Page 28 of Love Takes Home

“I agree. That’s abuse,” Nicole says quietly.

“You guys, I know, but—”

Quinn cuts me off. “He was mentally, emotionally, verbally, and now you’re telling us physically abusive. What an asshole.”

“Look, bottom line is I’m not with him now. I’m never going back to him again. It’s over, okay? I would just like to live my life in peace and move on. And some days I don’t know if I can do that and continue to work in the same place as him.”

“What would you do if you weren’t teaching?” Linda asks.

“I don’t know.”

“Sounds to me like you got a few things to figure out.”

“No shit. I just feel like everything is fucked up right now and I’m not sure I should be making big decisions until some of the fuckery goes away.”

I raise my eyes and lock on two beautiful dark brown eyes staring back at me. Intently. The terrifying face firmly in place. How much did he hear? I need out of here.

“I, uh, I need to go to the bathroom.” I stand up quickly, not looking at anyone. “I’ll be back.”

I turn away and escape down the small hallway that leads to the bathrooms. Going into the women’s room, I close the door behind me and sag against it, taking deep, calming breaths. When I have my breathing under control, I push off the door and stand in front of the sink, staring at my face in the mirror. “It’s fine. Everything is fine,” I tell myself. “Everything is going to be just fine.”

“Virginia.” The deep voice vibrates through the door, just like I knew it would. And when he pushes the door open, my first thought is he’s come to rescue me. My second is, oh, no, he’s come to yell at me.

“Get out of here!” I screech. “It’s the women’s restroom!”

“I’m not going anywhere. We are going to have a discussion.”

“No. No, we’re not. I need to get back to my friends.”

“Wait—”

“I don’t want them to wait. You can wait,” I interrupt him.

“You are gonna listen to me.”

“Well, if you’re gonna keep giving me that look, I guess it’s a good thing I’m in the bathroom when you make me pee my pants.”

“Don’t be funny.”

“What do you want?”

“I want to know why none of us ever knew that bastard laid his hands on you.”

“Because I didn’t want you to know. I didn’t tell anybody.”

“And why didn’t you want us to know?”

“Because you would’ve made me walk away.”

“You’re fucking right we would’ve,” he growls.

“This isn’t up for discussion, Harrison, and this conversation is over.”

“You know he didn’t love you. If he could hurt you, he didn’t love you.”

“You think I don’t know that?” I explode. “I know he didn’t love me. Guess what, genius, I didn’t love him, either! I know it was a horrible relationship, okay? I also know that I don’t need your lecture on shit that’s past. You aren’t my father. You definitely aren’t my boyfriend. You don’t get to tell me shit about things that have already happened!”

I finish and take a breath. Before I can exhale, his lips are covering mine, and he’s pulling me into his arms. This is a fantasy come true. This man is kissing me. Why is this man kissing me? Oh, my God, he tastes like heaven. Is that…? Is that his penis? He’s hard? While he kisses me? What is going on? What is my life right now?

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