Between the desks

Chapter 35

Elizabeth's POV

When I entered the school the next day, a wave of anxiety washed over me. Today was the day. I would be tutoring Amren, personally, one-on-one. Just her and me in a room together. What was I thinking? Why did I agree to this? The nervous energy buzzed under my skin, making my usual confident stride feel shaky. I had always prided myself on maintaining control, but today, the facade was slipping.

As I walked down the hallway toward my office, my phone buzzed in my pocket, pulling me out of my spiraling thoughts. I glanced at the screen. An unfamiliar number.

"Olsen," I answered, my voice instinctively cold, sharp like ice. I didn't have time for distractions.

"Is this Elizabeth?" a voice responded. It was soft, unfamiliar, hesitant.

"Who is this?" I asked, tension creeping into my voice. The anxiety in my chest tightened.

"This is Elle... Robbie's new girlfriend," she said, her tone gentle, almost apologetic. There was a pause, as if she was waiting for me to react.

Robbie. The name alone sent a sharp spike through me. I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to keep calm. What could she possibly want?

"What do you want?" I snapped, harsher than intended, but I couldn't help it. My nerves were already frayed, and I wasn't in the mood for this conversation.

"I... I was hoping we could talk. About Robbie. Like, soon?" She sounded nervous, almost as if she was afraid to say what was on her mind. But I didn't care. I wasn't interested.

"I'm not interested." My voice was cold, and I could hear the harshness in it, but I didn't have the energy to soften it. Not today.

"Please?" she begged, her voice trembling slightly, but I couldn't bring myself to care.

"No." My voice rose, my irritation palpable.

There was a moment of silence, and then she blurted out words that felt like a punch to the gut. "He hits me too."

Everything stopped. My heart skipped a beat, and for a second, the world around me seemed to tilt. I swallowed hard, trying to process her words. My breath caught in my throat, my mind racing as a flood of emotions threatened to overwhelm me. My vision blurred, and the buzzing in my ears drowned out the noise of the hallway.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. "When do you have time?" I finally asked, my voice steady but detached, the weight of her words still pressing down on me.

"Tonight," she said, her voice small. "Can you meet me at the bar across from Safe?" There was a raspiness in her tone now, the kind that only comes from holding back tears for too long.

"I'll see you then," I mumbled, barely processing the words before she hung up. I stared blankly at the phone, still gripped in my hand. My mind was racing, trying to figure out how she had found me, why she was reaching out to me, and what I could possibly say to her. I had never wanted to relive those memories, yet here they were, crashing back into my life with brutal force.

I shook my head, forcing myself to focus. I had to teach. I couldn't let this spiral consume me now. I inhaled deeply, steadying my breath as I slipped my phone back into my pocket.

Another buzz pulled me out of my thoughts—this time a message from Scarlett.

"Hey Liz, good luck with your tutor today! I'm so proud of you!" Her words were like a small beacon of light in the overwhelming darkness clouding my mind. Scarlett was the best friend I could ever ask for. I loved her, though not in the way she sometimes teased about.