Brynne
I t had been a few days since the incident at The Taphouse. After trivia, Troy asked if I wanted to go home with him, and I had to kindly decline. Which was awkward, but was my own damn fault for leading him on.
It was stupid and childish to try to make Theo jealous. And it backfired on me when I hadn’t heard from him all weekend. I wanted to. I’d had the app open most of the time, desperately staring at the messages, waiting for him to reach out first.
Because it wouldn’t be me.
He had to chase someone for once.
But fuck, it was hard to stay strong, to not give in.
And now, I had to call him and tell him his daughter was currently in detention.
I had to pretend like I wasn’t going to spontaneously orgasm as soon as I heard his voice.
I had to look him in the eye and act like I didn’t make myself come a million times this weekend while I stared at his photos, screamed his name into the silence of my bedroom.
With courage I didn’t feel, I grabbed the phone and tapped Theo’s cell phone number into my work phone.
Every beep , every number closer to the end, made my stomach twist tighter and tighter.
There was no amount of mental preparation I could do to get ready to hear his voice, to see his face in my classroom.
Finally, I pressed the phone against my ear and leaned back in my chair, trying to muster up the professionalism I needed to get through this conversation.
“Hello?”
His voice was sudden, and deep, and it caught me completely off guard. I shook myself, trying to rid my mind of the memories from last night.
“Hi, Theo—Mr. Caldwell.” What the fuck was wrong with me? I’d never called him Mr. Caldwell in my life. “It’s Brynne—uh, Ms. Hughes.”
Silence stretched between us for a long, tense moment.
“Ms. Hughes,” he repeated, amusement dripping from his voice. “Why are you acting so weird?” His laugh made my lower belly tighten, and I shifted my thighs together.
“It’s about Scout,” I said quietly. All the humor, the tension, everything disappeared the second her name came out of my mouth.
“What is it?” he asked, sounding urgent. “Is she alright? Was she hurt? Is she sick?”
There was noise on the other end, like he was grabbing things and shutting doors.
“She’s fine—” I let out a stilted breath. “Okay, she’s not fine exactly. She’s, um…well?—”
“What?” He nearly shouted the word, and I squeezed my eyes shut.
I’d overheard a few of the teachers talking about what happened. I didn’t know if anyone had called him or not, but I felt like I needed to— he needed to know. And I didn’t want him to hear it from someone else, someone who didn't understand Scout or would make it seem like it was all her fault.
“She’s in detention,” I said slowly.
“Oh.” The noise stopped for a moment. “Is that all?”
“Theo.” I let out a tight, disbelieving laugh. “She’s in detention and you don’t want to know what for?”
“Well, what did she do?”
I heard the engine of that ridiculous car rumble to life, and I nearly rolled my eyes.
“She was caught with her phone, and when the teacher asked her to put it away, she ignored him and continued doing whatever she was doing. When he tried to take it from her, she told him not to touch her, and was sent to Principal McKay’s office, where she sat silently, refusing to talk. ”
He roughly cleared his throat. “So, does she have her phone?”
“Um—” I smoothed my hand along my desk. “Yeah, I believe she has it, but?—”
“And she’s in trouble because she didn’t want to talk?” he asked, a note of anger in his voice. “She’s in trouble because…why, exactly? She wouldn’t answer a few questions?”
“Theo.” I pinched between my eyes. “She’s in trouble for ignoring what her teacher asked her to do, then yelled at him?—”
“ After he tried taking her property by force,” he countered. “From what you said, all she told him was to not touch her. I don’t think that’s an unreasonable request.” I pressed my lips firmly together.
“And Principal McKay?—”
“Asked her a few questions, she didn’t answer because she barely fucking talks, and his ego was a little bruised.” His final words were tight. “He wanted to throw his weight around, and?—”
“You can’t possibly believe that.” I scoffed. “She’s in trouble because?—”
“I’m on my way,” he interrupted. “I want to have a few words with Principal McKay , then I’m taking my daughter out for the rest of the day.”
“Theo—”
“I’ll see you shortly.”
With that, he hung up, and I was left staring at the rows of desks in front of me. What the fuck was he going to do?
I slammed the phone down, my heart in my throat as I scrambled out from behind my desk.
The kids were at lunch, so at least no one would see whatever Theo was about to do.
His house was only a fifteen minute drive from the school, but with that fucking car and a head start, I knew he could make it in five.
My hair flew behind me as I raced down the hallway, fingertips dragging along the painted walls.
