The Christmas Wish Part 3

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🤍 Sacha's POV 🤍

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🤍 Sacha's POV 🤍

I have to bite back a giggle as I see Van settling his lanky frame into one of the tiny plastic chairs the kids use to sit in, his long legs bent and folded up awkwardly.

"Oh you don't have to sit there, I've bought a bigger chair in especially."

I drag over a larger version and he thanks me as he takes a seat, his eyes darting all around the classroom, taking everything in.

"God, this takes me back, except we had blackboards in my day."

"In your day," I echo, smirking. "Watch out, you're showing your age!"

He chuckles good-naturedly. "Yeah, feels like a long time ago, a very, very long time ago. Good times though, some of the best... carefree. You really don't realise it at the time do you? How easy you've got it when you're a kid, how simple things are..."

He trails off with a wistful smile and I detect an undercurrent of sadness that runs much deeper than a brief reflection of an untroubled youth.

"Adulthood is definitely over-rated," I venture, and then it's gone, his charming grin back in an instant, chasing away the cloud.

"I'll say. I guess we didn't read the small print eh? What the hell did we sign up for?"

He's gorgeous up close, even more so than in that damn video that had me captivated earlier in the staff room. His striking eyes that I'd been sure were blue at first seem more green now in the crisp wintry light filtering in through the classroom windows, specks of amber glinting in his irises. A faint dusting of freckles adorn his pale skin and I find myself wondering how they'd look darkened in the summer months, how his mousy brown hair might take on a golden hue.

Christ Sacha... pull yourself together and be professional for fuck's sake... and stop gawping. He's just a man.

"So... let's talk about Grace shall we? That's what you're here for."

I shift awkwardly in my seat, hands clasped in my lap, suddenly wishing I had something to play with. It's habit of mine when I'm feeling nervy, and I settle on smoothing out non-existent creases in my skirt.

"I think I know what all this is about," Van starts, brows pinched into a small frown. "It's that little shi... errr... that Ryan Carter isn't it? Gracie's class-mate? I've heard all about how he's been winding her up."

I bite the inside of my cheek to stem the grin that tries to surface in reaction to his almost curse word, the fact that I share his sentiment exactly when it comes the class nuisance. Not that I can let that show.

"It's not just Ryan though, it's Grace too I'm afraid. If you've spoken to her about him I take it that she's told you about why you've been called in to see me today?"

His frown deepens. "She's not a trouble maker, she's a good kid. She knows right from wrong and she's not scared to stand up for herself. I know sometimes she might be a little..." he pauses like he's searching for the right word "... feisty, but her heart's in the right place. Always has been, it's how we brought her up."

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