First Crush, My Forever

Chapter 25

  I stand frozen in place as I look at the closed door. Did Taytum really just.... Did she realize what she said? Did she mean what she said? I walk and sit down on the couch then blow out a shaky breath as I sink into the cushions as I let Taytum's words play over in my head again. Maybe it was an accident because she was in a rush. I'm pulled from my thoughts when my phone starts ringing so I rush to the kitchen and answer it when I see it's my mom calling.

  "Hello. Hey mom. Yes, that's fine. She definitely loves the park and ice cream. I have some work I can work on until y'all drop Kadence off. Okay, see y'all later. Love you too, bye." I go upstairs and get dressed then head back downstairs to the kitchen and fix myself another cup of coffee. Once it's ready, I grab my mug and go to the living room to work on a couple assignments for my freshmen poetry class.

  About 35 minutes into my work, my phone starts ringing again. I glance at the screen and it's Taytum calling. My heart starts beating faster as I answer the phone. "Hello?"

  "Hey, Dani. It's good to hear your voice." Just hearing Taytum say my name makes me feel warm all over. Do I bring up what she said? Or will she?

  "Hey... sweetheart, I'm glad you called. How's your grandfather?"

  "He is having more scans done as we speak. Apparently he lost his balance and fell off a ladder in my grandparents' garage. He broke his hip, has a couple bruised ribs and a head laceration. He will need surgery on his hip and stitches for his head. They are doing a CT now to make sure its just a head laceration and nothing else. My grandmother found him unconscious in their garage so she wasn't sure what happened at the time when she called 911."

  I place my laptop on the cushion beside me and pull my legs up to get comfortable. "Oh no. I'm sorry to hear that sweetheart. I hope everything goes okay and he has a speedy recovery. I can't imagine how Mrs. Jessica felt finding Mr. David like that. Let them and your moms know if y'all need anything to just let me know."

  A moment of silence stretches between us before Taytum breaks it. "I will let them know Dani and thank you. I don't want to hold you up and interrupt your time with KK, I just wanted to call and let you know what had happened plus I miss you. Tristan and I are going to stay at the hospital tonight with our grandfather so our moms can take our grandmother home with them so I will not be back until tomorrow. Hopefully I can stop by and see you and KK if that's okay."

  I smile at the thought of seeing Taytum tomorrow. "You're actually not interrupting my time with KK right now because my parents decided to take her to the park and for ice cream afterwards. They are dropping her off a little later and yes, of course you can come by tomorrow. I miss you too sweetheart." Before either of us can say anything else the doorbell rings interrupting our conversation. "Hey Taytum, I hate to let you go but someone's at the door. Maybe my parents changed their mind or KK wanted to come home."

  "Ok Dani, I need to get back inside anyway. I will talk to you later. Bye."

"Bye Taytum." I put my phone down and make my way to the front door as the doorbell rings again. I unlock the door with a smile on my face, ready to see my daughter. My smile fades when I open the door though. "Chris? Umm, Kadence isn't here, she is with my parents."

  Chris looks me up and down "that's fine, I'm actually here to see you Danielle. Are you going to let me in?" I roll my eyes because I hate the way he looks at me but move aside so Chris can come inside. "When will they be back?"

  I sit down on the couch and Chris sits in the chair and has a stupid smirk on his face. "In a couple hours probably. Why? What do you want Chris? I'm busy so just hurry up and say whatever it is you need to say and leave."

  I watch as Chris scoots to the edge of the chair and pulls an envelope from his back pocket. "You are busy alright. Busy with a student. You know, you should probably lock your office door especially if you plan on fucking a student in there." My heart starts beating so hard and it feels like my stomach drops to my feet.

  "W-What? What are you talking about?" The palms of my hands are getting sweaty and I am burning up. I have never had sex with a student in my office. The only thing that's happened in there is me kissing Taytum.

  "Come on Danielle, don't play dumb. You know what I'm talking about. If you forgot that quickly the sex must have been terrible. Let me refresh your memory." Chris opens the envelope and throws pictures down on the coffee table in front of me. "You know, I debated on what I wanted to do with these and considered turning them into the Dean. Then I thought, I could just turn the student in to the Dean and say I witnessed them making sexual advances towards you. That would keep you out of trouble at least. So who is the student?"

  I shake my head. "I... I don't know what you're talking about."

  Before I know it Chris is on his feet, grabs one of the pictures and sits beside me on the couch. He grabs the back of my neck as he holds a picture up and forces me to look at it. "This, Danielle! You know what I'm talking about damn it."

  I feel tears forming in my eyes as I am forced to look at the picture of me standing between Taytum's legs while she is sitting on my desk and we are kissing. Luckily her back is to the door so it's hard to know who it is.

  "Stop Chris, you're hurting me and that's not a student." I say through gritted teeth as I try to pull away from Chris.

  Chris laughs then tightens his grip on the back of my neck. "Stop lying Danielle, the fucking backpack is right there. At first I thought it looked like the James girl from next door because of the hair but you're not a lesbian. Now, I will ask you again. Who is the student?"

  I shake my head again as I fight back a sob. "Nobody. They are not a student."

  Chris lets go of my neck and roughly pushes me over on the couch then stands up. "You're lying Danielle. Don't forget, I know you. We are best friends after all and have been best friends since we were little. I know when you are lying. You ended our marriage for a student? I fucking love you and this is what you do." Chris paces back and forth then walks back over to the couch where I'm sitting. "Look at me Danielle."

  I shake my head because I don't want to look at Chris. I am just disgusted by him. When I don't look at him, he grabs my chin and tilts my face up. "I said look at me. You have two options, Danielle. One, you tell me the name of the student, I report them to the Dean and you will not see them anymore. They are out of the picture then and you stay out of trouble and keep your job. Or, I will completely forget about everything and the pictures will go bye bye if... you have sex with me. At least this time you would not be drunk and can actually enjoy it and remember it."

  "What?" I ask as I look at the man that used to be my best friend.