by E. L. Todd
“Alright. I got you penciled in. But I have to warn you, he’s going to get a serious interrogation. It’s standard protocol.”
“That’s fine,” I said. “I wouldn’t expect anything else.”
***
The school day was finally over, and the last student left my classroom. I was less involved with work because I was obsessed with Volt. The second the bell rang, I wanted to get the hell out of there and run to him. I wanted to burst into his apartment and have a quickie in the shower.
I didn’t want to be anywhere besides in his arms.
My entire life revolved around him, and I wasn’t ashamed to admit that. I’d become one of those lovestruck women who obsessed over their new man. I’d been searching for Mr. Right my whole life, and now, I finally found him. I found the man I would spend the rest of my life with, have children with, and grow old with.
It was the greatest feeling in the world.
What happened with Drew was so far in the past it was irrelevant. It didn’t even matter anymore. He cheated on me and broke my heart, but in the end, I didn’t care. I found the man who deserved my heart, so all the guys in the past were insignificant.
I shoved my papers into my purse and prepared to leave.
The classroom door opened, and Mr. Davidson walked inside. He held a bouquet of crimson red roses. There were a dozen in his hand, and they smelled like spring the moment he entered.
I took one look at them and smiled, knowing exactly whom they were from. “Aww…” I took them out of his hands and couldn’t believe that Volt had become the type of man to send his girlfriend flowers. He was sweet and thoughtful, but I never expected him to become this soft. “Thank you.” Mr. Davidson must have spotted them in the office and decided to deliver them on his way back.
His eyes lit up brighter than I’d ever seen, and the smile on his lips was enormous. “You’re welcome.”
I held them to my chest and smelled the scent. They reminded me of a summer day in the countryside. Maybe Volt and I would move to the suburbs when we decided to have kids. We could plant our own rose bushes.
Mr. Davidson took a step forward and came very close to me, and I assumed he was going to smell the flowers. “They look nice against your skin.”
“Thanks.” It was a strange compliment, but he’d always been a little awkward. Most scientists were.
His hands moved to my waist, and he leaned in and pressed his mouth to mine.
Whoa.
What the hell?
Gross.
I quickly pulled away and tried not to gag. “What the hell are you doing?”
He stood back, just as surprised as I was. “Sorry… You liked the flowers, and I just thought… Are you mad because we’re at work? You’re right. That wasn’t professional. I’m sorry.”
I liked the flowers? Mad because we’re at work? “Mr. Davidson, I don’t follow what you’re saying.”
“Please call me Mark.” He moved his hands to his pockets, looking embarrassed. “I’m sorry I misread you. I just thought it was okay to kiss you.”
“Why would you ever think it would be okay to kiss me?” I snapped.
“Well, we had lunch together, and you liked the flowers I got you…”
He got me the flowers? “I…I didn’t know they were from you.”
“They are,” he said. “And we had lunch together, and I thought we hit it off. I just thought we had something going here.”
I remembered what Natalie said about him, and I realized she had been right on the money. I was too busy obsessing over Volt to notice what was right in front of me. “I’m so sorry, Mark. I didn’t know those were your intentions. I thought the flowers were from my boyfriend, and I thought that lunch was just friendly.”
“Oh…” The light left his eyes. “I didn’t know you had a boyfriend.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Man, I feel like an idiot now. I’m so sorry. I wouldn’t have done that if I’d known.”
“No, it’s okay. I’m sorry too. I should have understood your intentions.” I hoped my professional relationship with him wasn’t ruined since I had to see him every day.
“I really am sorry. I don’t want you to think I’m a creep or anything.”
“I don’t.” I set the flowers down, no longer wanting them since they weren’t from Volt. “I remember what it was like to be single. You’re always hoping the next person you meet is the one. I get it.”
“Really?” he asked. “Well, thanks for being so nice about it.”
“No problem. You shouldn’t apologize for trying to find love. We’re all looking for it.”
“So…can we forget this whole thing? Go back to being colleagues?”
“Absolutely. I’d love that.”
“Great.” He grabbed the flowers from the table. “I’ll toss these on my way out.”
“Okay.” I was glad this was ending so well. It could have blown up in my face, and every day working with him could have been a nightmare. At least he was taking the rejection in stride.
“See you tomorrow, Ms. Thomas.” He walked to the door, keeping his back to me.
“Yeah. See you then.” I watched him go and waited for the door to close behind him. When it did, I breathed easily. My lips still ached painfully because his kiss was absolutely disgusting. I wiped my mouth on my sleeve and tried to forget the whole thing. From now on, I’d have to be more observant of the people around me. I just assumed everyone knew I was seeing someone.
Guess not.
Chapter Fourteen
Volt
I had business with my father that afternoon, so I stopped by Bristol Academy to pay him a visit. The SATs were just around the corner, and now was the time for students to sign up for the prep course.
Dad had a sheet of students who wanted to participate, and there were so many kids that I’d have to open a special Saturday course to accommodate everyone. But I was sure I had a tutor who wanted the extra hours.
