Page 48 of Reluctant Chemistry

“Retrospect is overrated, don’t you think? And I know you, Dad. You can’t let things lie. You jump in boots and all with the solutions and the attitude. We weren’t doing anything wrong when we started seeing each other, and now it’s over. But sometimes I want to talk to him, and I can’t do that at school.”

“Yeah, well, I’m asking you not to meet him out of school again either. Not while he’s still teaching there.”

She frowned. “But I’m old enough—”

“This isn’t about your age. It’s about safeguarding his reputation as much as your own. Understand?” He leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead. “Don’t make Luka pay that price.”

CeCe plucked another tissue from the box and dabbed her eyes. As usual, her father made a sound argument, but she had no interest in learning that lesson at present. The lessons had come thick and fast the year before, and she was determined this year would be one of discoveringwhat made her heart sing, not lessons that constrained it.

She wanted to sit in the back of the Kombi with Luka, eating sweet nectarines until the juice dripped down their chins, to surf naked at sunrise, have sex at midnight and again as dawn’s light crept through the curtains of his studio home. She wanted him…

“Also, you won’t be going back into his classroom. Mrs. Jones has arranged for you to join a correspondence class via video link until after Easter.”

“But that’s not fair. Luka’s a great teacher, and I finally feel like I’m getting somewhere.”

“Actions have consequences, Sydney. You know that. You invited him into our home and slept with him without our knowledge or consent.”

She dropped her head into her hands and sighed. “What do you think might happen…? To Luka, I mean.”

“Who knows. But I’ll be voting to dismiss the complaint as unjustified. I’m not saying I agree with what you did, but according to Brad, Luka’s a good guy.” He stood. “Anyway, get some sleep.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

As her father closed the door, CeCe flopped onto her front and buried her head under the pillow. Lately, her life had started to make some sense—to slip into order. But that was before she’d met Luka at the beach. Now, despite her father’s advice, she failed to understand why she had to compromise.

The bathroom tiles cold beneath her bare feet, she switched on the light above the mirror and studied her reflection. Puffy eyes stared back at her, and as she cleaned her teeth and washed her face, she knew her time with Luka was over. It wasn’t a decision she’d made, but one fate had made for her.

And, for some reason, fate had a habit of getting it wrong as far as CeCe was concerned.

Back in her bedroom, CeCe reached into her nightstand drawer for a flat rock she’d recently found. Next, she picked a fine tip Sharpie from the mug of pens on her desk, jumped into bed, and let the words flow.

Dearest A,

Did you ever get the feeling that something you’d searched for,

once found, would lose its significance?

It’s like passing a point and knowing your life will never be the same. Some people call it fate. Others, a fork in the road they never thought they’d take.

I’m sorry you had to take the road you never wanted to travel. I hope you weren’t afraid…

Love

C xoxo

* * *

When Luka arrived at the SAR office the following morning, a large brown envelope sat waiting for him at the front desk. He looked up as Brad strolled in from the break room, coffee in one hand and a Danish in the other.

His boss gestured toward the envelope. “Looks like your results are in. Duncan hand-delivered it just over an hour ago.”

The ‘Duncan’ he referred to was the flight examiner: Duncan McAlister. They’d met several times before his practical exam, and Luka never felt they’d hit it off. Even so, the guy was known for being tough but fair, and Luka respected that. “I’m almost too nervous to look.”

Luka pried open the flap and scanned the text, his mind working to process the words on the page. He stared in disbelief and frowned, a clench forming in the pit of his stomach. “It’s a fail. My last two modules and I failed them both.”

Brad’s expression softened. “I thought that might be the case.”

Turning the letter over to check if there was anything on the back, Luka shook his head. “Unbelievable.”

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