Schooled in Love

by Emma Nichols

  2

  “You’re still going though, right?” Chrissy asked.

  Kate adjusted her cell phone against her ear as she slid hanger after hanger across the bar in her closet. “Yes. I’m still going, but I won’t be able to make it to the Friday night event. I’m taking Tommy to Ian’s mom’s for the weekend so we can’t leave until he’s out of school on Friday. We’re going to hit rush hour traffic around the beltway and Baltimore so it’s probably going to take at least four hours to get to Ian’s parents’ house.”

  “I still can’t believe Ian got an assignment so close to home.”

  “You’re telling me. I like being closer to his parents, but it’s hard to visit them with the chance that we’ll run into my parents.”

  “It sucks. I was looking forward to having drinks with you.”

  “I was looking forward to a nice weekend away with Ian. We haven’t had any time alone together since he’s been back, and even before he deployed I can’t remember the last time we had a dinner where it was just the two of us. With the alumni association covering the cost of everything I thought we could make it a nice romantic weekend.”

  She plopped down on her bed, staring at her closet. “For which I have nothing appropriate to wear. Think it’ll be okay if I show up in mom jeans?”

  “You do not own mom jeans.”

  “No, but they’re close enough. The only dress I have that’s anywhere near dressy is the one I wore to the unit Christmas party…four years ago.”

  “We’ll go shopping on Saturday and find you something to wear.”

  “Yay, trying on clothes.”

  “Stop,” Chrissy said. “I’ve seen your posts on Facebook. You look great.”

  “Thanks. I need the ego boost.”

  “How are you really doing?”

  Kate lay back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. “I’m not sure, honestly. Ian is so distant. He won’t talk to me, but he won’t talk to a counselor either. The more I push, the more he fights.”

  “You can’t force him,” Chrissy said softly.

  “I know, but sometimes I feel like he resents being here and he’d be happier by himself. Then I wonder what I’m fighting so hard for.”

  The door clicked, and her head popped up. Shit. Had he heard her? “Hang on.”

  “Ian?” She stood and walked to where she could see the door—it was still closed. Maybe she had imagined it or it hadn’t been closed all the way when she came in.

  “You still there,” she asked.

  “I’m here.”

  “What was I saying?”

  “You were wondering if Ian was worth fighting for. Is he?”

  She sat back on the bed. “Yes. We didn’t have the most conventional start, and it’s not always easy, but I love him. I couldn’t imagine my life without him. And believe me, with so many deployments I’ve had to try.”

  “Then use this weekend to recharge and when you get home, put on your boxing gloves and knock that sucker out.”

  Kate smiled at the image. “What about you? Are you bringing anyone to the reunion?”

  Chrissy laughed. “No.”

  “What about that guy you said you were dating a few weeks ago?”

  “It’s not that serious. Taking someone to your high school reunion is right up there with taking them to a wedding. It says commitment.”

  “So no commitment for you?”

  “Except for drinks on Friday? No. Ooh, do you think Walter will be there? Alone? He’s so hot.”

  “How do you know what he looks like now?”

  “Facebook. Duh.”

  “What? Are you cyber-stalking all our old classmates?”

  “Absolutely! Oh my God! Did you hear?”

  Kate stood and unzipped the suitcase lying on her side of the bed. “Probably not.”

  “The Hilton double-booked us with Linwood High.”

  “What? For what?”

  “They’re having their reunion the same weekend, apparently. Someone in the events department got confused about there being two different high school reunions and thought it was all part of one event. Neither alumni committee was willing to reschedule, so the hotel is working to accommodate both of us.”

  “How do you know this?” From her dresser, she pulled out enough underwear and bras for the weekend.

  “I’m nosey. And Mrs. Williams comes into the boutique every now and then. She mentioned it when she came in a couple of weeks ago.”

  “I’m sure they’ve got it figured out.”

  “I don’t know if I should mention it or not.”