If he did something to embarrass her, I wouldn’t hesitate to tear into him again.
I gripped the corner as I rounded it, my feet slipping from underneath me.
I fell to the tiled floor, pain shooting up my tailbone and into my spine.
But it was all secondary to the adrenaline coursing through my blood.
Gritting my teeth, I forced myself back up, ready to continue my mad sprint to the office. But as I rounded the next corner, I watched as Theo fucking Caldwell strolled into my middle school like a king.
His slacks were tailored perfectly, his shirt unbuttoned at the top, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, everything pristine and crisp. He held his chin high, his dark hair combed neatly to the side.
He was the picture of arrogance—of confidence.
And I did not envy Principal McKay for the verbal lashing he was about to receive.
Pain lanced up my spine with every step, but I couldn’t stop. Not with Theo charging toward the admin office like a damn wrecking ball in a Tom Ford button-down.
“Theo!” I called, my voice echoing off the walls.
He barely glanced my way before he slipped into the room.
Through the glass windows, I watched him flash a smile at Mrs. Ellsworth— the sweet, old receptionist who knew everything about everyone.
It was genuine, and charming, and all the things that made women swoon.
But there was a tightness at the corners of his mouth that told me he was pissed .
I yanked the glass door open, my breathing harsh as I gripped the desk. His eyes slid to me, then slowly raked down my body. Heat erupted in my veins as I watched him take his fill—unhurried. Lazily.
And when he looked into my eyes again, his smile turned into something else. Something wicked and full of secrets only we shared.
“I’m here to see Mr. McKay,” he finally said, looking back at Mrs. Ellsworth, who was flicking her too-knowing gaze between us. Her gray hair was twisted into a loose bun at the back of her head, her wrinkled cheeks sunken but blotched with color.
“I don’t think he’s expecting you today, Mr. Caldwell,” she said, and Theo gave her another tight-lipped smile. “I can set up an appointment with him for later in the week?—”
“No, now will do,” he said, dancing his fingers along the desk. “Is he in his office?”
“ Theo ,” I hissed, but he ignored me as he rounded the desk.
“Uh—” Mrs. Ellsworth looked to me for help, but he clearly wasn’t listening to anyone. “Mr. Caldwell!”
But he ignored us as he tapped his knuckles on Principal McKay’s door, and without waiting to be let in, he shoved it open and stormed inside.
“Oh, my god,” I said breathlessly. Mrs. Ellsworth and I stared at each other. “I’ll fix this. I can—I’ll fix this.”
I hurried to the office, catching the door before it fully shut, and slipped inside.
Mr. McKay stood behind his desk, his lunch now sitting forgotten on a stack of papers.
His shirt strained across his stomach, the buttons ready to pop at any moment, and his smudged glasses sat perched precariously at the tip of his hooked nose.
“What is this?” He turned to me. “ Who is this?”
“I’m Theo Caldwell,” he replied. “And I believe you punished my daughter today.”
Mr. McKay’s shoulders dropped an inch, as if he thought Theo was there to agree with him. Poor bastard.
I stepped forward, but before I could get a word out, he waved toward the chair across the desk, silently indicating for Theo to sit.
“What do you need, Ms. Hughes?” he asked dismissively.
“She called me,” Theo said before I could get a word out. He sank into the chair, legs spread and shoulders squared like he was a king holding court. “Have a seat, Red.” He tapped the arm of the chair beside him, and I watched as Mr. McKay’s eyes bugged out of his head.
“What—” Mr. McKay sputtered as I slowly sank into the chair, every movement unsure. If I lost my job because of this, I would never forgive Theo.
As my ass hit the cushions, I hissed at the pain shooting up my back.
Theo’s hand rested on the arm of my chair, his eyes intense on me.
“I’m fine,” I said on a shaky breath, flicking my fingers at him.
He didn’t look like he believed me, but he turned his attention toward Mr. McKay, and his entire body changed.
Before, it was arrogant, almost casual, but now…now he looked deadly.
He looked ready for battle.
“I’d like to see Scout,” he declared. “But first we need to discuss why exactly she’s in detention.
I understand she broke the rules by using her phone in class—trust me, we’ll have a discussion about that.
But what I don’t agree with is that another teacher—an adult, mind you—tried to take my child’s property from her with force . ”
Mr. McKay scoffed. “With force is a bit dramatic,” he said sarcastically. “All Mr. Burr did was reach for her phone, and she yelled at him to not touch her.”