Page 112 of Redemption
It’s Eric who takes up the position of a child.
“Now, wait a minute,” he bellows.
I stand, readying to put myself between him and Lily if he steps any closer, but she beats me to it. She stands, slamming her hand against the desk. The sound shocks Eric into silence, and Lily lowers her voice when she speaks. “You may take Tanner home now, but next time you step into my office, Mr. Westbrook, I expect better conduct from you. You are a member of our school board, and I suggest you present yourself as such. I will not be intimidated by you.” She pauses, a menacing smirk slipping onto her red lips. “You are dismissed.”
Eric splutters, searching for the words to respond, but I don’t let him. I cup his shoulder and guide him to the door, opening it for him and shoving him out. All the while, Josephine follows, her nose pointed in the air, and I wonder how she can see with her head shoved so far up Eric’s butt. In the meantime, Tanner has risen from his chair, following them out and tucking his chin to hide the smile on his lips.
When Tanner gets to where I’m standing, he drops the smile and turns to face me head-on. “I won’t apologize.”
Shaking my head, I sigh, “I wouldn’t expect you to, Tanner. I’ll see you bright and early on Saturday. You have some running to do to make up for missing a game. Bring a bucket. I’m sure you’re going to puke.”
He nods, turning to leave.
“And, Tanner—.” He stops, looking at me over his shoulder. “It’s always better to tell the real version, no matter what people expect.”
Another nod, and then he’s walking away, following his parents out the door.
Closing the door to Lily’s office again, I throw myself into the seat I vacated earlier. “Well, that was exciting.”
Lily laughs, sitting back in her chair and pressing the heels of her hands into her eyes. “Sure, Hayes, that’s what we’ll call it.”
There’s a window in Lily’s office that looks out into the main office, and from the corner of my eye, I see a flash of red hair. Without even thinking about it, I turn my head to look.
MJ stands in the office, laughing with one of the secretaries. Her head is thrown back, and her arm is wrapped around her stomach, holding it as she laughs. She looks so happy.
My chest tightens. MJ can’t see me from here because the window is tinted on the outside, allowing me to drink her in while she’s unaware. It’s a small taste of the happiness I want to give her, but the problem with small tastes is that it always makes you crave more.
“Uh-hmm.” Lily clears her throat, and I snap out of my trance, offering her a guilty smile in apology.
She doesn’t return it.
She stares at me like she’s realizing something for the first time, and I squirm in my seat, uncomfortable under that stare.
After a full minute, she says, “You really love her, don’t you?”
There’s sadness in the tilt of her lips. I want to apologize—but I never offered Lily anything other than friendship—and to apologize would mean I regret how I feel for MJ.
No matter what’s happened in our past, that’s the one thing I haven’t done. I could never regret loving Mallorie Jade Harrison.
So, instead, I offer her the truth. “Since before I even knew what love was.”
Chapter 34
Hayes
My knuckles rap against the wood grain of MJ’s front door.
It’s been a few hours since I sat staring at her through Lily’s window. I went home afterward with every intent of staying in and getting some much-needed rest, but there was a pull toward MJ that I couldn’t deny anymore.
She moved into her rental house a few nights ago, not that she told me. I only found out because I drove by there while on patrol and saw her packing in boxes. It’s not like I didn’t know she would be moving in, but knowing she is moving in and actually having her right down the street from me are two different stories.
I’ve had to resist the urge to seek her out every night since then.
But tonight, the pull was too strong. It’s been five days since I felt her lips on mine, and if I don’t find a way to win her over soon, I might go insane.
Music thrums inside the house, and I knock harder for MJ to hear me.
After a few seconds, the door creaks open, and music floats onto the porch.