  Thankfully, Chrissy couldn’t see her roll her eyes. She was one of Kate’s oldest friends, but as a drama kid in high school and then a theater major in college, to say she was dramatic was an understatement.

  “Well, you’ve mentioned it, whatever it is, so you should just say it.”

  “I heard Paul RSVP’d for the reunion,” Chrissy said hesitantly.

  Kate stared down at her half-packed suitcase, unseeing. Her heart beat frantically in her chest as the memories and feelings of hopelessness and abandonment rushed back.

  She blinked. She wasn’t that young, frightened girl anymore. She was a wife and a mother and a great teacher. She’d succeeded despite the nasty rumors and what everyone had predicted, including her own parents. So maybe going to this reunion wasn’t so much about seeing old friends as it was about shoving it in everyone’s faces that she hadn’t ended up on welfare or working at Walmart.

  Ian deserved credit for most of that. He’d picked her up when she was at her lowest, and she wanted to show him off. Maybe that was selfish of her, but he’d been her hero; had rescued her and supported her and loved her. She wanted the world to know that, even if it was just her classmates from St. Martin’s Academy.

  “Shit. Kate? Are you still there?”

  “Yeah.” She shook her head, clearing it. “I’m still here.”

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything.”

  “No. It’s okay. I—Why is he going? He didn’t even graduation from St. Martins.”

  “Technically, he did. I heard he worked with the school in order to transfer all the credits from his school in Alaska so he could still get his diploma.” She paused. “I thought about not telling you, but I didn’t want you to be blindsided if you ran into him.”

  “It’s better that you did. I’m not sure what I would have done if I’d run into him. I really wish Ian was going with me.”

  “Well, I’ll be there with you. Does it make me a bad person that I’m a little glad you’re coming by yourself so I can spend more time with you catching up?”

  She smiled. “No. It’s part of the positive spin I’m trying to put on it.”

  “You know…I’ll understand if you decide not to come.”

  “I’m going. I already paid for the hotel. This is my chance to tell all the bullies to suck it.”

  “That’s my girl.”

  “Mom!”

  “Tommy’s home,” Kate said. “I need to go.”

  “Okay. I’ll see you in a few days. I’m so excited.”

  “Me, too. See you soon.”

  3

  “What are Kate and Tommy up to this weekend while you’re hanging out with us?” Dan asked.

  Ian reeled in his line and checked the bait and lure. “Kate’s going to her high school reunion, and Tommy’s spending the weekend with my parents.”

  Pete, sitting on Ian’s left, lowered the can of beer he’d been sipping from. “Why aren’t you going?”

  “‘Cause I’m fishing.”

  Dan sat his rod down and turned to face him fully. “You blew off your wife’s high school reunion to come fishing with us?”

  Ian’s defenses immediately went up. “Yeah. So?”

  “Fuck, man. Even I know that’s fucked up and I’m the king of fuck-ups.” Pete shook his head and returned to half-heartedly fishing and whole-heartedly drinking.

  “Whatever. She doesn’t
even like most of those people. They treated her like shit in high school. I don’t understand why she wants to go.”

  “Did you ask her?” Dan asked.

  “No.”

  Pete shook his head again.

  Dan picked up his rod and pulled in some slack from his line. “So Kate is going to this reunion by herself, where she’s more than likely to run into all the people that made her life hell, and you’re not there to have her back. That about it?”

  Dan stared at him, waiting for an answer and he didn’t have one. He hadn’t forgotten about the reunion the way he’d said. Tommy’s game had been an honest mistake, but the reunion… He was having a hard enough time adjusting to being home. It’d only been a few months, but he felt strangled. Kate wanted everything back to normal and he didn’t know what normal was anymore.

  A ten-year high school reunion? That was the most normal fucking thing outside Friday night football and apple pie. It irritated him how fucking normal it was.

  “Do you still love her?” Dan asked. “Because if you don’t you should tell her now before it all goes to shit and she ends up hating you. My one divorce may not compare with Wonder Boy over here—”

  Pete flipped him off without looking over.

