Page 138 of The Thought of You

I whip my attention back to her, gobsmacked as my tongue suddenly feels too big for my mouth.

“There’s something going on between you, isn’t there?” she ventures.

“Why would you say that?” I laugh nervously and twist my hair, my fingers itching for something to do.

“We’ve known each other a long time, Addie.” She smiles, and it’s warm. There’s no hint of anger or judgment in her demeanor or tone, which puts me at ease, but it’s only a fraction. “I even consider you a friend, and as your friend, I just ask that you be honest with me.”

Tears sting the backs of my eyes.

This is it.

This is the moment. There’s no way around it. It was one thing to pretend it’s not true, but it’s another thing entirely to lie when Sable’s outright asking me about it. The latter would be a sin in my book.

I have to tell her, and I haven’t even prepared for it. Then again, how does one prepare for such an occasion? Wear all black in mourning? Wear sneakers for an easy getaway once embarrassment takes over?

I don’t even have cake or ice cream to wallow in once I get home.

But this is what I need to do. If I’m going to win Owen back, I need to come clean about our involvement, and this is my opening. I won’t get another chance this perfect.

Besides, it might not be as bad as I’ve imagined over the last few weeks. I’ve been told on multiple occasions, especially by my mother, that I can really let my thoughts get away from me. I always assumed she just never took anything seriously, but after this weekend, I’m inclined to believe she might have a point.

Only one way to find out…

I clear my throat and manage, “Owen and I have been seeing each other, but it’s new. It’s not like we’ve been sneaking around for a year. Of course, he hasn’t lived in town that long, but you know what I mean. Right?”

Her smile widens.

“You’re not mad?” I cringe.

“Why would I be mad?” She rubs her hand up and down my arm. “Addie, I love seeing you happy, which you have been lately. It’s all I want for you.”

“Are you saying that as my friend or my boss?”

“Both.”

Even though this is off to a decent start, I don’t let my guard down. It’s too soon to tell if this will end well or not.

“But as your boss, I must also say this.”

Here we go.

I raise my shoulders higher and brace myself for impact as if I’m in a car headed straight for a brick wall.

“I just need you both to disclose your relationship to the administration, which sounds ominous, but really, all you need to do is sign a waiver. It’s just so we can cover our asses.” She squeezes my arm and adds, “That’s all for the legal and official case of the matter, but the rest is possibly going to be more complicated.”

“The rest?”

“The rest of the faculty.” She offers a sympathetic smile, one that does not reach her brown eyes. And is it me, or does her big hair lose a little volume? Even her hair is sad for me. “There will be gossip, curious looks, whispers—you name it. They might give you a hard time too, but you have thick skin. You can handle it.”

I nod, but I barely register her words.

“When the students catch wind of it, which they will, they might make a few jabs themselves. You know how kids are, but again, you can handle them until they latch on to the next piece of gossip. It’s how the whole town works. It’s nothing new to either of us.”

Dread fills my stomach like buckets of oil, but still, I say nothing.

The kids.

Their reactions didn’t cross my mind. I was so focused on my future at this school and my reputation across town that I didn’t take the students themselves into consideration. How could I let that happen? I love my students. I want what’s best for them, and that doesn’t include a distraction by their scandalous teachers.

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