Page 60 of Branded Hearts

Liv smiles. “Yeah. Hopefully,” before changing the subject to lighter topics. But I can’t shake the worry that settles in the pit of my stomach.

At recess, I find myself in my classroom amidst the cheerful chaos of kindergarteners. Crayons and drawings litter the tables, and the walls proudly display their latest artistic triumphs. The familiar scent of glue and crayons fills the air, creating a strangely comforting atmosphere.

As I diligently mark our weekly spelling test, placing yet another shiny star sticker next to a correct answer, I can’t help but find my thoughts drifting back to Bradley.

Why does he have to be so confusing? One minute he’s kissing me like I’m the only woman in the world, and the next, he’s completely silent. I glance at the clock. Only fifteen more minutes left until the kids come back, and I’ve barely made a dent in these tests. I should be focusing on these adorable attempts at spelling, not on a guy who’s turned my brain to mush.

How hard can it be to get a sign from him?A text? A call?

I mean, he has my number now!

Anything to say that kiss meant something. But nope. Radiosilence.

I sigh, leaning back in my chair, staring at the ceiling. I need to talk to someone about this, but Liv’s off-limits. I can just picture her reaction if she knew I was crushing on her brother. The horror!

Maybe I could talk to Imogen or Isla, but even that feels risky.

No. Maybe I just need to be patient. Maybe he’s just sorting out his own feelings. But how long am I supposed to wait? How long can I keep pretending everything is fine when all I want is another moment with him, to understand what’s really going on between us?

“Focus, Amelia,” I tell myself, shaking my head.

My door bursts open and Jamie comes barreling into the room, huffing and puffing like she’s just run a marathon.

“I swear, if one more ten-year-old tries to outsmart me, I’m going to lose it,” she says dramatically, flopping into the chair opposite my desk. I chuckle, grateful for the distraction.

“What happened this time?”

“Do you remember Jason? The one who thinks he’s a mini Einstein?”

“What did he do now?” I ask, incredulously.

“He corrected my maths. My maths, Amelia! I was explaining fractions, and then he stands up and says, ‘Actually, Miss Smith, that should be seven, not eight.’ The worst part? He was right!”

“Oh.” I laugh. “Is that it?”

She throws her hands up in the air. “Yes! What do you mean? I’ve been outsmarted by a ten-year-old. The sass on that kid! He even gaveme a look, like,‘What kind of teacher are you?’”

I shake my head, still laughing. “Kids these days, huh? They keep us on our toes.” Jamie leans forward, lowering her voice conspiratorially.

“And you should’ve seen the way the other kids looked at me after that. Like I’d lost all credibility. They were practically ready to take over the class.”

“Sounds like you’ve had a day.”

She groans, leaning back in her chair. “You have no idea. And here I was thinking Year five would be easier than Year six.”

We both laugh, the tension of the day easing a bit. I look back at the spelling tests, but my mind wanders again to Bradley. Maybe talking to Jamie about him wouldn’t be such a bad idea, but I hesitate.

Jamie stretches, clearly not in any rush to get back to her classroom. “So, how are things with you? You seem… distracted.”

I shrug, trying to play it cool. “Just a lot on my mind. You know how it is.”

Jamie knows exactly what happened over the weekend because as soon as I got back to work on Tuesday, Kristie, Amanda, and Jaime bombarded me with questions. They never miss a thing.

“Still nothing?” Jamie asks, her voice soft yet curious..

I shake my head, feeling a knot tightening in my stomach. “No, nothing.”

Jaime leans forward. “Have you tried reaching out to him?”

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