Page 102 of Yes No Maybe

“No. Definitely not. I need to make this quick.” My keys jingle in my hand like proof. “I’m canceling today’s visit and ending our deal.” I hand over his manuscript. “But I finished this. It’s amazing, but you already know that. I’m glad you got what you needed.”

“What I needed?” His face scrunches. “I don’t understand. What’s going on?”

“The other thing is that I’m moving regardless of what you do. Sell your house if you want to, but the point is, our deal is off.”

“Why?” His hands go to his hips. “Did something happen? Why are you upset?”

A tear slips through my rigid facade. I swipe it, scraping my cheek with my keys. “I don’t want to argue. I’m not even mad—”

“Are you kidding me? You’re seething. What’s wrong?” His eyes burrow into mine, his face stern and just as determined for me to answer as I am to run away.

“I came over last night, hoping for… I saw you with her, Jack.”

“You didn’t see mewithher,” he refutes. “You saw herhere—that’s all.”

“I saw enough.” My eyes catch his. I force another smile, shaking my head and letting the tears fall—there’s no stopping them now. “For the record…Thatwoman doesn’t deserve you. Not your love, your pen, or your dick. She’s my boss, one of them, anyway. The kids call her the Ice Queen. She’s all about money and appearances and getting ahead. Your books sit on a shelf in her office, propped up by old swimming trophies.That’swhat you are to her, Jack—a trophy. I would’ve walked through fire for you. She doesn’t even read your books. But you’re so enamored by herfucking perfection—”

“No. I ended it with her. That’s all. If you’d walk through fire for me, thenlisten to me. I did not sleep with her. I did not kiss her. All we did was talk. I swear.”

“Right, and I’m just supposed to take your word for it, huh? Ignore what Iknowabout you, ignore what Isaw, and believe this time was different thanallthe other times she’s popped in?”

“I expect you to believe the truth.”

“You must think I’m…” So many derogatory words line up that I can’t pick the best one. In all my plans, I never expected an argument. Notreally. I expected to barely get the words out over my incessant blubbering and hating myself for letting him see me like that. Facts are facts—how can he deny them? Despite what he might think, I’m not so pathetic that I’d turn a blind eye to his extracurricular love life or let him charm me into thinking he didn’t have one. I’m not that gullible.

Desperate to get out of here, I stumble down the stairs. My heel catches, twisting my ankle. Hard. I curse as I grab the railing to keep from falling. Pain shoots up my left leg.

“Rowan, stop. You okay?”

I ignore my throbbing foot. “We’re over—that’s all I need you to understand. I have to go to work.”

“Fuck work. You don’t get to drop this on me and bail.” He bypasses the stairs altogether by hopping down the stoop and jumping in front of me. “You don’t get to controlthisnarrative like you do everything else—Ideservea chance to explain.”

“As if there’s anything to explain—” I take a breath, stopping. “I don’t want to do this.”

“Tough shit. I did not sleep with that woman. Or any woman. What can I do to prove it to you?”

“Nothing!” The word comes out loudly, making me look around, afraid I’ve woken the neighbors. I take a breath, desperately trying to stay calm but wincing as I put weight on my leg.

“You’re hurt. Let me help you,” Jack says, a little calmer.

“No, I’m fine. You don’t have to prove anything—we aren’t together. And you don’t want to be. You know what Evie’s about, why she shows up… she was here for hours, Jack.Hours. How can you reasonably expect me to believe nothing happened? If you care about me, how could you let her in?”

His face contorts with bothered creases. “I shouldn’t have let her in. You’re right. But I didn’t touch her. I didn’t even want to. I’ll tell you everything.”

I take a breath, unable to believe him or put myself through any more of this. “I have to go. I’ll be late.”

“You’re pissed—I get it. This is exactly how I felt when Dean showed up and put his fucking hands on you. But you have to believe me—nothing happened. I want you—”

“And every other engaged woman you can find! Don’t come near me again! Not today. Not in my class. Not ever! I wish I’d never moved here! You are the worst thing to ever happen to me, Jack Graham!”

I hobble at full speed to my VW, hands shaking as I put the key in the ignition. I jerk the car onto the street and head toward school. Though I want to call in sick and initiate a pity party with Edgar, I can’t. My students expect the great Jack Graham, and I need to explain why he’s not coming. Or, at least, give a watered-down version that doesn’t incriminate any administrators before popping in one of their favorite movies or anything that will soften the blow and get their eyes off me. Driving with the top down dries my tears.

But in the silence of my pre-bell classroom, I nearly crumble again. My ankle throbs and aches. But worse, the replay of our fight and images of him with Evelyn rip through me like a jagged blade. It shouldn’t hurt this much—not when I expected it to happen. My head falls into my hands—I’ve been such a fool.

“Ms. Mackey, everything okay?”

An exasperated huff lifts my head, bringing my eyes to Julio’s. “I don’t know anymore.”

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