𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐱-𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐭 (𝟏𝟖+) 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐃 ✓

Chapter 13

"Charlotte, I wanted to know if I could speak to you." I look up from my marking, and I find Robert standing at the door. I mentally sigh now that my quiet period is interrupted. 

"What can I do for you, Mr. Owen?" I ask, placing my pen down.

"I just wanted to apologize for the way I behaved last time. It was unprofessional and vulgar to act like that in front of another student," he tells me and my eyebrow raises at his words. Him? An apology? Is the world ending? Am I all of a sudden going to become a millionaire?

"I accept your apology. Thank you for that," I reply, still looking at him skeptically.

"To make it up to you would you like to go out for an apology dinner?" he asks and I force myself not to roll my eyes. Wow. It seems that this man never learns. It's like he's subtly trying to ask me out again instead of being so direct. 

"Sorry Mr. Owen but at the moment I'm not looking for any type of relationship," I tell him. Plus I already have something going on with Jax and I don't want to compromise that. I'd rather not see what kind of reaction he'd have, I know it won't be a good one.

"It's that man isn't it?" he comments, his voice rising when he says that, face reddening as he looks at me in annoyance.

"Mr. Owen if this is what you came for, you can show yourself out," I say pointing to the door as the final bell rings.  I quickly put the test papers in my bag, grabbing my jacket and keys and brush past this boorish man. I close the door before walking down the hall away from him. 

People don't change overnight so at this point I'm not surprised with him. I walk to the office where I find Wren waiting for me. My class plus the other second-grade class that Clarissa teaches had a joint music class and I asked her to send Wren there to wait for me.

"Wren, are you ready to go? We have to go pick up your brother before we go to your appointment," I ask as I shrug on my jacket. It's Wednesday and the first day of Wren's therapy session. When I spoke with Paul yesterday he agreed that letting Wren meet a therapist would be beneficial for him and that we would use whatever notes plus recordings the therapist takes as Wren's testimony for when we go to court. I personally don't want to let Wren testify in front of a whole bunch of strangers with the chance he could regress into his memories so I hope that the courts will accept this.

"Are we going home to pick up Jax?" he asks as we walk to my car.

"No, we're going to his workplace, he works with cars," I tell him as I unlock the doors before settling him in the back.

"Jax is so lucky," he says excitedly as he gets inside.

"Do you like cars Wren?" I ask when I get inside the car, starting it up and turning on the heat.

"I love cars. I had a toy car when I was five but mommy threw it in the garbage," he says, and I can hear the sadness in his voice. I'm amazed he came to school every day and acted like everything was normal.

"Wren, don't worry about it. I'll get you a car that will be ten times better and Jax will play with you," I declare as I pull out of the school lot.

"Will you get Jax one?" he asks curiously and I can't help but chuckle at the mental image of Jax playing with a small car.

"Of course. How else is your brother going to play with you?" I grin as I drive down the street.

"Yay!" he cheers and I see him pumping his fist into the air.

"But don't tell your brother, we'll make it a surprise for him," I tell him as I turn to enter the main intersection. It's a calm drive though there's already afternoon traffic.  We drive for another fifteen minutes as the name of the garage comes into view. "We're here Wren. I want you to walk with me since people are working right now," I tell him as I turn into the lot and park the car.