“Going to stop by and see your girlfriend?” he teased. “The bell is about to ring.”
I eyed the clock and realized she would be out of class in less than two minutes. “I think I will.”
Dad smirked. “Just don’t do anything obscene. That’s a scandal I can’t afford to be associated with.”
I rolled my eyes. “Do you think I’m a pig?”
“No. But I think you’re in love.”
Touché. “See you later, Pop.”
“Bye, son.”
I walked out of his office then headed to Taylor’s classroom on the opposite side of the building. She had a classroom in the corner since she had to accommodate all the lab equipment.
The bell rang on my way through the hall, and the kids burst out of every room like it was the last day of school. They headed outside the building and to the entrance lawn where the flagpole stood. I used to be a teacher, so I knew how things worked in the school system, but I’d never seen kids vacate a building that quickly.
I reached her classroom and looked through the small window above the doorknob. She used to stay after class to grade papers and prep for the following day, but lately, she’d been running to my apartment as fast as she could.
She’d probably already left.
I wasn’t sure what I was looking at.
Taylor held a large bouquet of roses in her hand. They were deep red, like droplets of blood. They were the big kind, the romantic kind. A man stood across from her, too close to be friendly. He was a good-looking guy that I’d never seen before. Maybe he was a teacher.
Taylor hugged the flowers to her chest then smelled them. A beautiful smile stretched across her lips, and it didn’t seem like she’d ever been that happy in her life.
Not even when she was with me.
Right before my eyes, the guy leaned in and kissed her.
Kissed her.
The roses were still in her hand when their lips met.
My eyes burned and immediately sizzled with rage. I quickly looked away
because the pain was overwhelming. I pinched myself on the arm because this had to be a dream, a really bad dream.
Shit, it was a fucking nightmare.
I pinched my skin but nothing happened. I was still in the hallway at Bristol Academy. That man just gave my girl flowers then kissed her like it wasn’t his first time.
What the hell was happening?
I didn’t know what else to do so I walked.
I just walked.
I headed down the hallway to the main entrance, my chest constricting painfully because I couldn’t get enough air. My worst nightmare was happening all over again. I loved a woman, and then she betrayed me.
Just this morning, I was the happiest bastard in the world.
Now I was the most miserable.
Could this really be happening?
Taylor wouldn’t do this to me. She would never hurt me. She loved me. I knew she did. But I couldn’t deny what I saw. I couldn’t deny what played out directly in front of my gaze. I wanted to demand an explanation because surely there had to be one, but I knew that was wishful thinking.
She played me.
I got played—again.
Fuck.
Chapter Fifteen
Taylor
When I got to Volt’s door, I spotted my stuff in boxes on the doorstep.
What the hell?
All my clothes were piled up, and some of his clothes that I wore around the house were there too. My schoolbooks and my Tupperware were in another box. Everything I owned was stacked up and ready to be shipped.
Had I overstayed my welcome? Was that his way of telling me?
Because it was too cold and callous.
I opened the door but the chain was on the lock. The chain was never locked in place. He usually left the door wide open so I could walk inside whenever I wanted. “Volt?”
I didn’t hear anything inside his apartment.
“Volt, what’s going on? Why is my stuff out here?”
His heavy footsteps thudded against the hardwood floor as he approached the door. He unlocked the chain before he snapped it open. The look he gave me was terrifying. Murder was written in his eyes. His hands formed fists by his sides. That look of love that usually took up every expression on his face was nonexistent. Now he just loathed me.
“Volt?” I didn’t know what to say because I had no idea what happened. Did someone piss him off? Did he get into a fight with Derek? I couldn’t think of anything that would make him this upset—with me. “Everything okay?”
“Your shit is outside because I want you to leave. Sorry I didn’t make that more clear.” Spit flew from his mouth because his lips were moving faster than he could speak. “Now get the fuck out.”
Whoa.
Holy shit.
“Volt, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Not a fucking thing.” He slammed the door in my face.
I was so shocked that I stared at the door for a few seconds, completely speechless. Then I shook it off and opened the door again. “Okay, what happened?” I shut the door behind me and grabbed him by the arm.
He twisted out of my grasp so fast I didn’t see him move. “Don’t touch me.”
My body stiffened in offense, but I didn’t snap back. “Volt, talk to me. I haven’t seen you this mad since…” I didn’t want to mention the night when he hurt Clay’s father. It was a night we both wanted to forget.
“I don’t want to talk to you.” He grabbed me by the elbow and dragged me back to the door. “What I want is for you to walk out and never come back. What I want is to never see your face again. What I want is to never hear the annoying sound of your voice.”
I twisted out of his grasp quickly then shoved him back. “Touch me like that again, and I’ll break your hand.” I held up my finger in his face, daring him to defy me.
He stayed grounded, his arms by his sides. He might be pissed, but he still listened to me—at least a little. He didn’t touch me again but he faced the door like he wanted to push me out. “Then I suggest you leave.”
