Love Burns

by Adrian J. Smith

  Kimberly brushed her fingers over her lips and sighed, remembering the last time Becca had kissed her, the last time Becca had spoken to her. So much had gone unsaid, so much untold. It seemed as if Becca didn’t want Kimberly to talk to her or pry into what had happened. For Kimberly, at least, the last thing Becca wanted was Kimberly back in her life.

  Shuddering, Kimberly turned and headed toward her car. She slid behind the driver’s seat and headed to her house. When she walked inside, she was hit with how empty it was. Michael was at school and Becca was gone, with very little hope of ever returning. She dropped her keys onto the kitchen counter and sat, her eyes pooling with water as she pressed her head to the cold granite and begged for the ache in her chest to disappear.

  She had eight hours until Michael was done—to try to distract herself, to try not to think about Becca—Becca, who was spending the same eight glorious hours with her son. Becca, who could have sent a text forewarning that she was Michael’s student teacher. Becca, who wouldn’t answer the simple question of why she’d left.

  Closing her eyes, Kimberly sobbed. She cried. She ached. She let it all out, as much as she could, before she was cried dry. When she looked up at the clock, it had been over an hour. She wiped her cheeks, still sniffling. She’d sworn she’d cried enough over Becca and she wouldn’t do it again, yet here she was, sitting at her kitchen counter bawling.

  With teeth clenched, Kimberly straightened her back. She could do so much better than this. She would do better. Leaving the kitchen, she headed to her office and sat down. She slid the proof of her cookbook in front of her and spent the next six hours painstakingly going over every page to make sure it was exactly as she wanted it. She looked for typos, she checked photos and she looked at flow and consistency.

  When the clock hit two-thirty, she leaned back in her rolling chair and stretched her aching muscles. Bradley was supposed to meet her at the house to go pick up Michael from his first day of school together, as he’d only been able to change his schedule enough for a half-day off work. She set the cookbook to the side, flipping it open to the front dedication page. She’d written a brief thanks to certain people in it but had left off the one she truly needed to thank. Taking her pen, she scrawled across it then closed the book for good. She’d mail it the next day, and her book would be out in a few months.

  The front door opening brought a small smile to her lips. She plastered a look of general annoyance on her face as she turned to meet Bradley. He was late, and she certainly didn’t want to ruin the surprise of who Michael’s new teacher was.

  He came around the corner to her office and knocked. “Ready?”

  “More than ever,” she answered.

  “Did you finish?”

  “Hmm?” She glanced over her shoulder at the proof text on her desk. “I did. I’ll mail it tomorrow. When I get the final proof before I get the first bound copy, I’ll let you look.”

  “Can’t hardly wait,” he answered, holding his elbow out for her. “My lady.”

  “Such a gentleman. What’s gotten into you?”

  As they headed down the hall to her car, he leaned down to press his lips to her ear. “I have a date tomorrow.”

  Kimberly rolled her eyes. “You always have a date tomorrow.”

  “True, true, but this one is different.”

  “Oh?”

  “Yup.”

  “Care to share?” Kimberly got into the driver’s seat and waited for Bradley to walk around the car and get into the passenger side.

  “Nope. Not yet.”

  “Okay.” Kimberly made her eyes go with fake surprise before she pulled out of the driveway. “To school it is.”

  When she pulled up to the school, the kids were playing on the small equipment up front. It was where the little kids killed time while waiting for their parents to pick them up. The big kids were either already walking home, waiting to get on the bus—along with some littles—or playing inside the school playground area.

  Bradley got out of the car and held his arms open as Michael ran in his direction. Kimberly looked around, waiting for Becca to show up. When she didn’t, she turned to Michael. She gave him a big hug and got down on one knee to be on his level.

  “Did you have a good day?” she asked.

  “I did!” he answered. “I had so much fun.”

  “Good, I’m glad. Let’s get in. We’re going to have pizza for dinner as a special treat to celebrate your first day.”

  “Pizza! I love pizza!”

