by E. L. Todd
“Volt?”
“Hmm?”
I grabbed his arm and pulled him onto the bench beside me. “You’ve been tutoring him for almost a year now.”
“Yeah.”
“And do you think he learned a lot?”
He nodded.
“Do you think he has what it takes to do well?”
He nodded again.
“Then have some faith. That kid is tougher than he looks. He’s going to concentrate and do amazing. You’ll see.”
Volt stared at the floor before he finally came to his senses. “You’re right.”
“I know I am.” I rubbed his arm and rested my head on his shoulder. “Clay was taught by the best. He’ll do great.”
He turned his head my way and placed a kiss on my forehead. “I’ve always cared about my students but with Clay, I feel something else. I can’t explain it. I just want the best for him—in everything.”
“You love him.”
“It’s more than that. When I’m not with him, I worry about him. When he’s hungry, I feel sick inside. When he’s scared, I want to die.”
“Maybe you see him as a son.”
“I do. But I’m not old enough to be a father.”
“That’s not true.” He was over thirty. Lots of people had kids before they were even twenty.
“But I’m not old enough to be the father of a teenager preparing for college. He’s exactly half my age.”
“That doesn’t mean he can’t see you as a father figure. He looks up to you. You can see it in his eyes.”
“Well…yeah.”
I continued to rub his arm. “I feel that way about my students sometimes. I do the best I can in class, but sometimes, I wish I had them a little longer. I wish there were more hours in a day so I could teach them even more new things. I wish I could help them every time they needed me.”
“At least you understand me.” He moved his hand to my thigh, giving it a gentle squeeze.
“Hopefully, Clay will go somewhere local so you can still see him all the time.”
The mention of the future always killed Clay’s spirit. He wasn’t thinking about college because he was thinking about tomorrow.
“What if we tell him I’m the one who called social services? I am a teacher, and I have an obligation to report stuff. You could pretend you didn’t have a clue.”
“That’s nice of you to offer, but it won’t work. Clay will know. He’s a smart kid.” Volt bowed his head, unable to hide his unease. True love was measured by the hard things, not the easy things. Volt could look the other way and continue being Clay’s best friend, but he knew that wasn’t the best thing for him. Despite the heartbreak it would cause, he knew what he had to do.
I tried to change the subject to lighten his sad mood. “Sara is eager to meet you.” That was a borderline lie, but it didn’t change what would come to pass.
“Oh, yeah. Forgot about her.”
“After you meet her, you won’t be able to forget her.”
“Did you tell her about our break up?”
I nodded.
“Great…she thinks I’m an ass.”
“No, she doesn’t. I told her we got back together, and all she wants is for me to be happy.”
“Yeah…she hates me.”
“Remember what you said to me about your parents?”
He stared at me blankly, not having a clue what I was talking about.
“You told me it wouldn’t make a difference whether they liked me or not—because nothing would change us. That same idea applies to Sara. If she doesn’t like you, I won’t care.”
“But she’s your best friend.”
“So? That doesn’t mean I agree with everything she says.”
“It’s easy to defy my parents. But it’s not so easy to go against your friend’s wishes.”
“It’s easy for me.”
He returned his hand to my thigh. “Thanks…”
“Of course.” I kissed him in the corner of the mouth. “Besides, who else is going to give it to me as good as you do?”
He grinned, liking that comment. “You have a point there.”
“I love what I’ve got, and I’m not going to look for some elsewhere.”
“Good thing I’m an excellent lay.”
“And a sweet man.”
The doors opened, and the kids filed out. Most of them looked exhausted, tired of concentrating for five hours straight. Others just seemed happy that the exam was over and done with.
“He must be starving,” I said. “I can’t go an hour without eating.”
He chuckled and stood up, taking my hand in his. “I know how that is. My wallet suddenly felt lighter when we started dating.”
“Hey, I offer to pay for things.”
“Baby, you know I’m joking.”
Clay emerged out of the crowd, and he didn’t seem relieved that the test was completed. In fact, he looked worse now than he did when he first walked inside.
“Hey, man.” Volt clapped him on the shoulder. “How’d it go?”
“Okay,” he said with a shrug. “I put down your address for the exam score. That’s cool, right? If it was sent to my house, my dad would see it and—”
“Yeah, that’s cool,” Volt said. “We can look at the scores together when they get there.”
“Okay,” Clay answered. “Thanks.”
“Now tell me about the exam.” Volt walked on one side of him, guiding him through the hallway and back to the parking lot.
“It was long.” Clay rubbed the side of his temple. “Like, it gave me a headache.”
“They should give them breaks,” I argued. “How are they supposed to function under all that pressure?”
“I don’t know,” Volt answered. “It wasn’t like that when I took the exam.”
“It wasn’t like that for me either,” I said.
“Were there questions you had no idea how to answer?” Volt asked. “Or did you recognize everything?”
Clay shrugged. “I don’t know…there were a lot of questions.”
