Page 120 of Exactly What I Needed
“Miss Cosi?” a voice cracked, snapping through my pain-filled heart, and I quickly wiped away the tears as Xander burst out crying.
Chapter 41
Irushed up the steps, snatching my sobbing toddler from the ground, and held him tight. The silence was deafening as I choked back the pain. Once again, Asher was gone. Yes, I knew that last time it was by my choice, but I wanted him to stay. I wanted him.
And, despite all the warnings from my lawyer, the drum of a thought arguing contrary rolled through me. It had been three years, so we had to be safe by now.
“Miss Cosi, you knew him. Like, knew him, knew him,” Amy gasped, breathlessly.
Cradling Xander tighter into my body, I glanced around the room. Faces of shock remained absolutely, deathly still. I wasn’t even sure what to say, because there was no getting out of this. It was absolutely clear that I knew him on a much more personal level than simply because of music.
“Asher Stone is your baby daddy,” Carter slowly said, voicing the fact that I’d been avoiding for three years. A smirk slid across his face. “I did not see that onecoming. I mean, look at you.”
I swallowed stiffly as Mrs. Wallace stood up from her chair. “A teacher’s personal life is not something to joke about. Now, let’s focus and get back on task,” she quickly defended me as I clutched my toddler tighter. Xander’s little body shuddered as the tears eventually ran dry and his cries became silent.
“Except her personal life was displayed for all of us to see,” Carter continued and snagged his phone. I was too drained to fight him, to silence my class, as the whispers began running around. He suddenly stood up and skipped down the stairs, pushing past a couple of students from Mrs. Wallace’s class.
“This is you, isn’t it.” He grinned and flashed me a picture that I’d desperately sought to escape from. One of the many that had ended up on that stupid news article that nearly exposed me, that caused fan girls to call me horrifying names even though I wasn’t the one with their hand down their pants.
He threw his head back and laughed, locking his phone. “So, what are you still doing here?”
“What?” I questioned quietly, confused.
“I want to first say that it’s commendable knowing you’re not a gold digger and didn’t try to hold a kid over his head for money. But the real important thing is that you’re clearly still absolutely into him and he’s obsessed with you. I mean, the dude’s thought of no one but you for the past three years. His music has been all about the one that got away, who he will wait for. Then he shows up here, finally finding you, and is clearly confused and overwhelmed. Which you kind of screwed up, so you need to go after him,” he explained and shrugged his shoulders.
I blinked rapidly.
“What?” I restated, and he shook his head.
“Why are you acting like you aren’t fully aware of his feelings for you?” Carter plopped himself down in his chair and leaned back.
“That’s not it. I’m shocked by you.” I stepped back against my desk as Xander’s little eyes fluttered closed.
“Why?”
“Because you’re being mature,” I stated, and he laughed again.
“I do that sometimes.”
Sighing, I shook my head. “Yeah, well, I can’t exactly leave until school’s over.” I glanced at the clock. Seven minutes, that’s all that was left.
“Mrs. Wallace is here. You need to leave,” Amy said, gesturing to the door.
My gaze slid to my teacher friend. The rumors that would be going around the school by tomorrow were about to be wild. Everyone and their pet would know about me, about my relationship with Asher. I had one day left before everything went from peaceful secrets to exposed to the world.
One day to fix whatever mess I’d caused with him. One day before my name would no longer be unknown, and Duvaldi would somehow be linked to me. That was it.
And, above all else, my heart yearned for him, begged for me to leave and rush after Asher. He’d ignited that music in my head again. Whatever there was left to face, I wanted to do it with him. No matter the danger it brought.
Drifting away from Mrs. Wallace, I slid my gaze across my classroom. Innocent faces watched me, waiting to see what I was going to do. “There’s really no way I can convince any of you that I don’t know Asher. Is there?” I rhetorically asked, and soft chuckles drifted around the room.
“You two made a very cute baby,” Amy gushed, her eyes filling with stars.
“Go on, Miss Cosi.” Brian grinned, nodding to the door.
Carter chuckled. “While I’m still trying to wrap my head around how inked up, pierced, hardcore, alt-metal-loving Asher Stone and by the rules, absolutely no tattoos, music teacher Miss Cosi ended up together, you need to get out of here.”
“You got almost all of that right,” I teased, rushing over to my desk and snatching up my diaper bag.
