Page 17 of Justice

The silence that follows is deafening. I can feel the weight of dozens of stares, a mixture of fear and awe.

Christopher turns back to me, his expression softening as he meets my gaze.

"Come on, angel," he murmurs, guiding me past the stunned onlookers. "Let's get what you need and get out of here."

I lean into Christopher's side, overwhelmed by what just happened.

"Thank you," I whisper, my voice thick with emotion.

He presses a kiss to the top of my head, his arm tightening around me. "Always, Elle. Always."

We reach the science room and I sigh in relief. My teacher has study hour right now, so we got here at the perfect time.

I knock on the door and I can see through the window that he’s sitting at his desk.

“Yo, Christopher, how have you been?” one of the football players calls out to him.

Christopher looks at me to make sure I’m good. “I will be fine in here.”

"Elle! It's so good to see you," Mr. Evans says, his voice warm with genuine enthusiasm when I step into the room. He stands up, pushing his chair back with a soft scrape against the linoleum floor.

"Hi, Mr. Evans," I reply, my voice softer than I intended. "I'm here to pick up the rest of my assignments."

He comes around the desk, his lab coat swishing softly as he moves. Before I can react, he's enveloping me in a quick hug. The unexpected contact makes me stiffen for a moment, but I force myself to relax. This is Mr. Evans, after all. The one who drove me home that night, concern etched into every line of his face.

"It's really nice to see you too," I manage, awkwardly patting his back. The hug lingers a beat too long, and I can feel my heart rate picking up. I take a small step back, trying to create some distance without being rude.

“So, you never did tell me the rush of finishing all of your credits to graduate early.” He takes the stacks of papers from a drawer to the edge of the desk for me to take.

Did he not hear?

“I’m expecting, and I wanted to wrap everything up before my baby arrives.” I place my hand on my slight little bump, feeling a rush of happiness.

There is a loud crash after he hears the news and I jump back in shock at the sight of his coffee cup knocked onto the floor, shattering.

“Well, congratulations,” he says, taking a step toward me like he is going to hug me again, a weird expression on his face.

The door is opened, saving me from the awkwardness with Christopher standing there. “Thank you,” Christopher answers Mr. Evans.

"Of course," Mr. Evans says, his smile not quite reaching his eyes. "Take care of yourself, Elle. And remember, if you need anything at all, I'm here for you."

My teacher’s face drops when Christopher walks in farther.

“Nice to see you again, Christopher. How is life?” he asks him before throwing some paper towels onto the floor to soak up the coffee.

They have a few minutes of small talk, and Christopher takes the schoolwork from me so he can carry it.

I look over at Mr. Evans one last time, waving to him over my shoulder.

We hurry our way out of the school, thankful that it’s over with—the heat of everyone’s gazes following us.

“God, I’m so glad that I’ve already graduated,” Christopher tells me, opening the back seat to set the papers down. I open the passenger door and Christopher lifts me in, setting me on the seat. “Are you okay?” he asks me.

I nod, letting out a deep breath. “It just gives me a lot of anxiety. I have never understood why girls are so catty.”

He cups my jaw. “You’re so fucking strong after everything that has happened.”

I smile and rest my forehead on his chest, breathing in his scent and loving how safe he makes me feel, feeling so much better.

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