Page 75 of The Right Kind of Wrong

I gave him a weak smile, one that I was sure didn't meet my eyes. Losing someone is never easy but I didn't think I'd recover from Nana's loss. I missed her with all my heart.

“Thanks but it really wasn't necessary for you to do all that.”

“Sure it was.” Professor Lanthorn finished packing up his things and nodded towards the door. I tossed my backpack over my shoulder and followed after him. “My mother died last year. I have a daughter a few years younger than you and she was devastated, more than I was I think.”

I nodded, now understanding why he'd gone above and beyond.

“According to what your friend, Jenna, is it?” I murmured a soft yes in confirmation. “According to your friend Jenna, you were very close to your grandmother, so I figured you didn't need the chaos of trying to catch up with this class when you probably have other classes to catch up with.”

“Thank you, Professor Lanthorn.”

“No worries. Now, I have to get going, so I'll see you next week. If you have any questions just shoot me an email.”

My smile didn't falter as the man walked away. It's easy to tell who does things because they actually care about their job and the students they teach, and Professor Lanthorn showed he practiced what he preached.

***

Nathan wrapped his arms around me while I sat on the bar stool at Tessa's. We were waiting for my wings and his burger to be ready as I sipped on my lemonade. He kissed the shell of my ear, making a trail of goosebumps erupt throughout my skin.

Nathan placed a hand on my thigh, smirking when he felt the way my breathing hitched.

“You're going to make me want to do…stuff,” I whispered.

“Maybe that's the point.”

Leaning my head against his shoulder I relaxed, closing my eyes while he pressed his lips against my head. It was always nice to be with him even if we weren't doing anything important. The moments where we could be out in public together were rare, so it made me cherish them all the more.

“Professor Lanthorn gave me a print-out of all the notes,” I said.

“Mm, that's nice,” he murmured. “His wife works in the art department as well.”

“Oh really?” I asked, turning my face to see him.

“Yeah. They both seem like very nice people,” Nate replied.

“Alright you two lovebirds,” Tessa said with a teasing tone. “Here’s your food. You can't live off of love so, eat up.”

I laughed and she squeezed my hand gently.

“You better eat all those wings, hm? I've heard you haven't eaten much lately and we can't have any of that here, okay?”

People that I hardly knew were providing more comfort than my family did after my grandmother died. Little actions such as the compassionate smile offered by Tessa and the printing out of papers from people that were basically strangers to me gave me hope that not everyone was like my family. Even the bikers that typically gathered at the bar had offered their condolences, making me tear up. The people that I'd met just a few months before were quickly becoming people that I deeply cared about.

In the blink of an eye, my life had begun to change. Things I never thought would happen did and though some of them were painful, they were also what I needed to happen for me to see reality as it was.

My whole life I'd complained that my family wasn't what I wanted it to be but now, I realized that there was more good in the world than there was bad. As much as I wanted my family to be united, I realized that I didn't need them. I could have done things on my own accord, but I didn't have to. I had Nathan by my side and his family, people like Tessa and her husband and Carter and my friends. There was more love and support than I ever had and now that I did encounter it, there was no way I was letting it go.

As Nathan helped me up from the stool, the door to the bar opened, making everyone's attention turn towards it. My eyes widened when I saw who it was and Nate stiffened beside me.

My sister smiled, narrowing her eyes at me. Then her gaze shifted to her husband sitting next to me.

“Oh no,” Tessa scratched the back of her head, “I sense trouble.”

Unfazed, Hannah approached us, a proud smile on her face. Proud and daring. Menacing. It was one thing if she had an idea about what was going on between us, but I didn't want her to use it against Nathan during the divorce.

“Do you need something, hun?” Tessa said, walking up to Hannah. “You look lost. People like you usually don't typically come into this bar.”

Hannah snorted, shaking her head. “Damn right we don't.”

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