Chapter 23
SIENNA
I’ve been on edge all day.
Micah is supposed to be here any minute, while Heath is sitting at his desk working on his English assignment—coloring a story about foxes—and I can’t stop staring at the door.
This is insane.
Meeting with Micah, a parent, shouldn’t be this damn stressful, but we started this, he ended it, but I can’t seem to get myself out of the mindset that I miss it.
Terribly.
I could almost forgive everything he’s done if I could easily get over the fact that us not dating is for the best. If Micah were Jonah or Thaddeaus, I could do without a problem.
However, I’m stuck in this vortex of rebelling and holding a grudge. It’s exhausting and, frankly, distracting. My kids were up in arms today with their hyper butts, and I let them go crazy because, well, I was planning on how I was going to act today.
Over one parent.
I need to treat this like anyone else and keep it moving. That has to be the plan.
The room shifts on a dime as Micah enters the space. Both Heath and I feel it because he’s already jumped out of his chair and sprinted toward him like he hasn’t seen his father in weeks.
My heart clenches tight in my chest as I watch Micah get down to his haunches to receive the massive hug he gives his dad.
A father protecting his son.
What kind of female would I be if I didn’t want him to do that? In the grand scheme of everything, it’s what needs to happen. I just wish Micah would’ve cut us off more empathically.
How would he have done that if you were pushing him and wouldn’t accept no as an answer?
No is a full sentence, Sienna.
Releasing a silent sigh of remorse, annoyance at myself, and exhaustion over the matter, I patiently wait for Micah and Heath to have their moment as I rise from my desk so we can start.
Heath’s arms tighten around Micah’s neck as if sensing he needs to let go soon, and I wonder if he knows.
If he knows everything that’s moving in the background of his world.
“I need to meet with Miss Vesper, buddy,” Micah finally says as he slowly pulls away from his son. “You wanna wait in the hall where it’s nice and quiet and—”
“Yes.” Heath pivots and turns toward his desk, plucks his drawing and crayons, and begins to leave the room.
Micah ruffles his dark hair on his way out, then softly closes the door behind him.
Then it’s us.
Charged space and unspoken things we wish were true but aren’t.
To have met in a space where reality has fast-forwarded a year, and we could’ve allowed our relationship to freely blossom without reservation or other people’s perspectives.
“You look…beautiful, today, Miss Vesper,” he finally claims, giving me a glance over in my moss green dress. “Thank God you don’t teach high school.”
A traitorous blush radiates over my cheeks as I watch him slowly approach. It appears innocent and normal, but inside, it feels like he’s stalking his prey.
Me.
“Have a seat, Mr. Wolfe,” I advise as coolly as I can. “And we can go over—”
“I already spoke to Heath about what’s going on. We’ll be working on it.”
I frown. “But you don’t know—”
“He’s been standoffish and sad. His grades might not be slipping too much because I see what he brings home, but as his teacher, it worries you. Understandably so. I was trying to protect him from what’s been going on with Laura, and it backfired on me.”
“Oh.”
That’s all I’ve got.
It’s up to Micah on the details he wants to divulge about his custody battle with his ex, and honestly, it must be hard trying to decide when to share and how.
“Is there…” I inhale, not knowing how but offering it anyway. “Something I can do to help?”
“Plenty,” he offers freely as he approaches the side of my desk and not the chairs in front of it. “He mentioned you, of all people, Miss Vesper. I think we both like you.”
His words throw me off a bit because I know Heath and I have had some small breakthroughs, but I didn’t know it’d make it home.
“Heath understands his mother left us because she had”—he throws his middle and index finger up and quotes—“‘things to do’ and that I’m upset about it. I explained why I didn’t think it was fair, but I gave him the choice. A chance with his mother, even though he’s six.”
My heart begins racing in his chest. “And what did he say?”
“Thank fuck, no,” he mutters, running the tips of his fingers along the top of my desk as he gets closer. “We talked about a lot of things we both wanted out of this year. How we were both going to make ourselves happy and not sad.”
“What were his?”
A ghost of a smile appears along his lips before he bows his head and says, “Football. More movies. Dinosaur applesauce. A brown plush bunny that matches yours.” His blue eyes flick up to me then. “And a mommy like Miss Vesper.”
My body instantly forgets how to breathe because no child has ever said that about me unless he’s lying.