  Michael clambered over to the side of the car and tugged at the door handle until Bradley moved over to help him. Kimberly was back to looking for Becca with her arms crossed. She wanted to finish their conversation, even if she knew in some ways it would never be finished. When the door shut behind her, she turned and went back to the driver’s seat to head home.

  As soon as she sat in the car, Michael jabbered about school. “I made so many friends today, Daddy. There’s Lauren, and Liam, and Wyatt, and Grace, and Toria.”

  “I’m glad you made so many friends,” Bradley added, obviously not fully paying attention.

  “And my teacher is Becca. She played a name game with me today. That was after we drawed.”

  “Drew, not ‘drawed’,” Kimberly corrected.

  “Becca?” Bradley asked with wide eyes, more to Kimberly than to Michael.

  Kimberly almost didn’t dare look at him, but she turned as Michael spoke.

  “I’m sorry. Miss Kline. I have to call her Miss Kline now.”

  “Becca is Miss Kline?” Bradley asked again.

  When Kimberly risked one more glance to him, she gave him a slight nod and blinked back the sudden tears. Bradley reached over and covered her thigh with his hand, giving it a gentle and affectionate squeeze. “Why didn’t you tell me?” he whispered.

  “I didn’t know,” she whispered back. “Trust me. I was just as surprised this morning when I dropped him off.”

  “We can talk about it later.”

  “I don’t want to.”

  “Then we ate lunch. Mama packed me my favorite! Peanut butter and jelly. Mmm. It’s so good.” Michael smacked his lips together like he was eating his lunch again.

  Kimberly avoided Bradley’s gaze as best she could, even after they got home. She truly did not want to talk about it, and he, thankfully, seemed to get that hint. Every time Michael mentioned Becca’s name, or rather, Miss Kline’s name, Kimberly’s heart twisted a little more. She focused on the fact that he’d enjoyed his first day at school and was excited for his second day, that she knew Becca was a good teacher and Michael would no doubt learn a lot in this coming year—anything other than her own self-pity and anguish.

  And it worked until it was dark, the house was quiet, Bradley was gone, Michael was asleep and she ran out of distractions. Climbing into her bed, Kimberly pulled the covers over her head and let herself sob once again as all the pain of the last few months came rushing back.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Six weeks into Kimberly completely avoiding drop-off and pick-up as much as she humanly could, she ran into a problem. It was open house. She would have to spend the next hour in Michael’s classroom, looking at what the kids had done so far in the school year and hearing about all that they would continue to do. Michael was thriving, but every day she saw Becca standing solitary in the classroom or outside, her soul crushed even more.

  She’d done as well at avoiding everything as she possibly could, but in those moments of drop-off and pick-up at school, she allowed herself to open to the hurt and to the pain she was feeling. An hour of it would be nearly impossible for her to handle. Thankfully, Bradley would be with her, but he was only so much help in that department, especially when he kept pushing Kimberly to admit she loved Becca, which she didn’t. She just wanted answers as to why Becca’d left so suddenly and without talking about it.

  Pouting, Kimberly sat in her tiny office at Gamma’s, attempting to do some paperwork. She was so di
stracted by what that night was going to hold that she struggled to stay focused on the computer screen in front of her. Zechariah had even made comments about it for the last two hours, teasing that she had love on the brain. She’d rolled her eyes at him and kicked him out of the room.

  But he was right. She was distracted. For the last few months, she had been so focused on work, growing the restaurant, advancing her television career and her cookbook that she’d done everything. There was no late paperwork. There was no late planning. Everything was set and ready to go through the Christmas season and perhaps even a little after.

  She knew who she needed to hire and who she needed to fire. She knew how many pages to the exact number her cookbook was going to be, along with how many advanced copies were going to be printed and exactly where they were going to be sent. Her publisher had reassured her that she didn’t need to know that information, but she had insisted. Her entire life had been consumed by work and Michael, and for one hour that night, she was going to be forced to look at the one thing she didn’t want to.

  Becca.

