Page 46 of Always a Roommate
What was I doing? These were students. They didn’t get to see into my personal life. “Riley, what do you say about this arrangement?”
She looked back over her shoulder at Trevor, her eyes narrowing. “No, thanks.” With that, she strode from the room.
Trevor only gave me a shrug I took to mean “girls” and followed her out.
I leaned back in my chair and rubbed my eyes. Most of the time, this teacher thing was the best. But sometimes, it made me want to rip my hair out.
A slow clap came from the doorway. “Well played, Mr. Kelly.”
I recognized Diana’s voice immediately. Great, just what I needed today.
Despite my intentions to stick around and get some work done, I started packing up. “I’m just heading out, Diana.”
“It must be hard having every female student in this school dying to be in your class.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I shut the lights off and closed the door to the room, hoping Diana would get the hint as I started down the hallway that only had a few lingering students still in it.
“Fine, you don’t have to admit it.” She went quiet for a moment. “I was hoping you’d text me back the other night.”
“In case you hadn’t noticed, there was a hurricane.” I pushed through the glass double doors into the portico that led to the parking lot.
“Before that… you know what that day was.”
My steps faltered as I tried not to let her words sting. Of course I knew what the day was. “Diana.” I sighed, turning to her.
She gave me a sad smile. “Do you ever think about it? Us?”
I did. All the time. But it didn’t change what happened. “No.”
“I deserve that. Can I just ask you… did you love me?”
“What?”
“I’ve been wanting to ask for over a year, but you avoid me every time I try to talk to you.”
“Yes, I loved you.”
“I keep seeing that night in my head. The night you found out. You didn’t get angry. You just walked away.”
Someone else’s words came to me then, and I couldn’t push them away. “There was no irrepressible feeling.”
“I don’t understand.” She looked at me like I was speaking gibberish.
“When you hurt me, I didn’t fall apart. I had no desire to fight for us, to make grand gestures, to make a fool of myself.”
“Oh.”
“I’m sorry.”
She shook her head. “I guess I didn’t feel like that either. I didn’t chase you.”
No, she hadn’t. “I need to go.”
“Yeah, yeah, you should.”
I left her standing there as I hopped into my truck. For a moment, I contemplated hitting the gym, but going home held much more appeal. And I needed to figure out what Trevor meant about his dog.
When I reached the little yellow house I’d call home for only another few weeks, the front door was open. That was strange.
