Page 75 of Teach Me

The expression on his face stopped me. The flat look he gave me told me that he knew something was bothering me, and he wasn’t going to give up until I told him.

“Out with it, sis.”

I blew out a long breath and looked into the sky, only able to see a smattering of stars.

“I’m in love,” I admitted, feeling a weight lift off my chest with the words.

“Aw, shit. Love? Really?” he asked.

I giggled, still not used to hearing my brother curse.

He was so careful around Mom and Dad, but we’d always let our hair down around each other. There were no secrets between us. At least…until lately.

“Ok, so, either you did the deed and you feel real guilty, or you’re feeling guilty over the guy himself. ’Cause I’ll tell you, sis, there’s guilt written all over that face of yours.”

“I don’t feel guilty, specifically,” I countered, though he was right. I did feel guilt about lying through omission to Mom and Dad.

“Out with it,” he said again as he hopped the waist-high fence into the middle school’s playground across the street from our house.

He helped me over it, then we continued to walk toward the swingsets.

“He’s amazing,” I admitted. “There’s just one big problem.”

“And what’s that?”

“He’s older.”

Patrick’s expression pinched as he glanced at me through the dimly lit night.

“How much older?” he asked slowly.

I bit my lips so hard I could taste blood before blurting out, “Forty-two.”

He let out a low whistle.

“That’s only a few years younger than Dad. You know that, right?” he asked.

I nodded.

“I know. That’s why I can’t tell them. You can’t tell them either, Pat. Promise me.”

We held out our pinkies and promised, curling them together then we kissed our fists and spit.

“Cross my heart,” he said, then plopped into a swing. “How did you meet someone so ancient, anyway?”

A tear streamed down my cheek as it all just came barreling out of me.

“He’s the professor over the English department,” I admitted. “I'm his TA.”

“Mia,” Patrick scolded. “Your professor?”

I blushed down to my toes.

“I’m going to ask, even though I don’t really want to know the answer, but did you guys uh…do stuff?”

I couldn’t look at him as I nodded.

He sighed again.

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