by L. A. Casey
The giggles that followed that statement caused my eye to twitch.
I looked down and groaned when I saw my pregnant belly did, in fact, rub off the writing on the lower half of the chalkboard. It made me a little teary because I had to bend down when I fucking wrote it!
“I’m not rewritin’ it,” I announced. “No homework tonight. Consider yourselves lucky.”
The cheers that filled my classroom made me laugh. I turned to face my class and smiled at them. They were a good group of kids, and I loved teaching them.
“You can all pack up, and line up by the door. The bell will ring in a few minutes.”
The talking that quickly ensued was so loud it gave me an instant headache.
“Pack up quietly, please,” I said loudly, a stern look in place on my face.
This hushed everyone up, and my head was grateful for it.
“Miss Collins?”
I looked at Niamh, a blonde girl who sat in the front row of my class, when she spoke. “Yeah, darlin’?” I asked, smiling at her.
She was so cute that I wanted to squeeze her cheeks.
She nodded to my stomach. “Are you excited to have your baby?”
Some of my male students groaned and it caused me to giggle. The girls in my class loved talking about my baby and asking all kinds of questions about pregnancy. A few weeks ago the boys got fed up with it and zoned out whenever the girls asked me about being pregnant. They used the time to close their eyes or stare off into space.
I found it hilarious.
“I’m very excited.”
Niamh smiled at me. “I bet. Me ma is havin’ a baby too and I’m super excited.”
I beamed. “That is brilliant, you’re goin’ to be a great big sister.”
“Thanks,” Niamh blushed. “I can’t wait to help me ma take care of the baby. She said I have a huge job to help her because me daddy got a new job and he has to work hard so we can buy new things for the baby.”
At that moment, my love for Kane grew even more. He took away my worries about money—he also gave me precious time that could be spent as a family. If I had to worry about money, or a babysitter so I could work, I didn’t know how I would I have coped.
“You’re a very good girl for helpin’ your ma, and you’re goin’ to have so much fun with your new brother or sister. You’ll be the one to teach him or her all the fun things.” I winked.
Niamh giggled, and so did her friends.
I could only imagine what ‘fun things’ they thought of.
A few seconds later the bell indicating school was over rang loud. It did nothing for my sore head, but it did relieve me knowing I could go home and stay there for the day.
I loved Fridays.
I walked out behind my students as they filed out of the classroom, and headed out to the yard where they each lined up until their parents made themselves known. Luckily it only took ten minutes for me to say goodbye to my students and their parents. I went back to my classroom and began to pack up my things.
I grabbed my phone and its charger and put them in my bag along with my lip balm and mints. I clipped my bag shut, hooked the strap over my shoulder and walked out of the classroom, locking the door with my keys behind me.
The hallways were clearing fast of older students as they always did on a Friday because it was a half-day. I made my way down the hallway and headed for the staffroom so I could hang the keys to my room up on the key rack. When I entered the room, it was just as scarce as the hallway. Staff members wanted to get out of the school just as much as the students did.
I hung the keys to my room up on the key rack and left the staffroom, smiling to myself.
I was halfway down the main hallway, headed for the exit of the school when I looked up and saw a man leaning against the wall outside the school doors.
He was just standing there, waiting for something... or someone.
Who was that?
“Aideen?” I looked over my shoulder when I heard Kiera’s voice call my name. I saw Kiera coming towards me so I stopped walking and waited for her to reach me. While I waited, I turned my head and looked back down the hallway. I was surprised when I found the area outside the school doors were empty.
No man.
“I’m going crazy,” I mumbled and turned back in Kiera’s direction.
“Hey,” Kiera breathed, “I’m glad I caught you.
I pushed stray hairs back out of my face. “Is everythin’ okay?”
“Yep, everythin’ is perfect.”
Perfect?
I smirked. “Who is he?”
Kiera laughed, “How did you know it was a man?”
I shrugged. “You got that big goofy smile on your face.”
“You’ve had the same smile for a while now, don’t rag on me.”
I laughed, “I happily admit mine is for Kane, who is yours for?”
“His name is Trevor Moore. I met him in Tesco, of all places.”
I froze. “Trevor Moore?”
Skull?
Kiera frowned. “Do you know him?”
I swallowed. “Trevor is Skull, babe.”
Kiera’s face dropped. “Oh.”
I pointed my finger at her. “Don’t you even think about what you’re thinkin’. Skull and I are old news. I love him to death, but only as a friend. He feels the same way about me.”
Kiera groaned, “But he was your lad for years, it’ll be weird if I-”
“It’s only weird if you make it weird. Skull is amazin’, and I’m being honest when I say you won’t find a better lad than him. He is a gem, Kiera, and how rare are gems?”
She gnawed on her lower lip. “You really don’t mind if I go on a date with him?”
“I really don’t mind,” I assured her.
She eyed me. “Are you tellin’ the truth?”
I nodded my head. “Honestly, if I could pick someone for Skull, it’d be you.”
She flushed. “It’s only a date.”
“Then why’re you so giddy about it?”
“Because he is perfect,” she gushed.
I burst into laughter.
