Page 6 of My Bad Boy Valentine

Something flickered in his expression. He stood from the desk, the sudden movement making me aware of just how small this classroom was when you had a tall, muscular, tattooed man in it. “Thank you,” he said quietly. “For seeing more than just a kid acting out. And for giving me the heads-up early. We can’t let her slip further.”

“That’s my job,” I said softly, though my racing pulse reminded me there was more to this feeling than professional dedication. “But I’m also doing it because I want your sister to thrive. She deserves that chance.”

Knox’s gaze lingered on me, and the air between us felt warm—charged with an undercurrent I hadn’t anticipated. Outside, the hallway lights dimmed further as the janitorial crew likely started shutting things down. There was no one else around, no noise except the faint hum of the heating system. Time seemed to slow, and I realized we were standing very close.

“Caroline,” he said, his voice dropping the formal Ms. Belle. A faint smile teased the corner of his mouth. “You’re a good teacher—and a good person. I appreciate that you’re not judging Linzie…or me.”

“You’re showing me there’s nothing to judge,” I murmured, feeling my cheeks burn.

We stood there for a moment, inches apart, and I wondered if he could hear my heartbeat. The intensity of his gaze made my breath catch. For a split second, I thought he might move closer—or I might. Instead, he exhaled and stepped back, glancing at the clock.

“You have somewhere to be?” he asked, brow quirking.

I jolted out of the trance. “Yes—family dinner, actually. I’m late. They’ll be waiting for me.”

“Must be nice,” he said, turning toward the door. “Having a family to come home to for dinner.”

My heart clenched at the hint of sadness in his voice. I remembered what I knew about his parents—how they’d been in and out of jail, how people whispered that no one in his family had ever offered him stability. “Sometimes it is nice,” I admitted, “but it also comes with… expectations. Things can get complicated.”

He nodded, understanding in his dark eyes. “At least you got them,” he said, though his tone wasn’t accusatory. “Not everyone does.”

I opened my mouth to reply, but the thick weight of unspoken words formed a lump in my throat. There was something so raw in his admission, something that made me want to reach out. Instead, I forced a small smile and switched off the classroom lights. “We’ll keep each other updated on Linzie, okay?”

“Absolutely,” he said, following me into the hallway.

We walked side by side to the main entrance, the silence between us charged with a new awareness. Outside, the icy wind bit at my cheeks. I offered him a final nod and hurried to my car, every nerve ending lit by the memory of his gaze.

I’d been dreading this family dinner all week, but tonight, my nerves were unusually wound. My mind replayed the conversation with Knox in loops—his mention of puberty and hormones, the sincerity in his vow to help Linzie. And yes,the way he’d switched to calling me Caroline, the way it made something in my stomach clench pleasantly.

My parents’ upscale neighborhood materialized all too quickly. Row after row of large homes with immaculate yards and expensive cars in the driveways. Their house loomed at the end of the cul-de-sac, warmly lit, practically radiating comfort and success. I parked behind Mira’s sleek vehicle, forcing myself not to drag my feet up the walkway.

I loved my family—truly, I did. But even at the best of times, dinners here felt like stepping into a world that often left me feeling… small. They all saw me as the baby of the Belle family, the “soft one,” both sweet and pliable. Hardly the adventurous go-getter my sister Mira had become. Sometimes I suspected my parents saw me as a lesser version of her. The afterthought sister who never quite shattered their expectations enough to demand attention.

Inside, the warmth of the foyer smelled of my mother’s lemon-scented cleaning spray and the faint spices of dinner cooking in the kitchen. From the living room came Mira’s excited chatter. I entered to find her pacing in front of my parents, who sat on the plush couch sipping wine. Typical Belle family scene.

“Caroline!” Mira greeted. She turned, blond bob swishing around her shoulders. “I was wondering if you’d gotten lost on your way.”

I forced a smile. “I had a late meeting with a student’s guardian.”

“Oh?” My dad checked his watch. “You’re nearly forty minutes behind schedule, sweetheart.”

I suppressed a sigh. “I know. Sorry.” I slipped my coat off and hung it on the coat rack. “Mira, you seem excited.”

She practically glowed. “Colt might be moving to Hope Peak—he’s applied for a position running the after-school youth program! If it all works out, I won’t have to keep flying off to meet him on the cruise ships.” She beamed, clearly imagining their future cohabitation in our sleepy mountain town.

“That’s great,” I said sincerely, but I noticed how my father’s expression was more reserved than Mira probably realized. He nodded, though probably not as enthusiastically as she might have hoped.

“So,” Mira continued, “speaking of boyfriends…or at least crushes…has everyone heard? Knox Slater’s back in town.”

My face went hot. “I do not have a crush,’” I muttered, moving to the armchair opposite the couch. “Knox is Linzie’s guardian, and Linzie’s in my first-period English class. We had a meeting tonight about her schoolwork, in fact. That’s where I was coming from.”

Mom set down her wine and fingered the strand of pearls around her neck. “Knox Slater, right? The young man with an arrest record?” She frowned. “Caroline, dear, I hope you weren’t alone by yourself with that man. You know better than to get tangled up with someone like that.”

“He’s changed,” I snapped, surprising even myself with the quickness of my defense. “He’s opened a legitimate cycle repair shop and is taking care of his sister on his own. People can change. Don’t be so quick to judge.”

Mira’s eyes went wide with curiosity, and Dad’s brow knit. “Caroline, we’re only concerned,” he said. “He was in jail, wasn’t he? That doesn’t bode well for a stable environment.”

My heart hammered. I thought of how earnest Knox sounded about helping Linzie, the way he’d confided that she was all he had. “You don’t know him like I do,” I saidthrough gritted teeth, feeling my cheeks burn. “He’s not some careless criminal—he’s been trying to keep Linzie afloat. And it’s working.”

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