by Lyra Winters
I shook my head. “I can’t say anything.”
The anger in her eyes blazed. “Like how you didn’t tell me about Asher?” It was as if she ran on malice instead of any form of pleasantness. Maybe she had a personality disorder the doctors hadn’t diagnosed. Either way, she had as much empathy as a sociopath.
I swallowed the negative words that almost came up. “Linda, we have a school policy. Confidentiality is still a thing concerning students.”
Her eyes rolled as she tossed her golden curls over her shoulder. “Since when do I care about policy?”
“Hopefully, that was a poor attempt at a joke, Ms. Shepherd.” Mr. Higgins stood behind her with his shoulders tense.
She whipped around with an apologetic smile. “O-Of course it was, sir. I actually have some paperwork to do.” She dipped her head and scurried down the hall.
“I don’t know what to do with her.” His head shook and his lips set into a grim line. “Anyway, care to come with me? Mr. Wells is already in my office. We have some more news about the case.”
I nodded and we walked to his office, saying hi to the students who still lingered in the halls. As I entered the office, Asher gave me a lopsided grin as I sat next to him.
Mr. Higgins rounded his desk and sat in his chair. “The court date is scheduled for next week and you are both permitted to attend this court date for your testimony.”
Unease blossomed from within and I squirmed in the seat. “Only one day?”
“I have subs already for you both. I will keep both of you updated with this process.”
After a few minutes of discussing the court date and time, he dismissed us. I had a few more papers to grade before we could head home, so Asher came to my classroom with me. He sat backward on one of my student’s chairs as he watched me grade.
His eyes were trained on me. “I can help you if you want.”
“I like to grade by myself. It’s one of my things.” I grinned. I marked a few wrong answers and jotted down some notes.
“How’re the kiddos doing?”
I sighed. “Still asking about where Rosie went.”
He clicked his tongue. “Damn.”
We fell silent. The buzz of the fluorescent lights overhead were persistent as Asher tapped away on his phone game.
I was on my last paper when Linda barged into the room like she was hell on wheels.
“I demand to know what the hell is going on around here!” Her manicured hands rested on her hips as she glowered at us. “Higgins won’t tell me a thing.”
Asher locked his phone and looked up at her. “Don’t you think that means you’re not meant to know?”
She shrugged. “I’m staff here, and I think I deserve to know.”
“Just get out of here with your sense of entitlement.” I groaned and pointed toward the door. “Don’t let it hit you on the way out.” I was growing tired of her constant need to know everything.
The muscles in her face tensed. “How dare you.”
“Linda, leave Faith alone. This literally has nothing to do with you and we aren’t telling you shit.” Asher swung his legs out of the chair and strode over to the door, holding it open for her.
She glanced back at me before she dragged her eyes to meet his. “What do you see in her?”
His shoulders slumped and he leaned against the open door. “Everything.”
Her eyes flared with anger as she stomped out of the door, not looking back.
I rolled my eyes as Asher let the door shut behind her.
“We may want to bring up her behavior to Higgins,” he said.
I dropped my head into my hands. “She’s always like this. I have no doubt he knows how she is.”
“And he keeps her around why?”
“RTI teachers are like rare gems. For some reason, nobody wants the job anymore.”
He rubbed the scruff on his cheek. “Well, that’s stupid.”
I agreed with him. After writing the grade on top of my last paper, I threw the graded papers into my pass back tray and we headed home. I loved having a home with him. Deep down, I always knew it’d be Asher.
I was thankful he was with me through this case. Being a teacher meant caring deeply for our students. Rosie’s situation was a teacher’s worst fear. I loved Rosie and would do anything to help her, that much I knew.
I’d never been the romantic type. Okay, maybe that was a damn lie. I’d never had the chance to do romantic gestures because the right woman just wasn’t in my reach until now. That’s why I was rubbing my hands together and pacing the bathroom floor while the bathtub was filled to the brim with bubbles and hot water, chocolates and white wine on the counter next to the tub, and classical music that softly played from my phone.
“Asher,” Faith called from behind the bathroom door. “Can I come in now?”
I exhaled a shaky breath. “Come on in.”
The door opened and revealed the woman I was utterly in love with. Her long brown hair was pulled into a knot on the top of her head as a pale-pink silk robe covered her. Her mouth made a perfect o-shape as she glanced around the room. She squealed in delight as she shuffled over to the wine and chocolates.
“My favorites!” She poured a glass and offered me one before pouring herself one.
My cheeks were hurting from smiling so much. I loved her reactions and I loved her. “Glad you like it.”
She moaned as she sipped from the glass. “Thank you. This is amazing.”
“Tomorrow is going to be a rough day.” A rough day is an understatement. This past week leading up to tomorrow has gone painfully slow. Faith has been a bundle of nerves and she needed a chance to relax.
“I know it will be.” She sat her glass down as she popped a piece of chocolate in her mouth. She turned toward the bath and let her robe drop.
I’d never tire of seeing her naked. As she walked to the tub, her bare ass was on display for me to admire. She sunk into the tub and her breasts were slowly consumed by the bubbles. I ripped my clothes off and hopped in the tub with her.
