This November

Chapter 25

School was out in two weeks and she looked forward to that.

Maybe she could spend more time with Malik. That is, if he was staying for longer. Once all the business was done with his son, surely he would leave and go back to Atlanta or LA and film a movie or something. He told her he had a movie planned for the summer to film. That meant he could leave any day.

She would make the most of it before it became a long-distance relationship.

Or maybe he would stay in St. Louis so he could spend time with his son. Maybe he would get his own place. She could see him every day. They could take turns sleeping at each other's place. Maybe take a vacation together. Hold hands in public. Go out to dinner, enjoy movies, walk around town holding hands. All the things she could not do in her last relationship.

Her secret relationship.

"How are you this morning?"

She tried to avoid certain times of the day to get her coffee, for this reason alone. Carter stood beside her with his coffee mug in hand in the empty teacher's lounge. She did not want to look at him, or else his eyes would make her weak. She moved on, he needed to as well.

She poured her coffee and then walked off but he stopped her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You don't have to run away from me Nova, no one's here, we can talk."

No one was in the teacher's lounge at this particular time, but anyone could walk in on them. She was not crazy. And he should care, it was him who had the most to lose.

"I have my coffee, Dr. Larson, I can enjoy it at my desk."

"Or you can enjoy it with me." He poured his coffee and she stood there and watched him. Dressed in his favorite dark suit, and the tie she bought him for his birthday. He did that on purpose. He had a million ties.

A man in a suit made her weak. Carter made her weak.

He turned to her and gave her a grin before he sipped his coffee. Did his eyes get bluer? His blond curls more blond?

"Ready for the school year to be over?"

She could not do small talk with him like this. How was he so nonchalant about them, as if they had not seen each other naked, in all the positions, enjoying each other as much as they could. She could still feel the way he touched her, made her feel, the words he whispered in her ear as they made love. He always told her he loved her, wanted her, needed her.

He would have left his wife for her. And did, now. Did she want him back?

How could they even be together, even if they could tell the world? A little midnight-skinned girl and her very older boss?

The tramp that had an affair with a married man?

Before she could answer him, two teachers walked in talking and laughing. That was her escape, as she quickly turned and headed out the door. Down to the theater department where her office was part of the classroom. She did not have a first-period class, so she used it to prepare for the day.

Once in her classroom, she took a breath. She powered up her laptop to do some work when she was disturbed yet again.

Carter walked in as if the place was his, and in a way, it was. He was the boss.

"Nova, tell me what I need to do to have you back? I made a mistake."

She tucked her lip in her mouth, biting down on it. When he dumped her, all because he was insecure about their relationship, she would have gladly run back to him if he said the word. These words. Now she was with Malik and liked being with Malik.