Page 58 of Bring me Back

“Are you ok?” Hallie asked beside me.

I gave her a stiff nod. I wasn’t sure if I was ever going to be ok, but if she could do it, so could I.

“Bug, you call if you need a ride back, all right?” Preston interrupted my thoughts. His daughter nodded, and I left them talking between themselves as I knocked on the side of the bus to get the driver’s attention.

“Ready to go, chief?” he asked, putting his phone away.

“Yeah, in a minute. Thanks.”

“No problem,” he said as he turned on the engine to heat a little.

I grabbed the clipboard I left by the steps and went back to Hallie’s side. She was watching her dad’s car disappear, holding herself with arms around her stomach. I came close, taking a rogue strand of hair between my fingers and brushing out of her face. “Will you survive four days of teenagers?”

She snorted. “I survived much longer than that.”

I tried not to show my anger. I didn’t want her to feel like she needed to comfort me. She had confided in me and I should’ve been the one holding her hand, not the other way around.

“So you’re excited as me?” I joked.

She faced me, a little smile on her lips. “Yes.”

Her voice was melodic, she sounded so happy and content. I had to leave my anger behind. She wasn’t dwelling on the past anymore, so maybe killing Anderson wasn’t the answer. I moved my hand to the small of her back, guiding her to the bus.

“Delos Santos?”

“Oh…” Hallie stopped in her tracks, faltering on the bus’s step. “Hi, Ryan,” she greeted the driver.

Her body tensed, her fingers trembled. I traced her face for an explanation, but she ignored me, her gaze pinned on the driver, Ryan.

“You teach?” I hated the way he looked Hallie up and down.

My possessive hand on her back spread even more, like I could protect her somehow. I hated her reaction to whoever he was. She recoiled like that first day when she had to walk the halls of Bluehaven High.

If I knew how hard it was for her, I’d have carried her in my arms.

I didn’t give her time to explain herself to him. I didn’t want her to ever talk to someone she didn’t feel comfortable with. My irrational side won, and I cut in. “Let’s go?”

Hallie looked up at me. I was happy to notice her eyes softened, and she bobbed her head up and down quickly. “Good to see you, Ryan,” she said as she slipped out, but I couldn’t help but notice how robotic she moved.

Ryan’s eyes followed her ass. I growled. “Eyes on the fucking road.”

I was barely over the weird interaction between Hallie and our bus driver when a voice rose in the middle of the students. “Where’s Mrs. Carr? Why isshehere?”

Delilah, of course. I wanted to bark she didn’t have the right to talk to Hallie, to breathe the same air as my quiet girl, but I had to refrain. I was feeling overprotective, but I needed to remember I was a teacher and my job was to protect the students, not yell at them. There was also the possibility Delilah knew nothing about her sister’s mess. Like Hallie said, Katie probably lied to cover her ass.

Katie Campbell.

I had to pause and regroup every time I thought of the name. It made me sick, disgust curling in the pit of my stomach, my hands closing in a fist. And how I was supposed to remain calm when every time I looked at Delilah’s face the only thing I saw was her sister?

I bit back my anger. “Sheis here in a teaching capacity and disrespect toward her can land a detention, Ms. Campbell, so I would tread lightly.”

My eyes scanned the bus to check if they all understood me clearly. By my side, Hallie was frozen in the spot. Her spine was rigid, her hand clutched to the seat by our side.

“Mrs. Carr had a personal issue, and we had to ask Ms. Delos Santos to take her place,” I told them loud enough to wake up the sleeping ones. “Goes without saying that even though Ms. Delos Santos isn’t a teacher, she’s to be respected as such. She’s involved with the play, so whoever is caught being disrespectful will face detention, but I’d say she can apply her own version of punishment with your costumes. That goes for your low hanging pants, Morales,” I said to the kid playing the carpenter.

People laughed, and I relaxed a little. They quickly lost interest in us, turning between them to talk or going back to their naps. The bus pressed forward, jolting in movement. I grabbed Hallie’s waist to help her stand, ignoring the glances on our way. I nodded to the seat to our left, and Hallie sat down by the window.

It was only eight in the morning, and I was already exhausted. I’d planned on skating by this week. I was there just to be responsible for the boys’ bunk, probably preventing one or two teen pregnancies. But without Helen, I was the teacher in charge. For the first time since Hallie came to the parking lot telling me the news, I realized I was going to be the one responsible for the rehearsals.

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