Page 38 of Redemption
After several minutes, which officially pushes me past my starting time, Hayes appears back at my window, handing my paperwork back to me.
His fingertips brush against mine as I take the papers from him, and a shock runs up my entire arm, zipping straight to my heart from the contact. Maybe I should have swung that tire iron at myself to knock some sense into me because there’s no way I should be letting myself feel any shocks when it comes to this man in front of me.
Looking up, I scowl at him, wondering how long this game of ours will go on.
His eyes are hooded under the ball cap on his head, making it impossible to get a read on him.
“Where are you heading off to so fast?” he asks, bracing his arm on top of my car and leaning down so his face is level with the window.
“None of your business.”
The smirk that hasn’t left his lips turns sinister, and dang it, if that doesn’t make me want to kiss him.
Something is seriously wrong with me.
There’s humor on his face as he stares down at me, but then it turns serious as he says, “I’ll let you off with a warning this time, but slow down. Some people want you around.”
He taps his hand on the top of my door and then walks away.
Sticking my head out the window, I yell, “Are you some people?”
But he doesn’t answer. He just throws his hand up and waves as he walks away.
“Jerk,” I mumble as I put my car back in gear and head to the school.
Two minutes later, I’m pulling into the parking lot, and I’m ten minutes late.
Grabbing my things, I rush out of the car and into the school’s front doors. The secretary at the front office greets me, and I can’t help but be thankful it wasn’t Lily. I don’t think I could have handled facing her this morning on top of everything else.
The nurse’s office is at the back of the main office, and after clocking in, I slip in there and close the door, taking my first deep breath of the day.
Ever since the day I pulled back into town, I’ve been drowning, which is saying something because I was drowning before. But I guess the truth is that I’ve been slowly slipping under the surface since Langston died. There’s a lead weight on my foot now, pulling me down faster. I’ve lost sight of who I am. I thought I would be able to find that again in my career as a nurse, but there are only so many tragedies one person can take. So, I came back home, and here I am, floundering again—searching for a place where all this hurt won’t suffocate me anymore.
I hope that place can be here—that I can do some good here.
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After the rough start to my morning, the rest of the day has been blissfully slow. I don’t expect that to last as the school year continues and flu season hits, but for now, it’s nice. Plus, it’s nice getting to know the kids who see me. There are a couple I will see every day to help administer the medication, but the others I’ve seen today just came for your average bumps and bruises.
I’m typing notes into the laptop the school provided for me when there’s a knock at my office door.
“Come in,” I yell from the opposite side of the room.
The door creaks open, and Tanner steps into the room.
When he sees me, he swears, but he doesn’t leave. He stands in the doorway with his head tilted down, refusing to make eye contact with me.
First red flag.
“What can I help you with?” I ask, watching him.
“I—uh—have a headache. I was hoping I could get some medicine for it before it turns into a migraine,” he says, his young voice gruff like he would rather be anywhere than in this room with me right now.
“Sure,” I say, “let me just check your chart to make sure we have the right permissions from your parents.”
He nods and sits in the chair beside the door, waiting for me to check.
Out of the corner of my eye, I watch him while I look up his information. He has his head in his hands, rubbing at his temples. His color looks a little off—paler than I would like—but otherwise, he seems fine. He’s wearing black athletic shorts and a Benton Falls High School football shirt—ever the athlete—just like Langston.
