Page 22 of Stay Toxic

Really, really bad.

To hear that her mother was coming home literally made my stomach sink for her.

“Great,” Roslyn said sarcastically.

The bell rang, and the students from inside the classroom spilled out, forcing the man to come into my classroom to get out of the way of the hallway door next to mine slamming open. Rupert’s classroom.

I heard his voice drone on, and I wanted to insert the Sharpie in my pocket into my eardrum so I’d never have to hear him again.

“Bye, Uncle Shasha,” Roslyn said. “Thanks for doing this. I know you’re busy.”

“You’re welcome, kitten,” Shasha drawled.

Roslyn slid into the throng of people like she was made to do it.

A shiver of awareness slid down my spine at Shasha’s words.

I knew they were innocent and directed at a child at that, but shit.

Why was him saying “kitten” sexy as hell?

The slide of students through the hallway had the sexy man beside me chilling, watching and waiting.

I stayed at his side, also watching.

“This normal to have this many kids in the hall at once?” he asked.

“Yes,” I answered. “Like a bunch of ants, huh?”

“Yes,” he said. “The high school I went to was much smaller…and private.”

He did strike me as a rich dude.

I wondered if he was like Frances when he was growing up.

Maybe there was hope for the kid yet.

“I…” I trailed off when a familiar blonde started making her way out of her classroom.

She looked happy.

I instantly felt the pain in my chest start to swell.

Nobody ever tells you how hard it is to lose a best friend.

I mean, logically, losing anyone from your life that you’ve had there for most of it sucks.

I got that.

Losing Rupert was one thing. We’d been dating for four years. I thought I’d loved him.

But losing Jolessa?

I felt like a piece of my soul had left me the day that I found out she’d been cheating with Rupert.

We’d grown up together.

She still lived in the house next door to McCoy where I grew up.

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