This November

Chapter 9

After Malik dropped that bomb on her, she made him leave not only the theater but the school. She did not want to talk to him about his past or what he'd been up to. She did not want to spend another moment looking at him and those blue eyes.

He had a son?

He had a son back then and she never knew about it? How? She knew he got around with the girls in school, and the neighborhood girls, but a baby? Why couldn't he tell her that, she thought they were friends. And who did he have a baby with?

Her first thoughts went to his on-and-off ex-girlfriend, the one that tormented her throughout high school. Starchima Lake was that pretty girl that hated on others she deemed less than her. Starchima, or Star as most called her, walked around as if she ran the school, and maybe she did. Cheerleader captain, Homecoming Queen, Prom Queen, every guy after her. And Malik was one of the few she would date.

They broke up about a dozen times between sophomore year and senior year. That time in the theater, they were not together. She never looked at Malik that way, until he sang for her. She didn't need to know what the song meant, she felt it with how he sang. It scared her.

After that day, things changed. Their relationship changed. They became closer, always together, saying whatever to each other...except how they felt. Starchima did not like that at all, so she would find ways to get in between them. Putting Nova down on how she looked and dressed to make her already insecure self feel worse. Of course, a guy like Malik Hunter would never like her when he had a girl like Starchima.

Malik always had an excuse for Starchima tormenting her. Jealous of their friendship, insecure about herself, or she really liked Nova and wanted to be friends with her. All a load of crap, simply BS. Malik always got back with Starchima and pranced her around her face. Malik would check Starchima anytime he witnessed her bullying, but Star knew to do it behind his back. Many times, the breakups were because of Nova. Starchima would come back and say she would do better and be nicer.

Then Starchima only taunted her when Malik wasn't around.

Starchima finally had her claws in him now if she had his baby. She did not care. Malik was her past. She had to make sure she did not destroy her future.

After Malik finally left the theater, she headed to see Carter in his office. She had to explain that nothing was going on between her and Malik. Lord only knew the thoughts that were going through his head. Malik and her and a hotel room.

She should have told him about Malik.

His assistant was away from her desk and his door was open, and he was there. Of course, it was clear to see because the offices were glass with no curtains. She typically tried not to be alone in his office so no one would get the wrong idea, but this could not wait.

"Dr. Foster, can we talk?" she asked, standing at the door while he was busy looking through paperwork.

Why did she feel like the naughty student brought to the Principal's office not the twenty-seven-year-old teacher she was? She ever was even sent to the Principal's office back in high school. She had no interaction whatsoever with him while she was a student other than gazing at him dreamily whenever he entered a room

He did not even look up from what he was doing. "Your friend left?"

This was already starting off on the wrong foot. Carter was more upset than she thought.

"Dr. Foster." She had to keep it professional at work, in case someone overheard or walked in. "Malik and I...it was nothing."

"Meeting up with your old high school boyfriend in Atlanta doesn't sound like nothing to me." He was upset, she could tell by his tone and the fact that he would not look at her.

"Leek and I never dated! We were friends." Friends with deep feelings for each other. Friends that if Malik said the word, she would have done anything for him. Malik who still got under her skin every time he kissed her.

"I see." He put his paperwork down and finally looked up at her. His blue eyes were normally so bright, they seemed dull and hollow. It was as if he was not looking at her, but he was. "Sounds like in Atlanta you changed the parameters of that friendship. And I thought...I thought we had something."

She walked into his office and closed the door, they needed some privacy and she did not care who heard. Anyone walking by would just see two people talking.

"Carter, nothing happened!" She tried not to raise her tone, she was quite sure the offices were not soundproof.

"Did you sleep with him?"

Was he not listening to her?

"I just said nothing happened. We kissed, that was it."

Carter sat back in his chair and rubbed a hand through his hair. She wanted to wrap her arms around him and hug him, but she couldn't. She had to stay away from him and pretend they were having a normal conversation over students or lesson plans. Not a boyfriend and girlfriend having an argument over a misunderstanding.

But he was her boyfriend. Maybe not to the world, but it's what he was. Or maybe mistress was the correct word.

"I think he's more your speed than me. You know he's in love with you...always have been."

How the hell did Carter know anything about that? That made her stomach turn, in a good way. Malik basically just confessed his love to her moments ago, and now Carter was telling her he knew about Malik's feelings. The only thing was she didn't know how she felt about any of it.

Carter walked close to her. "Tell me if you feel the same about him and I will let you go. Maybe I'm not the right man for you, Tinkerbelle, with my whole situation and...work, always coming between us."

No, but she knew she loved Carter. He was everything to her the last two years. And she did not want to break up with Carter and start a relationship with Malik if he still acted like the fucked up asshole he always was.

"Carter, I love you."

He shook his head but she was more focused on his face and those piercing blue eyes. "He can probably give you things I can't. November, we have to end this. We can't do this anymore."

Her heart was breaking into a million pieces, but she could not cry right there. What would that look like? Her boss making her cry.

"Tink," he said softly, barely Louis enough for her to hear. "I do love you. I love you so much, this hurts me. I saw the way he looked at you...the way he always felt about you...I can't compete with that."

She was hoping she heard things wrong. That Carter was saying this now, while they were in school but he would come over later and make it all right.

"But-"

"I told you I would leave my wife for you, and I will, but...you still deserve better than me." He stood watching her for a moment, not making a move at all. "I want to kiss you one last time, but I can't so..."

Without another word, she turned and walked out of his office, making her way to the teacher's lounge bathroom, locking herself in a stall, and cried her eyes out.

Maybe this was all her fault. Falling in love with a man she could not truly have. Or maybe still having feelings for a boy who had no clue what love was. Carter or Malik, why must she be in a claustrophobic box between the two?

Now dumped by Carter. What was next? Malik?