Page 85 of To Believe In You
Once he stepped past the glass wall of the classroom, Lina spotted the purple-and-red gash next to his eye and along his cheekbone.
Samantha cast him an uncertain look.
His gaze locked on Lina, however, as he finally answered the question. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
Lina dropped back to her chair, stung. Pressuring him to open up last time he’d refused to share hadn’t gone well. What option did that leave for connecting with him? She could explain about the Awestruck audition, but depending on what had happened to him, this might not be a good time.
Matt continued to the other computer to sign in, and Lina didn’t dare swivel to stare.
She didn’t know his elaborate work schedule, but she could usually tell what job he’d come from by his clothing. Today, he wore jeans and a light gray sweatshirt rather than one of his uniforms. If he hadn’t been working, a coworker hadn’t injured him.
He and Tim wouldn’t have come to blows over something.
What if Shane had shown up, and he’d once again injured himself defending her?
She checked over her shoulder.
Matt had finished clocking in and stood to allow Samantha her turn. As he stepped away from the workspace, his line of sight fell on her. She couldn’t pull her eyes away. In addition to the gash, his temple looked red.
Maybe he’d fallen and didn’t want to talk about it because he was embarrassed.
Lord, please help him choose to trust me.
Instead of asking, she could do as she’d planned—apologize for being overbearing last night and try to cheer him up with news of the audition. Unfortunately, those ought to be private conversations, and Samantha still occupied the other workspace.
Lina mustered a smile. Matt hesitated, and when he returned the expression, he did so with a sad wince. Wordlessly, he retreated to a classroom to wait for his first student.
“He’s usually a lot more fun.” Samantha’s pouting tone reminded her of some of their young students.
Lina pointed her smile—now maintained by sheer willpower—toward the teacher. “I’m sure he’ll tell us about it when he’s ready.”
Samantha smirked. “If you don’t know, I doubt he’ll tell me.”
The instructor must have picked up on their connection. As tenuous as it was.
“What in the world?” Samantha picked at the sleeve of her shirt and held up a piece of cereal. “This is why I work here. At least the students don’t stick their breakfast to me.” Chuckling, she tossed the piece of cereal and launched into a good-natured story about her day.
Lina listened and responded at the right times, but as soon as she was left alone again, her mind circled back to Matt.
At least three times during his lessons that day, he caught her staring, but she never found a moment alone with him. The longer the day went on, the less she felt she could blurt out the news about the audition. If they weren’t close enough to talk about basics, they weren’t close enough for her to go arranging his life like she had.
Still … She couldn’t take back the meeting with the Vaughns. She had to tell him.
He saw his last student out while she was talking with a parent. She tried to wrap it up, but the woman had a litany of questions about the Christmas recital, still months away. Matt punched out and escaped. Not a single word had passed between them all day.
Tim would probably tell him about the audition. Hopefully. It would be awful for such an important opportunity to be sprung on Matt at the last moment.
She couldn’t leave it to chance. She pulled out her phone and composed a text.I didn’t want my problems with Shane interfering with you and Awestruck, so I talked to them. They say you can audition Monday.
Typed out, the whole thing looked presumptuous. She should’ve quit after clearing Matt’s name instead of lining up a day. Especially considering Matt’s crowded schedule.
She added one more line.If the day doesn’t work for you, please blame it on me acting without your blessing.
She hit send, then monitored her phone anxiously, but he sent no reply.
No problem. She could wait. He’d come to her when he was ready.
If that moment ever came.
