Page 54 of Wanting You

Tanner: Can I call you so we can talk?

Chloe: Everything’s fine, Tanner.

Liar, liar, liar!

Chloe: I’m sitting here with Ash and everything’s good.

Chloe: I’ll see you in the morning, okay?

Chloe: Have a good night.

Then she tossed her phone back in her purse as if it had burned her.

Just then, Ashlynn walked back in and shut the door behind her again. “Okay, my schedule is clear and you and I are going to my place for some Chinese food and ice cream sundaes for dessert. I already called in the dinner order, and my freezer is full of ice cream and the pantry is full of toppings.” She paused and grinned. “And the toppings aren’t always just for sundaes,” she said with a dramatic wink. “Now come on. Follow me home.”

Thirty minutes later, they were sitting in Ashlynn’s dining room with way too much Chinese takeout in front of them, but it was perfect.

“You don’t get it,” she explained.

Again.

“Things always came easier for you with whatever you tried. Teaching is the first thing that I really excelled at. And now all everyone can talk about is how awesome Tanner is and I’m going to be forgotten. Just like I was the forgotten Donovan for most of my life.”

Ash rolled her eyes. “Okay, no one ever forgot you.”

“Mom left me at the mall that time…”

“Okay, one time!” her sister cried. “You were hiding in Santa’s gingerbread house! And, in her defense, she left to find a police officer because she thought you’d been abducted!”

“This is getting us nowhere! This is how I feel, Ashlynn! You don’t get to tell me how to feel or not feel! I’m sitting here telling you how I’ve felt invisible for most of my life! Being a teacher bolstered my confidence like nothing else and you know what, I feel threatened by Tanner’s showiness and success! There! Happy?”

Letting out a small huff, Ash tossed down her chopsticks. “Actually, yes. I love that you finally spoke up! I hate that you’re feeling like this, but, like you said, I can’t tell you how to feel. If you feel threatened, then that’s how you feel. But what is it you want to happen here? Do you want Tanner to quit? To suddenly be a terrible teacher? I mean…think about it.”

Rather than answer, she picked up a dumpling and bit it in half, thinking as she chewed.

What did she want to happen?

“It seems to me like you have two things going on here, and they both have to do with Tanner, and neither of them is good.”

She nodded.

“You’re upset that he’s not being open with you about what he’s doing in his classroom—and I think that’s a really weird thing for him to keep to himself—and the fact that you’re afraid of him taking away your place at the school.”

Swallowing, she nodded again.

“We all like to be praised for the work we do. That was something that used to drive me crazy when I worked for Becky. But sometimes…we’re not the best and that’s okay. If we’re trying our best and getting results, that’s a win, Chlo. Your students love you. The parents love you. There are dozens of families in this town who have these great memories of the things you taught them. It’s okay to share the spotlight.”

“Maybe.”

“Would you feel like this if that other woman had taken the position? The one who Tanner replaced? Would you feel as threatened then, or is this because he’s your boyfriend?”

She groaned. “I knew getting involved with a coworker was going to be a bad thing.”

Reaching over, Ashlynn took her hands and gave them a squeeze. “It doesn’t have to be. You need to talk to Tanner and…”

Chloe snatched her hands back. “And say what? Stop being awesome? Stop being charming and successful? That would be the worst!”

With a patient smile, Ash took a moment to take a bite of her dinner before replying. “Or…you could just tell him you wish he would be honest with you about what he’s doing in his classroom. That it’s okay if he doesn’t do things your way or take your suggestions. Hell, Chloe, you had to figure it all out on your own and you were fine. It’s not a bad thing that Tanner’s just trying to do the same.”

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