Chapter 7
CHAPTER SEVEN
Elle
Monday morning, I was sitting at my desk early like usual when Molly strolled into my classroom.
"What are you doing here this early?" I asked.
It wasn't like Molly to come in much before the bell rang.
She and I were different in that respect.
I liked the mornings because it meant I could get in before other people and got a lot accomplished.
Molly, on the other hand, hit the snooze button a dozen times before finally dragging her ass out of bed.
"You went AWOL this weekend after we spoke, and I wanted to make sure you were okay. I figured you were drowning yourself in work, and it looks like I was right."
Currently on my desk was lessons for the next month maybe even two. I went a little overboard yesterday when it was clear Rhett was only going to give me one- or two-word answers.
I sighed. "Rhett texted me Saturday."
"Did you give him the third degree for standing you up?" Molly crossed her arms over her chest and popped her hip like she was ready to go to battle to defend my honor.
"Not exactly."
It was Molly's turn to sigh. "Of course you didn't because you're too soft. If you don't put your foot down now, the man is going to walk all over you."
Molly's words hurt even if I knew they came from a good place.
"He was shot in the shoulder," I whispered. It was still hard for me to grasp the concept.
Molly rolled her eyes. "Is that what he told you so you wouldn't be mad? Come on, Elle. Things like that don't happen in the everyday world."
Normally I would've been the first to agree with her, and if it were one of our other friends in my place, I likely would've been saying the same thing.
"I saw it."
That stopped Molly from any further ranting and gave my friend pause. "What do you mean you saw it? Like you watched him get shot?"
Now it was my turn to roll my eyes. "No, I didn't watch it happen, but I video-chatted with him and he was sitting shirtless. I could see the bandage clear as day."
"Wait!" Molly held up her hands. "He called you on video?"
"No, he texted me and then called me when I used the fine word. I was the one who video-called him."
"Ooooooh you used the fine word on him. Good. Good. Tell me the rest." Molly plopped her ass on one of the students’ desks and got comfortable.
I wasted no time telling her about the conversation I had with Rhett. I did, however, leave out the specifics about where he had been and exactly what he was doing. I didn't want to betray his trust like that, and who knew if he was even supposed to be telling me the details he did.
"What the hell kind of bodyguard is he?" she asked as soon as I was done talking.
I merely lifted my shoulders. "I asked the same thing, but then I ruined it when I said I wasn't sure I could handle the full version of who he is."
I could tell Molly wasn't happy with what I’d said when she dropped her head into her hands. "You didn't?" She groaned.
"I totally did. I know. I know," I said when she gave me an incredulous look. "But I panicked. The man had just told me he had been shot while working, and this wasn't the first time and probably wouldn't be the last."
"He said that?"
I nodded my head.
"Well, no wonder you answered that way. I would've too."
"What am I supposed to do now?" I asked. "I tried texting him yesterday, but all I got were one- or two-word answers."
"Show him your boobs. That will get you a response."
I blanched at her suggestion. "I can't do that."
"I mean you could... " She wiggled her eyebrows.
I just shook my head with a half laugh. "We definitely aren't at that point of our friendship." And after what I said yesterday, I don't even think Rhett and I will have a friendship.
"Maybe you're right, but I think you should call him. Not text but call or maybe even video-chat. Make him talk to you and explain yourself because from what I can tell, you like the guy."
"We're just friends," I corrected her immediately.
"Sure. For now but we all know how those stories end. Just last month, we read a friends-to-lovers story, so don't tell me it's not possible."
Molly was right. She and I shared a love of reading, and each month, we would pick a different book to read and then talk about. Last month's book was a friends-to-lovers story, but those two had known each other since childhood. Something I was quick to remind Molly.
"Their friendship was different than Rhett’s and mine. We legit just met last week, and for one hour, he was my fake boyfriend."
"Another great trope if you ask me."
All I could do was laugh at Molly's antics. She made for great entertainment, that was for sure. "Don't you have a classroom to prep before the kids come in?" I did my best to try and change the subject.
My friend groaned. "I'm not ready to deal with the gremlins this week."
I chuckled because I knew Molly didn't mean that. She loved teaching even more than I did. Sometimes I felt like it was because mentally they were all on the same level.
"That's a lie, and we both know it. I'm sure you have something fun planned for science."
I could see the twinkle in Molly's eyes. "Maybe but you'll have to wait and see for yourself."
Molly taught ELA and science to my math and social studies. We shared the same students and the kids always loved to tell me about the cool projects they did in class with her.
"I can't wait."
Molly slid off the desk and made her way across my classroom. "Call him on your prep and then tell me all about it during lunch." She didn't give me the chance to answer before leaving my room.
I looked down at my desk and the “good morning” text I had sent him before I came in. It still went unanswered, and any normal person would take that as a hint that the person they were talking to didn't want anything to do with them, but I wasn't normal.
Besides, I could tell Rhett needed someone outside of his work to talk to. He just didn't realize it yet, and despite his resistance, I was going to be that person.
The first part of my morning dragged on with no end in sight. I blamed it on the fact that every few minutes I was checking my phone to see if Rhett had texted me back.
Here was a hint: He didn't.
By the time I sent the kids to music class, I felt bad about how distracted I had been. Never before did I let myself give them anything but my full attention. So the only choice was to call Rhett and force him to talk to me.
Sitting down at my desk, I took a deep breath. I thought about what I was going to say if he answered.
And yes that was a big IF. I figured my odds weren't very good considering he had yet to text me back.
Before I could talk myself out of it, I hit the video-call button and waited patiently as it rang. I had myself so utterly convinced he wasn't going to answer that I nearly fell out of my chair when Rhett's face filled the screen.
"He lives," I said before I could fully comprehend that I was staring at Rhett with a face covered in dirt.