“Volt.” I came to his side and hooked my arm through his. “Stop interrogating the poor boy and let him relax. He’s probably starving and needs to pee.”
Clay chuckled. “Listen to your girlfriend.”
Volt backed off and gave him some space, hooking his arm around my waist. “Mega Shake is still good?”
“Dude, I’d eat your face right now,” Clay said. “That’s how hungry I am.”
“Then let’s get there quick,” I said. “Because I really love Volt’s face.”
***
Clay ate slower than he usually did, probably too tired to scarf down his food. He ordered a soda and a milkshake, totally burned out from answering three hundred questions.
Volt didn’t interrogate him again, but it was obvious it was a struggle to hold himself back. He shook his leg underneath the table, taking out his impatience on himself. He was normally smooth and suave, but when it came to Clay, he was a different person. He reminded me of my father, constantly protective and overbearing.
It was cute.
“Clay, do you know what kind of job you want to have?” I asked. Up until that point, Volt had never told me what Clay was interested in. He only mentioned he wanted to attend college.
“Not sure,” he said with a shrug. “All I know is I don’t want to sell drugs.”
I didn’t react to his words even though it took all my strength not to. He came from a different world, one I would never understand. “Any reason to pursue higher education is a good one.”
“I just don’t want to end up like my dad. You know, drunk and high all the time. Most days, he doesn’t know what’s going on. His life is meaningless. When he dies, no one is going to care or notice.”
“So, you want to make a difference?”
“I guess,” he answered. “I just want to make enough money to have my own place, somewhere that I can be safe. I want to have food on the table and
never worry about where my next meal is coming from. Maybe get a car or something.”
This conversation reminded me how much I took for granted. I didn’t grow up rich, but I was certainly never afraid of missing my next meal. I was never afraid my parents would smack me around. It was easy for me to say my childhood was happy. “I think that’s great. There are a lot of ways you can make money and be happy.”
“I don’t like math, so I don’t want to do anything involved with that.”
I chuckled. “Math can be tough. What’s your favorite subject?”
“English. I like reading and writing. Well, I do now. Before, I hated it.”
“Maybe you can be a teacher. Or maybe a writer.”
“Maybe,” he said. “I hope I figure it out when I’m at college. I’ll go to a junior college for now then transfer.”
“Why not go to a four-year right off the bat?” I asked.
“Because I won’t get in.” He said it simply and with no pity. “But that’s fine. I’ve heard of kids doing it that way. Apparently, it’s cheaper too.”
“Smart kid, huh?” Volt said. “He really thinks about things.” Pride was heavy in his voice.
“He is smart,” I said in agreement.
Clay looked down, avoiding our gaze when the attention became too much.
“Mr. Rosenthal?” A man in a crisp black suit walked up to the booth. He had dark brown hair, bright blue eyes, and he looked to be in his early fifties. A woman was beside him, also brunette. Judging the way they held hands, they were married.
“Hey, Mr. Preston. How are you?” Volt rose to his feet and shook his hand.
“I’m great,” he answered. “Just thought I would come over and say hi. I hope that software has been working for you.”
“It’s been great,” Volt answered. “My tutors use it with the kids, and it really helps. Thanks for the donation.”
“I’m glad to hear it.” He turned to the woman who must be his wife. “This is my wife, Scarlet. Baby, this is one of my clients.”
Volt shook her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Your husband is a great man.”
“Thank you,” she said with a pretty smile. “Why do you think I married him?”
Mr. Preston looked at her with a familiar gaze. It reminded me of the way Volt look at me. The love throbbed from deep within him. It was unmistakable. He turned back to the conversation, his eyes falling on me. “Is this the special woman you were telling me about?”
He talked about me?
“Yep. This is my lady.” He pulled me to a stand and wrapped his arm around my waist. “Taylor.”
“It’s so nice to meet you.” I shook hands with both of them.
Mr. Preston eyed Clay. “I didn’t know you had a son. I have two kids but they’re out of the house.”
“He’s not my son,” Volt said quickly. “But pretty close. He’s one of my students, Clay.”
Clay waved as he sipped the last of his milkshake.
“Well, it was nice seeing you.” He secured his wife to his side as they walked out. “Take care.”
“You too.” Volt waved as they walked past the window before he turned back to me.
“I know him from somewhere…” I’d seen his face before but I couldn’t remember where I saw it. It sounded like he worked in technology, which was far away from my profession.
“He’s Sean Preston,” Volt explained. “One of the Preston brothers.”
I was still drawing a blank.
“Even I know who he is,” Clay said as he finished his fries.
“You’ve seen his face on TV and magazines,” Volt explained. “You just don’t remember it.”
“I guess so. I didn’t realize you were cool with famous people.”
“Well, I’m a pretty cool guy.” He flashed me that playful smile before he sat down again. “So, you better stick with me.”
“Well, I was going to stick with you anyway.”
He pulled me onto his lap. “Good. We’ll be sticky together.”
I glared at him when he made the dirty joke in front of Clay.