I couldn’t make sense of what I was looking at. I couldn’t piece together the timeline to make him behave this way. A light switch turned on, and instantly his nostrils flared and he turned into a livid beast. “Volt, tell me what you’re upset about. You act like it’s painfully obvious, but I’m clueless over here. So instead of yelling at me some more, fill me in.”
He cocked his head to the side, and when his eyes darkened, I knew I just made things worse. “Fill you in?” His voice rang down my ear like poisonous venom. “I’m really impressed, actually. You act like you’re the good girl next door, but that’s all just an act. Congratulations, you fooled me. Congratu-fucking-lations.”
“Fooled you how?” I demanded. “Volt, give it to me straight. What do you think I did?”
He shook his head, the veins in his neck popping. “Get out.”
“No, we’re going to—”
“Get the fuck out.” He grabbed me by the arm and dragged me into the hallway. His grip on my elbow was so tight it actually hurt.
I fought against him, but that was no use against his massive size. He was a bear, and I was a rabbit. There was no chance of winning when my opponent was so enormous. “Let me go!”
He relaxed his hand. “Then don’t come into my apartment again. You don’t belong here.” He walked back inside and prepared to shut the door.
“Volt, whatever you think I did, I assure you I didn’t do. If you pulled your head out of your goddamn ass for just a second—”
He shut the door in my face, silencing me. The lock clicked into place, as well as the chain. I kept my place in front of the door, expecting him to come to his senses and come back to me.
But he never did.
***
Now I was pissed off.
He refused to tell me what he was so upset about, so how was I supposed to fix it? How were we supposed to work through it if I didn’t even know what happened? Whatever made Volt that angry had to be serious. Like, really serious. But if it were that serious, wouldn’t he just tell me what it was?
I went to work the following day but struggled to concentrate. I was worried about Volt, but I also got no sleep last night. I was accustomed to his large bed and his powerful body wrapped around mine. My new routine included sex every morning and every night, and when I didn’t get it, my body was confused. So, my schedule was turned upside down.
At the end of the day, I went by his office to see if he was there. He usually stayed later than he normally would because he needed to tutor Clay. There was a good chance I would catch him before he went home. When he was in his apartment, I couldn’t reach him. He kept the chain on the door and refused to let me in. But his office was a public space. Pretty hard to get rid of me there.
When the elevator doors opened, the floor was vacated. The secretary wasn’t sitting behind the desk, and it seemed to be abandoned. I heard voices trailing from one of the conference rooms.
“Math sucks. Am I ever going to use it?” It was the voice of a boy, and I could only assume it was Clay.
“Yes.” Volt practically growled as an answer. “Now read the first problem.”
“Why are you so bitchy today?”
“No cussing. Now get to work.”
I followed the voices until I entered the conference room. They sat across from each other at the table, their notebooks scattered around them. Volt rested his elbows on the table and ran a hand down the back of his neck anxiously. Neither one of them noticed me, so I cleared my throat.
Volt’s head snapped in my direction, and the look he gave me reminded me of a rabid dog.
Maybe going there was a bad idea.
“Keep going, Clay.” Volt left his chair and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him. “What?” He hissed just like a snake.
“What?” I asked incredulously. “What makes you think you can speak to me like that?”
“I do,” he snapped. “And if you don’t li
ke it, you can leave. I’d prefer that anyway.”
The man I was in love with had disappeared. An enraged man replaced him, not containing a drop of compassion whatsoever. “Would you just tell me what you’re so pissed off about?”
“Why don’t you tell me who you were fucking last night?”
Whoa.
I knew Volt could be a jerk, but I’d never seen him stoop so low.
“I was home alone worrying about you.”
“You expect me to believe that?” he snapped. “Just get out of my face and stay there. I never want to see you again.” He turned back to the door. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have something more important to do.”
My temper flared, and I was losing the battle with my anger. “So that’s it? You just aren’t going to tell me? Are you five?”
He turned back around, and the threat in his eyes indicated he was about to say something unforgivable. “Are you a whore?”
I wasn’t taking this shit anymore. Now I didn’t care what he was so pissed about. He had no right to treat me that way when I didn’t do a goddamn thing. “Fuck off, Volt.” I walked off.
And this time, I didn’t plan on coming back.
***
Nearly a week went by, and we didn’t speak. I canceled the plans we had with Sara because there was no way that was happening. I didn’t want to tell her the full story just in case he and I worked things out. She would hate him forever and never give him a real chance.
And I didn’t blame her.
I was too pissed off to try to talk to him again. He’d treated me like garbage and I wasn’t putting up with it, no matter how much I loved him. It was okay to be upset, but it was entirely different to throw a tantrum like that without telling me a goddamn thing.
I wouldn’t baby him.
Principal Rosenthal came into my office with my paycheck.
He was the last person I wanted to see.
“How’s your day going?” He walked to my desk and set the white envelope on the corner.
“Good. How’s yours?”
“Not too bad. It’s payday.” He had a whole stack in his hand, so I must have been the first teacher on his route. His attitude was jovial, so Volt clearly hadn’t mentioned our strange fight.