Kiera playfully swatted at my shoulder. “Stop laughin’, I haven’t been on a date in years. I’m in me mid-thirties, I shouldn’t be this giddy over a man.”
“Skull is the man, though. He is brilliant. You have every reason to be excited.”
Kiera beamed. “I really am.”
I was so happy for her, and for Skull. Kiera was perfect for him.
“When is your date?” I asked.
Kiera slumped. “It’s tonight.”
I frowned. “Aren’t you on detention duty tonight?”
She always did Friday evening detention.
“I am,” she groaned. “I forgot all about detention.”
“What are you goin’ to do?” I asked.
She scratched her neck. “I was goin’ to ask you to take over detention for me tonight?”
My answer was already a yes.
“Like you even have to ask. Of course I’ll cover.”
Kiera screeched and threw her arms around my body, hugging me tightly to her chest. I laughed and hugged her back.
“Thank you so much, this is exactly why I love you. You’re brilliant.”
I sighed, “It’s true.”
Kiera laughed, “Okay, so detention is in my old room, which is your new room. It starts at half four and ends at six. You don’t have to do anythin’, the kids bring their own things to work on. You just sign off that they attended.”
She handed me a sheet of paper with only one name on it.
“Detention for one kid? I questioned.
Kiera held up her hands. “Don’t blame me, blame the board.”
The board were arseholes.
Kiera and I turned and walked down the hallway and through the school doors.
“Don’t worry about it, I’ve got this covered. How hard can running detention with one kid be? I’ll be home by half six with my fee
t up.”
“Atta girl,” Kiera chuckled. “I’ll tell you everythin’ on Monday.”
I gave her a thumbs up. “I can’t wait. Have fun!”
We headed our separate ways; Kiera went home, and I drove to Kane’s house. He stayed in my apartment every night, but he didn’t officially live there. I thought keeping it like that for a few months was best. I didn’t want to bring too much upon ourselves since everything was still so fresh for us.
“Kane?” I called out when I entered his house.
“In the kitchen, babe.”
I yawned as I walked down the hallway and into the kitchen. I found Kane sitting at the kitchen table next to Nico, both of them watching something on a laptop.
“What’re you both watchin’?” I asked as I opened the fridge door and began to root around inside for food.
Things were silent for a moment until I felt arms slide around my waist and to my belly. I jumped a little and it made him chuckle in my ear.
“Scared you,” he murmured and lightly bit on my ear.
My eyes fluttered closed for a second but quickly reopened.
“Please, don’t,” I groaned. “Lunch time sex will kill me with tiredness and I have to go back to work in a few hours. Kiera asked me to cover evenin’ detention because she has a date and I said okay.”
Kane chuckled, “I’m only teasing. Well, kind of.”
I growled, “Evil man.”
He continued to bite on my earlobe so I turned and shrugged him off me.
“I may look completely calm and at ease, but in me head I’ve killed you twice already. Stop it.”
Kane grinned. “You have a short fuse.”
I snapped my fingers. “No, I’ve a quick reaction to your bullshit.”
“Woo,” Nico said from the kitchen table and snapped his own fingers in Z formation accompanied with his head bobbing from side to side. “You go girlfriend.”
I tried not to laugh, I really did, but it was too difficult not to.
“You’re such an eejit.”
“I own that shit,” Nico said then looked back to the laptop.
I walked over and tried to see what he was watching, but he closed the laptop before I could see what was on the screen.
“What was that?”
“Porn.”
Liar.
I stared at Nico until he began to fidget under my glare.
“It’s a guy I’m fighting tonight in Darkness. I was just studying his fighting style.”
I frowned and touched Nico’s face. “You’re too pretty to receive punches in the face.”
Nico laughed and said, “Bro, your girl thinks I have a pretty face.”
“So? She thinks I have a pretty cock, I know which one I’m happier with.”
Nico cracked up laughing while I rolled my eyes.
Men.
“I wish I could stay here all day,” I sighed.
“So do,” Nico said with a shrug of his shoulder.
I rolled my eyes. “I can’t. I told Kiera I’d cover for her. Were you not listenin’ to me? I just said it a few minutes ago.”
Nico looked at me, a thoughtful look on his face. “Who is Kiera?”
I smirked. “She is a friend, but you know her as Miss McKesson.”
“No!” Nico gasped. “She still teaches at the school?”
I nodded. “Yep.”
“Is she still hot?”
I deadpanned, “Really?”
“What? If Bronagh never walked into class that first day of school, I would have made it my mission to bang Miss McKesson. She is too hot to be a teacher.”
I stared at Nico, long and hard.
“She wouldn’t have touched you.”
Nico smirked. “I disagree.”
I shivered in disgust. “You’re nasty.”
“I’m a guy.”
That was no excuse.
I move away from Nico then and over to Kane. I tested his blood sugar, then gave him his final injection for the day. It relaxed me to know he was loaded up on insulin and good to go until tomorrow. When I put his kit away, I made a sandwich for myself as he went back to watch the fight video with Nico. I was leaning against the counter eating my food as I listened to the brothers talk.
