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“We just need to get a jump on it,” I say quickly, my voice rushed. “I can tell them that I instigated the relationship. I’m an older student, I have a history of caring for someone the same age as your son. It doesn’t have to be a big deal. It happens all the time.”
“And it’ll smear your reputation.”
“I don’tcare,” I snap, folding my arms across my chest. “It makes no difference to me. I don’t care about what people think of me.”
“Yeah, well, this should’veneverhappened. I should’ve kept my fucking dick in my pants. I think the answer is that we need to stop this. It might be already too late to stop our destruction, but I need to try.”
My jaw drops. “We could go to the administration and disclose the relationship. I would have to transfer classes, and no, I couldn’t be your TA, but that doesn’t mean that—”
“You’re assuming the best in people right now, Melody. You’re assuming everyone is going to be understanding of what happened between us. Some people see situations like this as borderlinecrime.I’m now at risk of losing my son. Nothing is worth that.”
“You don’t have to lose him—”
“If I break this off. And that is what I’m doing,” he cuts me off, his voice bitter and sharp. “It’s over Melody. You need to leave. I have to call my lawyer.”
“You’re just quitting us, just like that?” A sob threatens to break loose in my chest, but I do my best to hold back. I don’t want to lose it until I’m away from Aiden. I knew my heart was already frail with our talk on Saturday. I knew I should have protected it.
But once again I decided to let the stupid thing guide me instead of my brain.
Alden looks over at me, his eyes glistening, but I can’t read him. Not when I can’t even get a handle on my own feelings.
His head jerks with a nod. “Yes. I am. I am quitting us.”
I nod back, blinking back the tears.
I rush for the front door. I just want to get away from him. Get away from everything. I rip it open, spotting my junkercar parked there in the driveway. God knows what Madeline thought when she saw it.
So dumb of me to think I could ever belong with someone like Aiden.
My fingers tremble as I reach for the handle on my car, and as I open the door, it squeaks more obnoxiously than ever. More tears slip down my cheeks, and I fall into the seat, shutting the door.
I start the engine, halfway expecting Aiden to appear from the entryway, that maybe he’ll try to stop me from leaving.
But he doesn’t.
The sob that I worked so hard to contain bursts from my chest, and I begin to tremble as I back out of his driveway.
I should’ve never gotten myself involved with someone who didn’t see me as an equal. I wanted Aiden to see me as someone worth fighting for. But I understand his position.
I just wish I wouldn’t have fallen in love with him.
26
Aiden
“Well...” Greg lets out a sigh. “That sounds complicated.”
“Yeah, I’d say,” I grunt, rubbing my forehead.
I stare into the now-cold cup of coffee, wishing that Greg had better news to give me. That somehow, he had some kind of easy solution to it.
“I mean, if we’re being honest, you having a relationship with one of your students at this level isn’t going to affect custody.”
“Okay...” I guess that’s good news.
“You’re sitting on a solid amount of cash, so there’s no way to argue that your home isn’t a financially secure place, either.”
Another good thing to hear.