  No matter how much she wanted to, there was no longer any avoiding it. That night she was going to have to face her fears, her doubts and her emotions. She would face Becca and put on a good show for Michael. He had to know that she supported him, she was happy for him and she was there for him. Becca being his teacher made no difference. She had to be more involved.

  Determined, Kimberly re-doubled her efforts to focus on her paperwork. She skimmed through the numbers, calculated their profit, decided raises were likely for most of her staff in the next few months with the trends she was seeing and put the plan into place. It wasn’t much longer until her alarm went off, reminding her that she had to head home to shower and change before going to the school.

  * * * *

  Becca wrung her hands, her nerves once again taking over. Jessica had attempted to calm her down over dinner, but Becca had pushed her food around on her plate, not wanting to eat before she escaped back to the school and her work.

  They had been spending most evenings together, and Jessica had been hinting about them moving into an apartment together. Becca was resistant to the idea. Although living with Drew was becoming more and more cramped as the weeks went on and Drew had been spending an inordinate amount of time away from the apartment. They claimed they were seeing someone over the last few months, but Becca had her doubts and fears.

  She worried Drew was hiding and avoiding her, not only because she was in their space but because they really didn’t like Jessica. Becca gave a heavy sigh as she pulled up at the school in her run-down Toyota. No matter how much she tried, Jessica and Drew did not get along and seemed to always butt heads when they were in the same room.

  That had been partially why Becca had taken to going to Jessica’s apartment across town and staying there more often than not. She didn’t want to live through the tension between her best friend and her girlfriend. Shaking the feeling, Becca got to her classroom in time to help Miss Knorr with the final touches. They draped their students’ latest craft project from the ceiling, Becca standing on a short stepstool while Miss Knorr handed her the photos to clip up with clothes pins.

  They readied lemonade, water and coffee, along with cookies that Becca had spent the better part of three days making. They laid them out carefully and stood back to admire their work. It wasn’t long before students and parents arrived. Becca interjected herself into different conversations here and there where appropriate, but most parents were interested in Miss Knorr, and rightfully so.

  She kept looking toward the door, waiting for Kimberly to arrive. She wasn’t disappointed when she did. She was dressed up, her dark hair curled into loose spirals and her eyes lined, the shadow bringing out the yellow hazel that was so rare. The red shirt she wore clung to her body and wrapped around her side slightly to accentuate her curves.

  Once again Becca found herself unable to take her eyes off her former employer. Her heart was in her throat, her stomach spinning in circles. Michael grabbed his mom’s hand and dragged her over to his desk to show her where he sat. Bradley trailed behind, his eyes set on Becca with determination. Becca had seen that look before, when she’d first met him. She swallowed hard and turned to distract herself and keep busy.

  When she felt the hand at her elbow, she straightened. Bradley, in his gray power suit and purple-striped tie, towered over her with a glint in his eye. “We need to talk.”

  His low voice brooked no room for disagreement. Becca nodded, and they moved closer to the back of the room and away from the majority of the people inside. She clenched her jaw as she looked up at him. “What did you need to talk about, Mr. Thompson?”

  He rolled his eyes. “Bradley, please. I may be a parent, but we know each other outside of here. I don’t need you to put up walls where there are none.”

  She gave a curt nod and folded her hands in front of her. She hated how he affected her. His height made her small like a child, and his pristine outfits always made her feel a mess. He was so confident in how he moved and talked, so boisterous and bossy in his commands. She struggled not to follow them.

  “I’m here to talk about Kimmie.”

  Becca opened her mouth, and she glanced over at Kimberly, who was staring at the two of them. Becca clenched her jaw as she looked at Bradley. “There’s nothing to talk about.”

  “You know, you and she sound oddly familiar in that. However, I know her really well. I was married to her for ten years and knew her for years before that. You want to know what I learned about Kimmie Thompson in that time?”

  Becca found herself nodding, even though she wasn’t certain why. Even if she did want to know, it was beyond what she should be doing. She had curiosity, yes, but Kimberly wasn’t a part of her life any longer.