“What?” Volt asked. “The kid is sixteen. He’s not stupid.”
Clay stopped eating his fries, a cringe overcoming his face. “He’s not hungry anymore either.”
Chapter Seven
Volt
I was procrastinating.
Big time.
It was worse than not doing a paper that was due in a week. It was worse than not writing up the exam the night before it was supposed to be given. I was putting this off because I had no intention of doing it.
Clay would hate me.
He would see it as an act of ultimate betrayal.
And I couldn’t blame him. I told him I wouldn’t throw him under the bus and now I was going against my word. Everything was fine until his father stepped out of line. Nothing happened, but something could have easily gone wrong. Clay was gone for nearly two weeks, and his dad didn’t seem to care.
What kind of parenting was that?
Maybe if I sat Clay down and had a serious talk with him, he would understand. He would see that I was trying to help him, not hurt him. He was a smart kid and had come a long way. Surely, he would understand I was just trying to do the right thing.
But in my heart, I knew he wouldn’t.
A week went by and I still didn’t make my move. I had all the contact info I needed to get Clay started in the process. I researched the different orphanages he would be staying at, and while none of them were the Ritz, they seemed tolerable.
Taylor didn’t mention the situation, even though it hung heavy in the air like a rain cloud. But her patience was waning. If I didn’t do something soon, she would give me an earful about it. She loved Clay just as much as I did, and every day he stayed in that hell hole was a day too long.
After work one night, I made dinner for the two of us. I made parmesan chicken with spaghetti, something so easy a monkey could do it. I didn’t usually eat a lot of carbs because it quickly affected my size, but I’d been craving it. Plus, Taylor loved Italian food.
“Wow. Everything looks great.” She sat across from me and rubbed her palms together. The wind she made with her hands traveled over the candle and made it flicker. A distant glow fell on her cheeks, making her them rosy and her eyes sparkle.
“Thanks.” I passed the tongs so she could help herself first.
She served the spaghetti onto her plate and grabbed a piece of chicken. “Have you ever cooked for anyone else?” She poured herself a glass of wine then placed the napkin on her lap. Her words lacked any sort of jealousy.
“Not for my flings,” I answered. “But I did for…my last girlfriend.” I hated ever admitting I was in a relationship with that whore. She blinded me and made me immune to my surroundings. She tricked me into a false sense of security. How many other people knew she was sneaking around? Did everyone know?
“How long were you with her?”
I didn’t like talking about her. She didn’t deserve my memory. “About a year.”
“And you were going to propose to her?” she asked in surprise.
Yes, it made me look bad. “I thought I was in love.” The whole thing made me look like a pussy.
“Were you in a relationship before her?”
“Not really. I would be with someone for a few months before we went our separate ways. She was my first serious relationship.”
Taylor nodded as she kept eating. “I know it’s not the same thing, but I feel like what I went through with Drew was similar. I never loved him, but I was pretty hurt he played me so easily. That’s why I never confronted him about it. That would have let him win.”
“Yeah…” I never thought about it before. The situations were similar.
“So, when she broke your heart, you went on your sex rampage?”
“Yeah. I told myself I would never fall in love again. I would never have another relationship. I would never let someone play me like that. It wasn�
��t just painful. It was embarrassing.”
Her eyes softened as she stared at me across the table. “No one thinks less of you for that.”
“No?” I asked. “You should.”
“How so?”
“A girl only looks around for someone else if she’s unsatisfied. Apparently, I wasn’t satisfying.” But after sleeping with more women than I could count, I fixed that problem. I met a lot of interesting women in my travels, and I had a lot of sex. I got out of my comfort zone and tried new things. I did the bondage thing, the role-playing thing, and everything else you could think of. All that experience made me a behemoth in bed. Women kept coming back for more.
“Or maybe there was something else going on. You said the guy was her ex, right?”
“Yeah.” Why the fuck were we still talking about this?
“Maybe they ran into each other and old feelings surged. Maybe it was just a kiss and only a kiss.”
Doubtful.
“I just don’t think you should necessarily attribute her actions to your inadequacy.”
“If she had been truly happy with me, she wouldn’t have messed that up for a quick kiss—with a man she’s already kissed.” I dug into my food and kept my eyes down, wanting her to stop with the questions. I couldn’t call her out on it since I screwed up our relationship just a few weeks ago. None of that would have happened if I had just been honest with her.
“I know you don’t want to talk about it. I can see it in your eyes. But, I can’t let you keep thinking you were the problem.”
I looked at her again, seeing the softness in her eyes. “You weren’t there. You don’t know.”
“But I do know. You’re the most amazing man in the world, Volt. She was the one with the problem, not you.”
“Well, thanks for saying that, but now we’ll never know.”
“So, all that sleeping around was just to get better in bed?”
“Partially,” I said. “And just to feel good. It worked for a long time until you showed up. The warmth you carried with you made me realize how cold my life was, how empty it was. And that’s when I decided to give love another try.”