Page 57 of Fundamentals of Chemistry

Silvia: Drunk and horny?

I pulled a face as I keyed out my response. Silvia had an innate way of seeing right through my bullshit and finding what I was actually feeling. But this time, she was off the mark. I genuinely liked Jack. He was funny and smart and pleasant to be around now that he wasn’t exclusively a grumpy asshole. Plus, his teaching help was invaluable.

But something in me wouldn’t let me send that reply. I deleted the novella I had written in his defense and keyed out a short reply instead.

Mel: I’m only human.

***

Two days later, I dressed in my most professional—most boring—teacher's outfit and styled my hair into a tasteful bun that my mother would approve of. I applied more makeup than I usually did, taking time to contour and highlight. Then, changing my mind, I washed it all off and painted my face with my usual natural style and tinted lip gloss.

I just had to survive an hour of parent-teacher conferences, then I would be free to enjoy the rest of the Homecoming weekend festivities. Ashley and Phyllis had invited me to the football game tonight. The dance was tomorrow, but I planned on sitting that one out after the bonfire.

Jack and I were scheduled to meet with the parents of all of our chemistry students in one combined session. I arrived at Franklin Hall thirty minutes early to triple check our room and begin setting up our planned demonstrations.

A little spark of pleasure zipped through me at the sight of him, already in the room, straightening a chair. In hindsight, I shouldn’t have been surprised to find him here early too.

His lips tipped into a soft smile when he saw me. “Are you ready?”

I shrugged and smiled back, not bothering to hide my nerves from him. In general, I liked people and was good at dealing with them. But these people were sharks, cut from the same cloth as my parents.

“As ready as I’m going to be. It’s happening whether I like it or not, right?”

Jack’s smile widened until I could see his teeth. He looked infinitely more relaxed than I felt. “There’s nothing to worry about. I’ve done this many times. Parents just want reassurance that their children are getting what they need, and in this case, getting the best education money can buy.”

I meandered up to where he stood next to the teacher’s desk and picked up one of the three pop bottles lined up along the edge. Newbury parents had high expectations and could sniff out a bad deal from a mile away. Burke or not, I was sure they would be able to tell that I was the weaker educator.

“I’m not sure I check that particular box,” I said.

I didn’t have to look at Jack to hear the smile in his voice. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you nervous before.”

I sniffed. He didn’t get it. While no one person could hurt me this weekend, they did collectively have the ears of the board of directors and Headmaster Richmond. My employment was already in a precarious position after the first exam. A few bad words from irritated parents, and my days at Newbury would be over.

My chest felt tight at the thought of leaving. I loved my little apartment, I adored the campus, and I had friends in TJ, Ashley, and the hens. Plus, there was Jack and our… situation. I couldn’t go without knowing if there was really something between us.

I swallowed a lump in my throat, and my eyes dropped to the floor. “I just really don’t want them to hate me.”

Jack’s feet appeared in front of me. He hooked a finger under my chin and tilted my face up until I met his keen eyes. “You are going to charm them like you charm everyone. They will love you.”

Feet planted on the floor, I felt dizzy. This man was the king of mixed signals, and I was powerless to avoid his attention.

“Plus, I’ll be right here with you. We’re in this together.”

His tune had completely changed since August, especially in the last week or so since we started lesson planning together. It had taken a while, but I could finally see the kind, quiet man that Richmond and Phyllis and TJ saw from day one.

As we continued to stare into each other’s eyes, my breaths became shallow and my anxiety slipped away. Part of me wished he would lean in and kiss me again.

It was a foolish, reckless thought—parents were due to arrive any minute.

But Jack wasn’t foolish or reckless.

He would pull away.

Any second.

I needed him to. I didn’t have the strength to do it myself.

Every time I was close to him, I found myself less and less concerned about consequences and more and more concerned about staying in his orbit.