He has to be lying.
Heath might be a quiet child, but…me? A mother?
That’s not what or where I saw myself this year. I know Micah came with a child, and I was fine with that. However, due to the circumstances of what’s happened, I never saw it as a possibility anymore.
Micah sighs quietly, and I find myself hanging on to every word he says then. “I explained it’s against the rules. And, apparently, my son has the same rebellious streak running through him because, he said, we could keep it a secret.”
“We can’t,” I immediately blurt out. “There is no reason why we would bring a small child into this—”
“You can word it however you want, Miss Vesper. However, you have two Wolfe boys stalking you now and, honestly, I don’t see that you have a chance in this.”
I scowl. “Even if I weren’t teaching Heath anymore, I’m sure Principal Simpson would have something to say about that.”
“She’ll keep her mouth shut if she wants a coach for her football team. And I’m persuasive.”
My eyes roll with that blatant confidence of his. “You think flirting with her is going to get you what you want?”
“Hasn’t failed me before.”
I scoff and take a well-needed step away from him. “Was that all, Mr. Wolfe?”
“Not quite.”
“Then please finish what you had to say so I can pack up and leave for the day. If you have it under control, I don’t see why we’d need to extend this meeting any further.”
“I told you I loved you, and you looked at me like I was a damn idiot.”
Oh, geezus, not this again.
“Because you are, Mr. Wolfe.”
“Micah when we’re talking about us.”
“This meeting wasn’t for us. It was for Heath.”
“And Heath has everything to do with us.”
I’m going to throw a damn stapler at his head.
“What would you like me to do, Mr. Wolfe? Jump back into a secretive relationship with you to make you happy?”
“Well, it just so happens that’s exactly what I want, Miss Vesper. I think it’ll make all of us happy.”
I lift my chin, the hard question settling heavy on my chest. “And the ex?”
That seems to knock the wind out of Micah’s sails, and I see his body tense a little. It’s a sore subject, I can understand, but if he’s going to be in a decade-long custody battle, I don’t know if I can deal with a petty ex that wants to drag me every chance she gets.
I have a reputation in this town of being a decent teacher, and I don’t like being the center of attention.
It’s like being a celebrity almost, you need to watch what you do or say, or it’ll be front page gossip the next day.
It’s not something I want to freely jump into without knowing exactly what I’m jumping in.
“I have, hopefully, my last court date on Thursday.”
In three days.
I bob my head in acknowledgement. “I hope it works out for you.”
“I won’t stop until it does. She’s ruined my happiness for years. She won’t do it to me again.”
My stomach clenches at his admission to what’s already been done and how he’s trying to move on with his life.
A life…that could’ve had me in it.
“Make sure you take care of yourself, Micah.”
I didn’t mean to call him by his first name, because it gives him all the permission he needs to close more of the distance between us.
To suck me into his orbit.
One I’ve really wanted to stay in.
“I’m open to you taking care of me, Miss Vesper.” He stops when one more step could have our chests brushing against each other’s. “However, you’ve been stubborn.”
God.
What he did to me hurt. However, I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again—his son comes first.
He has to come first.
And I understand that.
However, it doesn’t make the weeks of roaming around town like a zombie with my heart dragging behind any more less.
“Is there…” I swallow the lump forming in my throat as his blue eyes stare openly and shamelessly down at me. “Anything I can do to help you with Heath? At school.” I add so he can’t throw out something at me I can’t refuse.
“Nothing I can think of,” he replies immediately. “However, if I think of something, I’ll let you know.”
Perfect, I guess.
“I need to go meet with Principal Pain in the Ass,” he says matter-of-factly. “And discuss me being the new coach.”
Oh, wow.
“That’s amazing,” I practically gush, because the kids would love it and it would burn off all their extra energy. “You were serious about that?”
“Kinda. However, she called me and, well…I loved football growing up, so I only think it’s right to give back. To my community.”
“When could you start?”
He perks a brow. “Excited to see me at school.”
I give him an exasperated look. “No. I was curious.”
“Football season is a fall thing, so not until next year. However, there’s always baseball.”
“She’s trying to get you to do that, too?”
“Coach Wilson is getting older. He needs help.”
“And you’re just all in a giving mood, aren’t you, Mr. Wolfe?”
He smiles. “Now, you’re catching on again, Miss Vesper.”