  “But I can probably pinpoint the exact moment that led to Trisha giving up. It was easier to get her to that point than it was to explain why I wasn’t enough for her.”

  He reached into the cooler next to him and cracked open a beer, staring out at the lake. “If that’s where you’re at, it’s all good, but be a man and tell her you want out. Better for Tommy anyway. If you still love her, don’t make a mistake you’re going to regret down the line.

  Ian’s gut clenched at the sound of Tommy’s name. “He’s not mine.”

  “What?” Pete asked. “Who?”

  “Tommy. He’s not my mine.” He couldn’t look at them as he admitted the truth.

  “Fuck.” Pete drew the word out.

  “Did you just find out?” Dan asked.

  “No. I’ve always known.”

  Pete sat up abruptly. “What the fuck, man?”

  He sighed. “Kate got knocked up her senior year. From what she said, the guy’s family had to move out of state for the dad’s job. There one day, gone the next. I was home on leave between AIT and Fort Campbell and ended up in the emergency room.” He held up his arm displaying the long, jagged scar on the underside. “Found a tree while mountain biking. Kate had been having some pretty bad contractions. She’d hidden her pregnancy and her parents didn’t find out until they got the call she was in the ER.”

  All the old anger at her parents rushed to the surface again. Watching as they walked away from her while she begged for them to stay. It had festered for years until his mom finally convinced him he wasn’t doing him or Kate any good.

  “They left her there. Told her she wasn’t welcome in their home. When I came out from having my arm stitched up, I overheard the nurses talking about her. DCS couldn’t help her because she’d turned eighteen the fucking week before so she was technically an adult. I lied and said I was her fiancé and found out what room she was in. I called my parents, said I was bringing a friend home with me. I ended up extending my leave and convinced her to marry me for the benefits.”

  It’d been more than that. Yes, Kate had been scared out of her mind, but even frightened and in pain, she’d had a strength that had drawn him in. She’d have been just fine without him. Maybe that was part of the problem now. He knew why she’d married him, but he didn’t know why she’d stayed with him.

  “Damn,” Dan said. “I thought you guys were high school sweethearts or some shit.”

  Ian shook his head. “Nah. I was two years ahead of her and went to the public school. She went to the private school on the good side of town. Her parents tried to get her pulled from school, but they’d paid through graduation and couldn’t get their money back. What kind of parent does that to their kid?”

  “The kind of parent who says the son they raised since birth isn’t his,” Pete said.

  It wouldn’t have hurt more if Pete had sucker-punched him with an uppercut to the jaw. “What the fuck?”

  Dan grabbed his arm. “Pete’s an asshole, but he’s right. Don’t ever say Tommy’s not yours again. You may not be the biological father, but you’re his dad. You’d do anything for that boy. Neither of us doubt that.”

  Ian set his pole down and braced his head in his hands. “I’m fucking this up. I overheard Kate talking to her friend, wondering why she keeps fighting.”

  “Gotta give her something to fight for,” Dan said.

  Pete jerked his line, angrily reeling it in, then dropped his rod on the ground. “For fuck’s sake. Get your head out of your ass, get in your fucking car, go find your fucking wife, and fucking bang her until she remembers what the fuck she’s fighting for.”

  He stood so abruptly his chair toppled over. “Unless you suck in bed. Then you should buy her some flowers or shit.”

  4

  Kate ran her hand over her hair, pulling some of the loose curls over her shoulder. The halter neck of the caramel colored dress Chrissy had found in her boutique clothing store showed off her chest, shoulders, and back while hiding her problem spots.

  She looked hot, even if she did say so herself. Snapping a selfie in the mirror, she hesitated to post it or send it to Ian. Would he think she was rubbing it in his face that he wasn’t here? Look how hot I am…too bad you’re not here to take advantage. That would probably be a little bitchy.

  Instead she sent it to Tommy on the app she’d downloaded to his tablet along with an emoji blowing a kiss. He responded with a wow face emoji. She smiled and sent him a heart.

