. She desperately wants friends, but she's softhearted. She hates watching them bicker. So she ignores them both. They're miserable because of it. They haven't quite figured out yet that they would make her happy if they just stopped fighting.
"Boys," she says from beside me, scoffing.
I bite my lip to hide a smile as we all troop toward the auditorium for a special assembly. Sebastian thought it was the best way to tell the kids that Principal Johnson will no longer be working here. The morning after…everything…happened, Sebastian met with the board to plead Johnson's case. The board wanted to fire him. So did Sebastian. But he kept his promise.
I'm not sure why I asked it of him. I think, though, that I just didn't want to give Johnson that power over us or our relationship. I didn't want to look back with any regrets or guilt. I wanted…well, I wanted to be better than him. How can I teach these kids to be better if I'm not willing to make the same demands of myself?
They never would have known the truth, but I would have.
The board agreed to allow him to retire. Sebastian graciously gave him two weeks to get his shit together and say whatever goodbyes he needed to say. There were caveats, of course. Principal Johnson wasn't allowed to interact with the teachers or students without a member of the board present. He also wasn't permitted any say over anything at the school.
I wanted to tell him that I forgive him, but Sebastian put his foot down and refused to let him near me. So I wrote him a letter. I told him that I forgive him. I prayed for him to find peace. It felt good, as if writing it washed away those last lingering barbs he left buried inside me.
My students made him a card to thank him for all the years he spent in education. I don't think he started out as a bad person. His grief over losing his wife sent him spiraling down the wrong path. He got lost, became consumed by the only thing he thought he had left. Had he opened his eyes and looked around, maybe he would have realized sooner that he was poisoning the school. But lost people are often blind to how far they've wandered.
I hope he finds his way again.
I hope he finds peace.
His two weeks ended yesterday. Leslie Holland will be filling in as our principal until a replacement is found. A lot of the teachers wanted Sebastian to do it, but we both decided that wasn't the best idea. We've been open about our relationship since everything went down, but we're still trying to be discreet. There have been some scandalized whispers about us, but Johnson's vision of Sebastian's future hasn't come to fruition.
Most people simply don't care that we're together. Those who complain…well, somehow, Sebastian always keeps those whispers from touching me. He protects our little slice of paradise like it's his job. I don't mind. He's incredibly sexy when he's all protective and bossy.
When my class makes it to the auditorium, I see him on the stage with Leslie, his dark head bent as they murmur back and forth. As soon as I cross the threshold, he lifts his head as if sensing my presence. His eyes lock on me.
Even from across the room, the heat in his intense gaze sears me. Butterflies burst into flight in my stomach. My womb clenches and I shiver. I want him endlessly. The dirty things he does to me when we're alone are so damn hot.
My fingers itch to fix his wild hair. He's so damn beautiful. He's wearing another dark suit today. It hangs on his broad frame perfectly.
His lips lift into a smile.
I wave and smile back. And then Roger and Corey start pushing each other, and I have to look away to deal with the two of them.
"Roger, you're sitting at the far end," I say, pointing down the row of seats reserved for my class. "Corey, you're sitting in the middle."
"Can I sit with Jamie?" he asks.
"I want to sit with Jamie," Roger protests.
"No way," Jamie says, turning her little nose up at both of them.
Roger and Corey's faces both fall.
"Jamie is sitting with me," I say firmly.