Page 41 of Breaker

I nod as he turns and leaves, my frustration burning through me.

I need to fucking break something, and just as I'm about to smash my desk up, my phone pings, and I check it, a smile spreading across my face.

Tech: Suzy let her in while snooping through the paperwork on your desk, taking pictures. She's waiting in the outhouse.

I nod, putting my phone away, ready to dish out some fucking just desserts. The bitch won’t see sunrise!

17

Quinn – One Week Later

I smile as the kids all wave bye. It's been a busy day full of playing with different kinds of weights using slime.

Never again.

Daisy poured some on Lizzie's head after she laughed at her dress, and Billie decided to try to eat it, while a few other children started throwing it at each other.

Like I said, never again; live and learn, and all that.

I wipe up the last of the slime from my desk and smile at Noah, who's still sitting in his seat. The little tyke has been extra good this week, though it may be more because Andrew is no longer shadowing my class. Apparently, Snake personally came in and caused havoc, so much so that Andrew doesn't even walk over to this side of the building anymore. Then, there was something about several of the bikers holding a town meeting a few days ago, before he laid down the law with Ms. Holden over my situation.

According to several fathers who came in to see me, the MC made it clear I was one of them.

I'll never know how I missed all that, though, in my defense, I have been busy packing and trying to find a cheap place to rent in California.

"Are you not supposed to be outside waiting for your grandma?" I ask the little boy who wormed his way into my heart.

He smiles wide, looking like his father, and proudly states, "Grams wants to see you."

I chuckle but nod. Shelly has become engrained in my life. She doesn't take no for an answer, and calls me near enough every day with excuse after excuse why I can't move to California.

It's too hot there, even though we're from Texas. It's too dangerous, the men are mean, the women are catty.

Blah, blah, blah…. She's even got Kennedy in on her schemes; she sends me news links of stabbings and muggings on a daily basis.

Shaking my head, I walk around my desk and start to pack up, ready for home, when the woman herself waltzes in. She grins wide at me, and I chuckle.

"Do you ever give up?"

She shrugs as Noah shouts, "Grams," before running over to her, veering off with an excited squeak. Crow grins from the doorway, making me laugh as Shelly pouts.

"Seriously, Noah?"

He grins as Crow picks him up, and I remind her, "It's not every day his Gramps picks him up, Shell."

Knowing I'm right, she huffs before looking at the floor, then raises a brow at me. "Slime?"

I nod, admitting, "Never again."

She laughs, looking around the room again with a small smile, and I tilt my head, waiting. She doesn't normally come into my class. Her nagging is usually done by phone, so she has something on her mind.

She sighs, looking my way, sadness etching her features, and says, "He's not the same," and I swallow hard and look down. "He…God, I miss my son, Quinn."

This is the first time she's brought him up this way. Most days, it's subtle. She’ll mention what he'd done that day despite him sitting outside of my door every night, telling me stories of his childhood, and the things he used to do with his dad before he was diagnosed with a tumor. He expresses his gratitude for Crow and how he now sees him as that role model, but feels guilty at the thought of calling him dad. He’ll then fill me in on what he’s gotten up to. He tells me a lot, letting me see a side of him many don't, and he makes me fall for him even harder. I can't stop the feelings, and having his mother mention him every day, made me realize exactly how much I miss him.

I've fallen. I knew I had; I didn't want to admit it. I don't want to be like my momma, I can't, and Breaker…my Alex…makes me just like her.

He consumes me…and I am running.

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