  Bradley leaned close to Becca’s ear. “She’s stubborn as a goat. She is blessed with this amazing ability to put different foods together and create the most delicious thing you have ever tasted. She’s stubborn. She’s an amazing mother and would do anything for our son. She’s stubborn, did I mention that? Right. I did. Well, she’s stubborn.”

  “Where are you going with this?” Becca interjected, once again risking a glance toward Kimberly and seeing her suspicion amp up with each second Bradley spoke to her. “Someone is watching us.”

  “Let her.” He laughed slightly. “Maybe it’ll prompt her.”

  “Prompt her?” Becca turned to him in surprise, their mouths nearly touching with how close he was to her. “What do you mean?”

  “She’s in love with you.”

  Becca’s heart clenched hard. The wind was knocked out of her lungs, and she struggled to catch her breath again. She was sure Bradley could see the shock written all over her body, but she didn’t care. They had never talked about how they felt. They had never once uttered a word of like, dislike or even dared to think about love…either of them.

  With her heart thumping, Becca shook her head. “I think you’re mistaken.”

  Bradley snorted. “I’ve known the woman for fourteen years, Becca. She has never looked at anyone like she looks at you, me included, and she has never wallowed so much in her own pain and stupidity and stubbornness before. She is hurting. And she’s stubborn—pretty sure I mentioned that one before.”

  “I don’t know what you want me to do about it.”

  That’s when he smiled and leaned in again, whispering, “I dare you to love her back.”

  Becca shivered as his breath floated over her neck and down her shirt. Once again, she locked gazes with Kimberly, who had both hands on her hips and was about to come over and break up their little chat, but Bradley stepped away just in time. Becca let out a shaky breath and leaned against the counter to steady herself.

  With Bradley entertaining Kimberly once again and Miss Knorr distracted with other parents, Becca slipped out of the back door for some fresh air. She leaned against the hard stone wall of the classroom, facing the retain
ing wall, and pressed a hand to her chest.

  Love.

  Bradley had to be wrong. Kimberly couldn’t love her. There was no way possible that could be the case. She’d been Becca’s boss, she’d pushed boundaries to get what she wanted and Becca hadn’t wanted to give in anymore, no matter how good it had felt. Closing her eyes and pressing her head back into the wall, she let the cool evening breeze wash over her and calm her racing heart.

  “Are you okay, Becca?”

  When Becca opened her eyes, she was faced with none other than Kimberly. Groaning, she stood, but Kimberly waved her hand.

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have come out here, but I saw you slip out and you didn’t exactly look well. I just wanted to check.”

  Becca’s heart caught in her throat. Kimberly’s neatly painted lips were only a few short feet away, and when she stared at them, Kimberly slipped her tongue out and licked. Becca closed her eyes again, not sure how to answer Kimberly’s question but certainly not wanting her to go inside again so soon. Inside was stifling—the heat from everyone in there, the energy. If she listened to something other than her own breath, the joyous noise of kids and parents and teachers filtered in and out of classrooms. They were utterly alone, though.

  Opening her eyes again, she was surprised to find Kimberly still standing in front of her, her head cocked to the side with curiosity and concern written all over her face. Without warning, Becca straightened, took one step forward, slid her hand behind Kimberly’s head and brought their mouths together. Kimberly’s surprise was echoed in her voice as she let out a small yelp before moaning.

  It was furious and wild. Becca didn’t want to stop, to even slow down. She wanted this moment to last forever, for the little bubble they’d created to never burst. She stepped backward until she was against the wall, dragging Kimberly with her as she went. Kimberly’s teeth grazed over her lip, and she whimpered at the shots of pleasure coursing through her body.

  Kimberly grinned, her lips curling against Becca’s mouth, and she did it again. Becca shuddered, not sure what fresh hell she had just invited into her personal space but loving every moment of it. Kimberly’s hands were against her hips, then on her belly, then on her breasts. Becca arched her back, trying to have more contact with Kimberly to increase their touch.