  Checking her watch, she smoothed down the skirt of the dress, tucked her phone into her clutch along with her key card, and left to meet Chrissy in her room.

  Taking the elevator up three floors, she followed the signs to Chrissy’s room. A good minute after knocking the door finally opened, revealing Chrissy in a short, satin robe.

  “You’re not dressed yet?”

  “I know!” She rushed toward the bathroom. “I started reading and got sucked into the book. I’m sorry. I’ll hurry.”

  Kate needed a drink, and they were free at the bar courtesy of the alumni association. “How about if I go check-in and save us seats for dinner?”

  Chrissy popped her head out of the bathroom, a compact in one hand and a makeup brush in the other. “You sure?”

  “No problem. I’m going to take advantage of the free bar.”

  “Good plan. Fifteen minutes. I just need to finish my makeup and get dressed.”

  “All right. I’ll see you down there.”

  “You look gorgeous, by the way!” Chrissy called as Kate opened the door.

  “I know! Right?” Kate grinned and pulled the door firmly shut behind her.

  She took the elevator to the ground floor. Stepping out into the lobby, she took a deep breath and glanced around, looking for a sign telling her where to go to sign in for dinner.

  The hotel was crowded with people. Some she recognized and looked forward to catching up with and some she recognized and looked forward to avoiding. Some she didn’t recognize at all.

  A break in the crowd revealed a tall banner with the school name, the St. Martin badge, and Class of 2008.

  Her low, frustrated groan was audible. Mrs. Williams was manning the sign-in table. She’d been one of the more vocal supporters on the PTO for kicking Kate out of school, arguing it set a bad precedent to let her stay.

  Cow.

  Taking a deep breath, Kate lifted her chin and approached the table.

  Mrs. Williams looked up with a pleasant, expectant smile. “Name?”

  She didn’t recognize her.

  “Kate Tillerman.”

  She looked down at the list in front of her, running a manicured finger down a column, then running it across the page.

  “Oh.” She looked up, and Kate
knew she’d made the connection.

  Mrs. Williams held out a name badge. “I’m surprised to see you here.”

  “Why would that be?” Kate wanted to snatch the name badge out of her hand but she took it politely.

  “Well, I mean—You barely graduated.”

  “Actually, despite your crusade to have me kicked out of school, I graduated third in the class. Technically, I was tied for second, but you managed to convince the school board that I shouldn’t be named co-Salutatorian.”

  “It never would have done.”

  Her palms itched to smack that holier-than-thou look off her face. “Done what exactly?”

  Mrs. Williams looked down at the page in front of her. “And your husband? Will he be joining us this weekend?”

  Way to avoid the question, bitch. “Unfortunately, he got called into work this weekend.” A lie, but Kate wasn’t about to tell her Ian preferred to go fishing than to come with her to the reunion.

  “Likely story. She probably made him up,” a bitchy voice said from behind her.

  Kate’s lips pinched at the corners, and she turned around to face one of her greatest tormentors from high school. Of course where Tiffani went Kayla wasn’t far behind.

  “Why would I make up a husband?” She wasn’t going to say hello—no reason to be pleasant or pretend she was glad to see them.

  “So no one would know you’re a welfare queen living on food stamps,” Tiffani said.

  “If thinking that makes you feel better about your… What is it now? Three failed marriages? Go right ahead.”

  She wasn’t the ashamed and scared girl she was ten years ago and she’d be damned if she backed down from Bitch Two and Bitch Three.

  Kayla gasped. “She’s only been divorced twice!”

  Kate pretended to be shocked. “Oh, of course. But you’re working on number three, right?”

  “At least I don’t have to make up a husband to make everyone think someone wants me. I saw your mom in the store last week. I asked if you were coming to the reunion and she said she wouldn’t know since she hasn’t spoken to you since they kicked you out.” Tiffani inched closer and Kayla followed suit. “Your own parents didn’t want you.”