Page 38 of Life Lessons

“Don’t say another word to incriminate yourself, Jethro,” Herb hisses. I look up at him, my eyes being drawn to the window over his shoulder. Now it’s pitch black outside, the blue flashing becomes apparent and my next words lodge in my throat. Oh fuck. Herb rounds his desk, placing a gentle hand on Harriett’s head and quietly talks over her. “Mr Longstaff, would you mind taking Harriett back to her dorm and settling her there while we deal with this. I will come to see you personally when it is done.”

My eyes flick to him then, my mind racing. When what is done? Why is she staying? What is happening here? I can’t keep up with the questions as Harriett and her entourage make their way out of the office and close the door behind them. Her whines immediately stop and if it wasn’t for Herb’s hand coming down on my shoulder, I’d have been in that hallway in a millisecond and giving that girl something to really cry about.

“It’s not what you think,” I mutter to Herb. This man knew my father. Knew me when I attended Willowmead myself, and has seen me through a large portion of my life. Taking in his aged skin and sunken eyes, I can already see the defeat there before he softly replies.

“I’m sorry, Jethro. I tried to warn you. This is beyond what I can shield you from.” As his hand leaves my shoulder, I feel like my heart has been torn out of my chest. I can’t breathe, can’t think, and finally, I drop into the chair across from him, burying my face in my hands. The click of heels crossing the wooden floor makes my ears prick, having clean forgotten Agatha Nightingale was still here. One moment, I’m lying in bed and wondering if miracles do exist and the next, I’m facing off against her mother with the police outside. How can this get any worse?

“This doesn’t need to be a messy affair,” Agatha states coldly. Lowering herself down into the seat beside me, I look up in time for her to hand me a brown envelope. Flicking open the tab, I pull out the piece of paper inside, glancing over an NDA. My cocked eyebrow says it all so she continues to elaborate.

“Abigail has caused our family enough shame without adding seducing her teacher to the list. I lost both of my daughters on that fateful night last year, all I have left to cling onto is my reputation.” Of all the things I’d expected her to say, none of that was it. If anything, I was preparing myself for a hard slap and string of vintage curses.

“Sign the NDA and agree you will have no further contact with Abigail. Or take whatever sentencing the judge hearing your trial gives you.” I contemplate both, firmly deciding a sentence in jail would easily surpass a life without Abbie, although neither are preferable. I’d never hold Abbie back from the life she should have, but the thought of her meeting someone else while I’m counting down the days to have her back in my arms nearly kills me right then and there.

That’s when it truly hits me. There’s no way out. No happy ending. No option where Abbie will be mine in the end, and that’s soul destroying. I wish I’d seen the signs sooner, wish I’d said the words I never thought I would, sooner. I don’t just care for Abbie, I love her. Whole heartedly and full bodied. She is the one I see myself growing old with, the only one who would stay by my side through thick and thin. She could have been my lifeline, yet now she’s my biggest downfall.

Turning to Agatha, I just about stop myself from begging for another way out. Instead, I settle on the truth. “What Abbie and I have isn’t a stupid fling or a callous seduction on either of our parts. We truly have feelings for each other.” The crystal blue eyes staring back at me, which are so much like Abbie’s yet couldn’t be more different, only holding disdain, so I save my breath and turn to Herb instead. “I love her.”

Herb says nothing, only nods slowly in understanding, but there’s nothing he can do. His hands are tied and I’m the one that restrained them. Reaching for her diamond studded clutch bag, Agatha produces a pen and shoves it in my face. I clutch the envelope so hard in my hands, it crumples and she thrusts the pen at me again, using my last shred of weakness against me.

“This scandal will not see the light of a newspaper. Either you leave, or she does. I’ll drag her out of here kicking and screaming if that’s what it takes, but know that you’ll be stealing her last chance at a normal life.” And there it is. All that really matters. Abbie came here for a new start, for her last chance to graduate and escape her family name.

Snatching the pen, I now take the NDA fully out of the envelope and scan over it, editing parts as I go. I will not contact Abigail Nightingale in any form ‘until she graduates’.The nature of our relationship will remain a secret‘as long as I am not prosecuted for it’.I will not step on Willowmead Academy grounds or work professionally as a teacher again. That one I shrug off, not bothering to fight what sounds like a blessing. Once finished, I sign the dotted line and hand it back over for Agatha to agree to the terms, scrawling her name at the bottom.