She giggled. “I love you, Asher.”
“I love you, always.” I maneuvered around her, placed my hands on her shoulders and kneaded them.
She leaned into my touch. “Tomorrow is going to be awful.”
I placed a kiss on the back of her neck. “Justice will be served. Her case is too solid.”
She nodded.
“Do you want kids?” I asked.
She tensed before turning to me. “Yes. I want five.”
My eyes popped out of my head. “Five? You want five kids?”
She smiled. “Of course, I love kids.”
I chuckled. “Of course you do.”
“What about you?” Her gaze was intense.
“I want kids. I always thought maybe two or three but I’d make an exception for you.” I kissed her nose.
She smiled and sank back down into the tub. “You’d be a good dad.”
“You’d be a good mom.”
She hummed in reply.
At first, I said that as a compliment back to her. But really, Faith would be an amazing mother. I wanted to be the one to make her a mom. I’d do it whenever she’d want to. The love I had for her was deep and I drowned in it.
My heart clogged my throat as I glanced around the closet-sized area we had been rallied into before we would be taken into the courtroom. Yellow wallpaper with a terrible swirl design coated the walls.
I looked down at my feet that were already killing me. I wore small black heels, a black pencil skirt, and a cream blouse to look professional. I glanced at Asher, who wore a black suit with a cream tie. He seemed laid back, so certain that justice would prevail. I prayed he was right.
Mr. Higgins straightened his navy blue tie and matching navy blue suit. “Thank you both for coming. We are not permitted to stay except for the testimonies from the staff at the school. Then, we will be excused. The trial doesn’t end with us but it shouldn’t be much longer until
the verdict.”
I nodded.
His eyes rested on me. “I just found out Preston will be the one asking the questions on their side.”
I hesitated, pulling at the curls in my hair. Of course he would be. Before I could answer, the door opened and a short man with a green suit greeted us. We followed behind him into the courtroom.
The green carpet was worn down as we walked past the long bench rows. We sat on the right side, the bench closest to the jury. I noticed Rosie’s absence and breathed a sigh of relief. I didn’t want her to hear all of this today. The judge sat up at that big wooden desk with papers littered all over it. The judge was a woman with shoulder-length gray hair and kind brown eyes.
She cleared her throat. “I am Judge Marty. Asher Wells, please follow Mr. Smith to the stand.”
Asher followed Mr. Smith, the man in the green suit, to the stand and sat down. He didn’t look nervous. He wore a neutral expression as the judge went over formalities. Preston walked to the podium with an air of confidence. He was in his element, and seeing him shook me to my core. I swallowed the bile that crept up my throat at the sight of him.
I shook those negative feelings away and trained my eyes on Asher.
“You may begin,” the judge said.
“Thank you, Your Honor.” Preston smiled at her before he turned to Asher. “How did Rosie Jenkins’ claim come to your attention?”
Asher’s jaw ticked. Claim, as if she lied. “We were practicing self-defense in gym class when her partner grabbed her arm. She had a meltdown and when I pulled her away to see what happened she broke down.”
“And what did she say during this… break down?”
“She told me that she hated her uncle.” His Adam's apple bobbed. “Because he made her feel bad. He touched her where she didn’t want to be touched.”
“And what did you do when she told you?”
“I took it to our school resource officer and our school principal immediately after I had taken Rosie to the nurse.”
“Could she be acting out to get attention?” Preston’s gaze was hard as he stared at him.
“Absolutely not.”
“You’re a gym teacher. Not a child psychologist, correct Mr. Wells?”
He nodded.
“So you wouldn’t really know if she were acting out for attention.”
“Rosie was a bright and bubbly kid. Always helping out. That light inside her dimmed within a week. She was withdrawn. Then, her breakdown happened. I may not be an expert in behavior, but I know when something severely wrong is going on in my students’ life. I have a duty to report any signs a student exhibits, especially when they confide in me the way she did.”
Preston started digging deeper, becoming more intense with his questions. The opposing counsel ended up interrupting him a few times before the judge stopped Asher’s testimony, then the opposing counsel clarified his answers.
After Asher, Mr. Higgins went up to the stand. Preston asked him questions about how it came to his attention, how Rosie acted when she was approached about it, did he think there was a chance she could be lying, did she want attention, and how were the parents when they found out. Higgins answered everything fully and honestly. I could see Preston’s composure deteriorating.
When it was my turn to go to the stand, Preston smirked at me.
“I am aware that Mr. Hill and you were in a serious relationship that has now ended. Regardless, we have another lawyer present to lead this testimony. Is that okay with you, Ms. Reed?”
I nodded. “Yes, Your Honor. Thank you.”
Preston’s eyes scanned my chest before drifting up to meet my gaze. His eyes narrowed before he walked over and sat down.
A tall man in a maroon suit stood where Preston had. “And how did you become aware of Rosie’s situation?”
I swallowed a lump in my throat. “Rosie is in my homeroom class. Mr. Wells pulled me away to inform me before I met with Mr. Higgins.”
“And why did he tell you before Mr. Higgins told you?”
