Page 100 of Beneficial Misfortune

I clear my throat as I walk toward her desk, and her head snaps up, a smile in place before it’s quickly replaced with a frown as she recognizes me.

“Back so soon? I thought you had another job you needed to be at?” she smacks her lips together as she chomps on her gum, and it takes everything in me to stop myself from rolling my eyes at her.

Honestly, I’m about to quit, so if there was ever a time, I could stop pretending it would be now. But I don’t really want to stoop to her level, not to mention, I don’t feel like she deserves an explanation.

“Actually, that’s what I was here about. I’m going to have to resign,” I tell her, plastering a fake smile on my face even asshe turns her attention back to her phone without so much as batting an eye at what I just said.

“Okay, well, I’m just going to collect my things from my room now,” I say, hooking my thumb over my shoulder toward the door.

“Have fun with that, but just know that once I tell the headmaster, you’ll have to go through the whole hiring process again should you change your mind.” She blows a bubble with her gum, still not looking up, and for a second, I dare say she almost seems to be giving me good advice.

“Or when they change their minds.” And there’s the Barbara I’m used to.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I say instead of the other, not-so-nice things that come to mind as I quickly leave and head down toward my class for the last time.

It took me a few minutes to work up the nerve to even enter the room.

I’d half expected to find the flowers still on my desk where I abandoned them, but they're gone, and while I’m happy not to have to look at them, that’s almost even creepier.

Nobody’s here. Vince is outside, and this is the last time I’ll be here.

I tell myself before taking a deep breath and unlocking the door to get this over with.

“Hey, Red, didn’t expect to see you here today.”

I whirl around at the sound of Trevor’s voice, smacking my hand to my chest. I’d been so focused on packing that I hadn’t heardhim approach. Not to mention, I didn’t expect anyone else to be here.

“Shit, sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you,” he says, rubbing at the back of his neck, but I wave him off. It’s not his fault I’m so damn jumpy. I always have been, but right now, in this room, it’s worse. “No, you're fine. I just wasn’t paying attention.”

I turn back to my desk, pulling out the last of my lesson plans and journals for the year from the drawer. My talk with Barbara already took longer than I wanted it to, and I feel bad making Vincent wait, despite how often he might tell me he’s fine doing it.

“So I heard you got moved, put in a bigger room this year, huh? That’s actually why I stopped in, since you're right next door to me now.” His words make me pause, but I brush them off and keep packing up my things. “I didn’t expect you to be here. Most people are enjoying their summer vacation until the last minute.”

“Oh, um,” I grab the last of the papers and push the drawer closed, standing up to really look at him for the first time. I hadn’t realized he’d moved further into the room, but he’s still near the door, which is good because we need to leave. “I actually just put in my resignation. I won’t be here next year. I was just getting my things.”

Moving around my desk, I set the papers in one of the last open boxes before looking around for my purse, only to realize I’d left it in the car.

Well, at least it’s one less thing to carry out.

“What?” Trevor’s tone is sharp, and I quickly look up at him. His brows are drawn down in confusion, and I can see why it might be a shock. I’ve only been here one year, and it’s not like this is a bad job; no, most people who teach here do so for the rest of their lives.

“Yeah, I had another offer.”

It’s not actually a lie, though judging by the way his eyes narrow, I get the feeling he isn’t buying it.

Crap.

With three large strides, he’s in my face, backing me up against the desk that my box rests atop of.

“This is because of them, isn’t it?” he hisses, all traces of friendly conversation from a moment ago gone.

“What? Who?” I stammer, unsure of what he’s talking about.

Trevor has always been a bit much, but right now, he’s bordering on crazed. His eyes dart around my face before looking down the length of my body in a way that puts me on edge.

He doesn’t respond, and I’m not sure if he’s ignoring me or just didn’t hear me.

“Trevor?” My voice comes out in a pathetic little whisper, and I cringe at how fucking weak I sound.

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