“Right there, his counter strikes are weak. He gets a ten-second burst for fast punches, then he needs twenty to thirty to cool down. He is dancing around to avoid the big hits. After he does that tonight, you counter and don’t stop until he drops.”
I shook my head. “So violent.”
Neither of the lads paid me any attention.
“I don’t think that will be enough,” Nico replied to Kane. “He is huge. He’ll take my hits and keep coming.”
“Not if you get his shoulder on the right side,” Kane argued. “Look at how he protects it. I bet it’s a recurring injury. When you take him to the mat, apply enough pressure to the joint and the bone should break easily if it’s an old injury.”
“Jesus Christ,” I gasped. “Is that really necessary?”
Again, the lads ignored me.
I huffed, “Yeah, Aideen. It is necessary, but we’re barbarians and this what we do.”
Kane looked at me then. “Did you say something?”
I growled, “I was talkin’ to meself.”
“Why?”
“If I don’t talk to meself, who will?”
“Uh, me?”
I rolled my eyes. “Please, you don’t listen to me half the time so I might as well be talkin’ to meself.”
Nico snorted but didn’t look up from the laptop.
Kane stood up and walked over to me and pulled me into his body when he was close enough to do so. He looked down at my stomach, then up to me and grinned, “I feel like there is something between us.”
I laughed, “Yeah, a belly that is gonna keep on growin’.”
“The bigger, the better.”
“Bigger is not better when it comes to my belly.”
Kane chuckled and kissed me before returning to Nico’s side. I had a drink of water and glanced out of the kitchen and down the hallway that lead to the front door when I heard a car door close.
“Ryder or Branna is home,” I murmured.
“It’ll be Ry. Bran doesn’t finish work till later tonight.”
Hmmm.
Ryder.
“Have either of you noticed how weird Ryder has been lately?”
Kane and Nico shared a look then looked my way.
What was that about?
“What do you mean?”
I shrugged. “He’s been out of the house a lot lately, like... a lot. He doesn’t have a job so I’m just wonderin’ what he’s been up to.”
Kane frowned at me. “It’s his own business.”
I rolled my eyes. “That means nothin’ to me. It’s like you don’t even know me.”
Nico laughed but covered his mouth when Kane elbowed him.
“Don’t hurt him, he has a fight tonight.”
“Yeah,” Nico argued, “you bastard.”
I snorted then.
Kane shook his head and focused on me. “Don’t rag on Ryder, please? I don’t want you involved in whatever problems he is having with Branna, okay?”
Oh, for God’s sake.
“Aideen?”
Bloody hell.
“Okay,” I grunted and looked down the hallway when the front door opened.
Ryder looked up and saw me. He closed the door after him and smiled as he walked down the hallway and into the kitchen.
“Hey gorgeous.” He winked and gave me a kiss on the cheek in greeting.
Kane grunted, “Calling her by her name isn’t an option for you?”
Ryder smirked as he put his arms around me. “Nope.”
“Ryder,” Kane snarled.
Ryder moved away from me and to the fridge, laughing to himself. I snorted too because it was too easy to wind Kane up when it came to me. He easily got jealous, but I had to admit that I liked it.
A lot.
I looked at Ryder as he dug out a bunch of food from the fridge and put it on the counter. I laughed and asked, “Hungry?”
“Starving,” he replied as he worked on making a huge sandwich.
I was just about to look away from him when I spotted some white powder on his jacket. I reached out and swiped some powder onto my fingers.
“You have white stuff all over you,” I mused.
Ryder looked over his shoulder to me, then to my fingers. I saw his eyes widen as I brought my fingers to my nose so I could sniff my fingers to see if I could identify the powder that covered them. But just as I brought my hand to my nose, Ryder stuck his arm out and smacked my hand away from my face.
I screamed with fright, and the sudden pain that radiated from my hand.
“Don’t sniff it!” Ryder bellowed and quickly grabbed my hand.
He pulled me to the sink and thrust my hand under the tap he’d turned on. He pumped some handwash on his hand and spread it all over my hand and scrubbed. He finished washing my hand until there was no trace of powder stuck to my skin.
“What the fuck is your problem?” I shouted at Ryder and pulled my hand from his, cradling it against my chest.
I felt hands on my shoulders then a growl, “Explain that. Now, Ryder.”
Kane was angry.
Ryder looked at Kane, then to Nico. “I couldn’t let her sniff it, she’s pregnant. God only knows what would have happened to her.”
Kane’s grip on me loosened. “It’s okay,” he breathed.
It was okay?
“Excuse me?” I questioned and turned to face Kane. “Did he smack you and pull you around by the hand?”
Kane licked his lower lip. “It was for your own safety.”
What?
“How is hittin’ me for me own safety?” I asked.
“I’m so sorry if I hurt you, Ado. I panicked.”
Why would he panic?
I turned to Ryder. “Why? I just wanted to see if I knew the scent of the powder, that’s all.”
“You wouldn’t have known,” Ryder replied.
“How do you know?”
“Have you done coke before?”
I reared back. “No, I haven’t. What type of fuckin’ question is that?”
“A valid one.”
What was going on here?
I furrowed my eyebrows together. “Are you tryin’ to say that powder on your jacket is cocaine?”