Page 8 of Fighting Our Forever

Chapter Six

Callie

My alarm blares relentlessly. Bleary eyed I reach my hand out searching for my phone. I find it, turn my alarm off and fall back into bed, about to go back to sleepy land. A few seconds before slumber takes me I realize why my alarm went off. Work. I’m supposed to be getting ready for work. God damnit!

I sit up in bed, and I know today is going to suck donkey balls. Big ones. I haven’t gone to work on a couple hours of sleep since I was in college. I can do this I tell myself, knowing it’s a pile of horse shit and my fifth graders are going to have a lot of independent work today.

I take twice as long in the shower, hoping the extra minutes will wake me up. Truth be told, no amount of time in the shower is going to wake me up enough to function properly in society. I don’t give a shit on most days but catch me when I’ve had less than my required nine hours, and I’m a cranky asshole.

When I finally pull myself out of the shower, I thank God today is Friday and pull on the only clean pair of jeans I own and my school t-shirt. I’m rocking that school spirit like a boss bitch. Grabbing my phone, I head to the kitchen to get my coffee on. Low and behold, I haven’t been to the grocery store, aaaand I’m out of k-cups. I look at the time on my stove and know I need to leave in less than five minutes or I’m going to be stuck in morning traffic and will be late to school.

I never arrive at school early and always walk in with seconds to spare most days. With that in mind, I decide that making a full pot of coffee is going to take way too long, and I really don’t need Mrs. Martin’s judgey eyes making me feel guilty this morning.

I’ve been here five minutes, and I don’t know how I’m going to make it through the day. I’m contemplating drinking the crap coffee in the teacher’s lounge when the distinct smell of coffee permeates the air. I peak an eye open and see a large white cup sitting in front of my face. Interested, I open both eyes and see Ryan standing in front of my desk looking down at me.

“Eep.”

I close my eyes tight, not ready to deal with everything they threw at me last night. If I keep my eyes closed long enough will he go away? I open them, and the coffee is there, but Ryan isn’t. Hmmm, I guess it worked.

I sit up and stretch my arms to the side, hitting a warm body. Startled I push back and end up falling out of my seat, landing awkwardly on the ground. “Come on,” I whine to myself.

“Let’s go, Angel,” Ryan says, and reaches down, clasping my hands and hauling me to my feet.

“Thank you,” I say to him, staring at the ground, not able to look at his pretty brown eyes.

With two fingers he lifts my chin, so I’m looking at him in the eyes. Then he pushes the hair that had fallen into my face behind my ear. “That’s better. Now, what did you say?”

I stubbornly meet his gaze knowing he damn well heard me the first time. He might be pretty, but he enjoys pissing me off. “I said thank you.”

He laughs. I can’t stop myself from hitting him in the chest. “Stop laughing at me, Ryan.” This only makes him laugh harder. “I. Said. Stop. Laughing!” I shout, punctuating every word with a hit to his very firm chest.

His hand covers mine after my last hit. “Easy there killer. You’re just too adorable when your pissed. I couldn’t help it.”

I’m almost too caught up with the feel of him under my touch. I stare out our hands absorbing the gentle way he’s holding me to him and watch how his thumb is caressing my fingers. My brain stops, and I can’t think of anything intelligent to say. I’ve never let any man touch me, save for last night with Paul and Ryan. I’m still new to this, hence my idiot routine.

Reluctantly I drop my hand from his chest trying to gain my composure. If I’m not touching him, I’ll be able to breathe, and my brain will start to function again, right? I step back and look around us, anywhere but at him and stubbled chin and dark yankable hair.

I make a grab for the coffee I’m betting he brought for me. “Tell me this is mine,” I beg.

“It could be.” He smirks at me, pulling the cup away, and quirks his eyebrow, goading me.

“If?” I ask wearily.

“If you’ll agree to a date with Paul and me. Tonight. We want to spend some time with you.”

I scowl at him. The bastard grins at me, he’s got me right where he wants me. Ryan’s smile should be illegal. No one should have such a soul damning smile. I need this coffee to get my day started, and there’s no way the sludge from the lounge is going to cut it. Just as I’m about to agree the bell rings and he starts to back away, my coffee in hand.

“Hi, Mr. Donavan.” My students Brittany and Ryland coo staring dreamily at him.

I roll my eyes. Those girls have no idea what a man like Ryan could do to their fragile hearts. When they grow up, they’ll see it, but for now, they get all googly eyed over the hot teacher.

“What’s it going to be Ms. Reid?” He asks from the doorway.

“Fine.” I huff and walk toward him, getting closer to my energy elixir.

When he hands me the coffee, he leans down and whispers in my ear. “I’ll text you the details, Angel. Paul and I have been waiting months for you to give us just a little bit of your attention. Don’t make us waste the night tracking you down.”

With that, he walks away, and I stare, watching his firm ass in his jeans walk down the hall. I’m snapped out of my stupor when I hear two pre-teens giggle behind me.

Oh, dear god, what did I agree to?

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