Page 8 of Against All Odds

Violet is here for an entire year.

I can’t let Violet derail me after I’ve worked so hard to close that chapter of my life.

The foal is doing great, which means I can now take care of my rising anger and frustration at the turn my life has made.

I drive up to Ember Falls High School, and Mrs. Hendrix buzzes me in. “Good morning, Dr. Finnegan.”

I smile at the wonderful woman who has been working at this school since I went here. “Good morning, Mrs. H. Is he in there?”

She nods. “Yes, but he’s in the middle of something.”

I smile. “Perfect.”

I push the door open, finding Miles sitting at his desk. His eyes widen, and I go right into it. “You hired Violet? To be a teacherhere?”

Miles sighs heavily, leaning back in his chair. “Hello, Everett. Please, sit down, inform me of your complaint. It’s not like I haven’t had sixteen phone calls this week from parents and teachers. I’ve been dying to hear one from someone who has nothing to do with this school.”

I sit, ignoring his bad day since I really don’t give a shit. So far my day hasn’t gone much better, and this little piece of news just added to the crap-ass morning. “You didn’t tell me she was back.”

“I didn’t have to.”

He didn’t—have to? Is he fucking out of his mind? Of course he had to. Doesn’t he know shit about bro code? “She’s Violet. You know ... about us.”

“I know, but she asked me not to say anything, and I really wasn’t sure what to say. Her situation is unique, and I figured you’d find out. Besides, it was like ... forever ago. You’ve clearly moved on, and so has she.”

He knows I haven’t moved on. I mean, I had to. She was married, for fuck’s sake. Not that she’s going to be for much longer, but I really don’t need to consider any of that, since she seems to have absolutely no intention of staying in Ember Falls.

After I left the farm, I spent about ten minutes looking her up, which is something I’ve worked really hard not to do.

There it all was, her husband’s affair, the fact that she left him and filed for divorce, the photos of him and that new girl, who Violet is a million times more beautiful than.

I glare at my former friend. “Do you know how I found out she’s back?”

“I’m sure you’ll tell me.”

“Damn right I will. I was in Prose & Perk, just giving Hazel my normal daily dose of shit, and then the door chimes. I think, oh, Ainsley is here. She usually comes in now to write or do research. Only it wasn’t Ainsley.”

He jumps in as if he can’t help himself, his voice animated. “It was someone else?”

I give him the bird.Asshole. “It was Violet. All grown up and absolutely fucking breathtaking.”

For the first time since I walked in here, Miles looks genuinely apologetic. “I honestly couldn’t tell you.”

“You should’ve.”

“Maybe, but she asked me not to, and I was respecting her wishes.”

I want to be mad at him—at this—but if she asked him not to, I don’t blame him. That’s a lie. I blame him, but I’m not as pissed about it.

My voice softens. “She’s married to that cheating bastard Dylan Leone. I knew that, I mean, we all knew since it was so fucking public.”

“I didn’t know,” Miles confesses.

“Seriously, you are supposed to be up on all the things because you’re around the kids all the time, and you didn’t put that together?”

“I don’t follow celebrity gossip.”

That’s some bullshit. “You know about music,” I remind him. Last year, thanks to Miles and his musical knowledge, we all dressed up when we played a team named the Swift-bees in Ultimate Frisbee. I did enjoy tormenting Lachlan by making him wear one of the Eras shirts.

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