“Can I at least say goodbye?” I ask Herb, pleading him with my eyes. The old man sighs, showing his age more than I’ve ever seen as he loosens his tie and avoids my gaze. Agatha makes a noise in the back of her throat, informing me that my belongings are being packed as we speak and I must remove myself from the property. Immediately. Herb says nothing, allowing his biggest investor to do the talking for him. That’s that then, I suppose. Dragging myself to my feet, I send a silent thought out to Abbie, saying this is all for her. I know it’s stupid, but it’s the only way I can get my feet to move.

“For the record.” I halt by the door and look over my shoulder to Agatha. “Maybe Abbie was subconsciously drawn to me because she yearned for the affection of an older person. Lord knows she didn’t receive any at home. But I love your daughter, and the second she graduates, she’s mine.”

“Not if I can help it,” she sneers to herself. I realize then that Agatha Nightingale will do whatever it takes; feeding Abbie a string of lies and keeping this meeting a secret in an attempt to turn her against me. With Easter right around the corner, it’s just four months until Abbie graduates, even though it will seem like a lifetime to me. I just have to hope Abbie will understand eventually, and that she feels the same way I do. That our love is strong enough to survive whatever wedge is shoved between us. That she forgives me in the end.

Ispend the evening with Trixie, feeling lighter than I have in a long time. I can’t quite believe that just a few hours before I was at the lowest point I had ever been and yet now I am soaring high. Consumed and filled with Jett’s love, I practically skipped over to Trix’s room.

As we sit here, doing normal things that girls do on nights in together, I can’t help but cast my mind to Tillie. Only this time, the darkness doesn’t consume me. Instead, I allow myself some time to remember her. I think of all the nights we sat together in our bedroom, because despite having almost twenty bedrooms in our ridiculously oversized house, we loved being together. We each had our own room, but we were always in mine. It even had a spare bed for Tillie, although we frequently just fell asleep in the same bed.

As Trixie paints my toes for me in the same way that Tillie would, I wonder how she would have reacted when I told her about Jett. I know initially she would have been pissed that I hid such a big secret from her, but her smile would have given away the fact she secretly knew about our relationship. She could always tell when I had a secret. Then she would spend time listening to all the gory details, finding out if this was just sex or more. Once she knew how I really feel, she would have been so happy for me. I would have had my sister in my corner for whatever shit was to come.

Ironically, there’s a big part of me that thinks Trixie would react the same way. I catch her looking at me when we are near Jett. Her knowing eyes tell me that at the very least she suspects. But I can’t say anything. It’s not that I don’t trust Trixie because I do. But there is more than just my future on the line with this one. I can’t risk people finding out as that would mean I will lose Jett for good, and that is a loss I definitely couldn’t handle.

The night draws in and with a few yawns letting us both know we have pushed it past tired, we say goodbye and I head back to my room. Walking back to the staff dorm, as I reach the front door, I discreetly cut around the back of the building, looking for the window I am drawn to. But before I can even get round the corner, I see a large man with security flashed across his t-shirt, as he patrols the lawn in front of Jett’s room. I curse at the knowledge I won’t be getting in that way. Using his front door is probably too risky.

Patting my trousers, I realise I don’t have my phone in any of my pockets. At first, I worry I left it at Trixie’s, but then I remembered the last time I saw it was in my room. So, I head inside to grab it and ask Jett what he wants me to do. I don’t want to sleep without him, but there is a lot of security milling about. There must have been an incident of some sort.

Opening my door and rummaging around, I quickly find my phone. Scrolling down to our recent messages, I quickly type what I want to say and press send.

Booty Call: I wanna spend tonight with you but not sure how to. So many security around. Do you know what’s going on?

Almost within seconds of the text sending, another text flicks up underneath mine.

Error - this number is no longer in service.

How odd? I literally received like a million calls and texts from his number only the day before, and I’m sure he would have told me that he changed it. I try texting him again and the same error message comes up every time. I feel my heart start to race and panic is building in my body. I don’t know why, but I have a really bad feeling about this.

Even though I have only just left her, I know Trix is the font of all gossip in this school, along with the only two other people I like at this school. So I sent a text to the group we started weeks ago when Harley and Jackson teamed up with Trixie and myself for the sports day. It seems like such a long time ago now.

Abbie: Hey guys, do any of you know what is going on with all the security?

It doesn’t take long before I get several replies.

Harley: Abs, so great to hear from you. Missed you in class today. You okay?

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