Sunshine (Student/Teacher Romance) 18+

49

Abel

"Pick up, Ari," I mutter to myself in between ripping the chapped skin off my lip by my teeth.

I never call her, but at this point does it really even matter? We've practically been caught.

I mean all Shyla has is a photo I sent of her of Ari's arm, but it's enough to raise questions. It's enough to begin the end of something that should have never gone this far.

And I love Ari. I love her with every bit and piece of me, but maybe that's all it should be. Loving her from afar, at least for now.

I pull the phone away from my ear just to double check the time. It's eight thirty. She's normally off at eight, and by now she'd be coming in through the back door.

She hadn't answered any of my texts the past hour, and I figured it was due to her working, but the fact that she hasn't gotten back to me yet is weird.

Maybe Shyla got to her first.

Me: Hey, we need to talk. It's important.

Me: Please call me back. ASAP.

I hate to sound so frantic, but fuck. This isn't good.

I toss the phone on the couch and rush all ten fingers through my hair before taking the seat beside my dry ass cell phone.

What am I supposed to do now?

Barter with Shyla? Beg her not to go to my boss with assumptions? I played it cool, I didn't validate her with any kind of response. If anything she's bluffing.

She wants to have some dirt on me. She wants to ruin me any way she can to get back at me for not obsessing over her anymore.

And what's that about? She left me. She didn't want me anymore, she just wants me to want her so she can throw me away again.

"What's the emergency, Abel?" Hailey's voice brings a brief feeling of ease over my entire body, but when the tension returns it almost feels worse than before she finally answered the phone.

"I fucked up, Hailey."

"What's wrong..."

I gulp down the bile that's risen to the back of my throat and sit so my back is flat against the sofa. "Shyla knows about Ari."

"What? How would she—"

"I'm an idiot. A few months ago I sent her a picture—"

"Abel!? You sent her a picture of Ari, why would you—"

"No, I was asking for medical advice. I didn't realize she'd recognize a random fucking arm and figure out it was one of the students."

"She's fucking psychotic," she says, simply. "Abel, this is going to ruin you..."

"Thanks."

"I mean, this is just a really bad situation. This is your job, at stake. What are you going to do?"

"I don't know. I'm assuming tomorrow it's going to be hell for me, I don't know what I'm walking into."

"So...she told already?"

"I don't know."

"Maybe you should talk to her before she does."

"Yeah, let me try to reason with a lunatic who only took this job so she can stalk and torment me." I blow out what's meant to be a calming breath, but only seems to elevate my heart rate. "I haven't even told Ari yet. I'm waiting for her to come home from work so we can, I don't know, discuss this...dammit, Hailey. I don't know how things got so fucked up so fast."

"Just relax, okay. Nothing's been proven. And when Ari walks through that door, calmly tell her the deal and tell her to call me. Tyson and I can take her in until things blow over."

"You'd really do that, for us?"

"Well, yeah. You think you're the only one who cares about that girl?"

I laugh to myself, feeling just a slight bit of relief. Only for Ari, though.

As for me, I'm totally fucked once this hits the fan. But it's fine, as always it's all worth it as long as she's okay.

"Thanks," I say so faintly, if it weren't for her mhm I would've thought she didn't hear me.

"Okay, baby brother. Handle business, lay low and we'll talk when I hear from Ari."

I get off the phone with her and head straight to the back window, peeking out through the curtains. The yard is still and so are the cracks between the fence that blocks off the alley way.

I hate that I don't bring her home. That I can't.

Especially now.

It's a never ending worry with that girl. And I know she's capable, but things happen. I hate that I'm so limited when it comes to her protection.

I pick up my phone again and call her a few more times, all of which go straight to voicemail.

"What the fuck is going on..."

It wasn't until another hour had passed and I found myself pacing back and forth, from the back window to the front that it finally hit me.

My whole body stiffened up and my blood ran cold as I stared at all the unanswered messages on my screen. The gut wrenching, overwhelming feeling that something's very, very wrong.