“I love all of my students. Their wellbeing is very important to me.” I let out a shaky breath. “Mr. Wells knew this and wanted to give me a heads up before going into a serious meeting with my boss.”
He nodded. “Have you noticed anything unusual about the girl during class?”
“I noticed several things. She had become withdrawn. Didn’t want to play with her classmates anymore. Didn’t want to work in groups. Didn’t want to do her class job. All of these things are highly unusual for her.”
“Her uncle moved in. Her parents began giving him a little more attention than her. She could have felt lonely or even thrown away, in a sense.” His gaze intensified. “Do you think she could be lying about her uncle?”
I shook my head. “I’ve known Rosie since last year. She’s not a liar. If anything, she’s too honest.”
The man’s shoulders slumped as he realized he couldn’t get anything useful out of me. “That’s all. Thank you for your time, Ms. Reed.”
After that, as we had all given our testimonies, we were walked out of the courtroom. On the way out, Mr. Higgins thanked us again for helping support our student.
“We were honest and that’s all we can do. Now, it’s a waiting game,” he said.
Asher wrapped an arm around my shoulders as we walked outside. “Your ex is a dick, though.”
Higgins chortled. “He’s right, Faith.”
I sighed, leaning against Asher. “Yeah, he really is.”
We parted, said our goodbyes, and headed home. The hard part, for us, was over. Now we had to pray and hope for the best.
Morning meeting was my favorite time of the day. I was able to sit back and connect with my students on a personal level. We would chat about current events and their feelings. It really helped get the students in a positive mood before starting their academics.
“Ms. Reed, when is Rosie coming back?” one of my students asked, his eyes shone with concern.
“Should be soon.” I sniffed.
“Can we do something for her?” another kid asked.
I grinned, and clasped my hands together. “That’s a great idea! What do you think we should do?”
“Oh, I know! Let’s make her get well cards!”
“I love that. We can say sweet messages like, we can’t wait until you’re back or we miss you so much!” I got up and wrote our new task on the dry-erase daily to-do board in our classroom.
“When can we start?”
I put the cap back on the marker and checked the time. We should’ve ended our morning meeting five minutes ago. “After gym, before lunch. Let’s get back to our seats and start our poetry unit!” I smiled brightly.
The morning passed without any mishaps and the students were attentive. They seemed to enjoy poetry almost as much as I did. I led them down the hall and to the gymnasium in record time. Asher was already waiting on us with the door open.
“Welcome back! Go inside and pick a partner.” He held the door as they ran into the gym, excited voices shouting about who their partner would be.
One student, Richie, stayed behind and smiled up at Asher. “Ms. Reed said we can all make Rosie cards so she can feel better!”
The corner of his mouth lifted upward. “Did she now?”
He nodded. “Can you make her one too?”
He patted his shoulder. “Of course I can, bud. Go on in and grab a partner.”
I sucked my bottom lip in. “You are too good with kids.”
He shrugged. “I’d make a fabulous father.”
“Yeah, you really would.” I ducked my head down to hide the blush I’m sure was forming on my cheeks.
“Maybe you’ll make me one soon.”
My head shot up and he winked before he strode into the gym. His voice bounced off the walls as he listed off the instructions for the day.
I shook my head with a smile. We could be a family someday. With that, I went back to my room and started tweaking my less
on plan for the next class.
As I was fiddling with my projector, Linda walked in. I felt myself physically deflate at her presence and wondered if she knew the effect she had on people.
“How is that girl?” She stood with her hands on her hips, scrutinizing me with her gaze.
I sighed, finally getting the right power-point on the board. “I’m not telling you anything, Linda. Please, stop asking.”
She huffed, glancing down at her nails. “I figured that much. Anyway, the real reason I’m here is to be a good friend.”
I refrained from rolling my eyes. “Oh yeah?”
She nodded with a broad smile. “I’m seeing Preston!”
My breath caught in my throat and I coughed. “Preston?”
“Yeah, your ex-fiance. He’s wild, I don’t know how you let that man go.” She winked. “But, I guess you did me a favor.”
I licked my chapped lips as I grabbed my purse. “You know he cheated on me right? I just don't want you to be blindsided.” I dug through my belongings and pulled out a tube of chapstick.
She let her mouth fall open before gasping. “You’re jealous? Faith, I only told you to be a good friend.”
I smeared the chapstick on my lips before I dropped it back in my purse and put it under my desk. I pressed my lips into a fine line. “You guys are perfect for each other.”
“Yeah, we absolutely are.” She smirked before she skipped out of my classroom.
I blinked a few times as I tried to gauge her intentions before deciding it wasn’t worth my time to worry about her. I took the time to focus on preparing my next lesson.
Asher and Luca were lounging on the sofa. Hot-wings, cheesy bread, and pizza littered the coffee table as the football game played on the big-screen TV. They were both shirtless and wore gray sweatpants. Asher looked sexy as hell and I wanted to jump him, but Luca made me want to wrap a sheet around him. In his defense, it’s because he’s family. I’m sure Mags would lose her marbles once she got here and saw him.
I smoothed my cotton dress down as I stepped into my ankle boots. “Mags will be here any minute. You guys good?”
