Chapter 39
Probably a Terrible Idea…
MONTHS LATER
(Leith)
I kissed her shoulder as I felt my body throbbing inside her. My right hand was attached to her right hip with a fierce grip that I swore I’d never fucking let go. My stomach rested against her back. She turned her head and kissed me even though her hair was in the way. We were barely awake when the alarm went off for me to get up. I turned the alarm off on my phone and made sure to properly give Beth a good morning kiss.
Which led to…
“Mmmm,” she groaned into my mouth.
I thrust forward again for good measure.
Her sweet warmth tempted me to stay.
But I couldn’t.
She broke the kiss and put her head down the pillow and let out a long groan.
My lips and tongue flirted with her shoulder as I moved away from her perfect body.
I was on my side as I touched her back.
She looked at me through her messy hair.
I moved her hair out of her face and smiled. “Crazy day today, angel.”
“Every day with you is crazy, Leith.”
“Good point.”
“When do you have to leave?”
“Five minutes ago,” I said.
“Damn.”
“I’m going to grab a quick shower and head out.”
“I’ll join you.”
“Not today. I’ll lock the door to keep you away.”
“You lock the door to keep me out of showering with you and I’m leaving for good.”
“Is that a threat?” I asked.
“Big time.”
I leaned toward her and kissed her shoulder one more time.
I tucked Beth back in and left her to fall back asleep.
After my shower and coffee, I had to hustle to get to school.
Today was the last day of school.
For the year.
And for me for good.
It was a little bittersweet and almost funny when I decided to quit my job. After everything that happened and the fact that I was supposed to quit my job for someone else, here I was leaving teaching for a different kind of life.
It was a quick half day of school where the only goal was to make sure nobody got hurt. There was nothing left to teach and nothing left to do. I let the kids dictate their day to me. Drawing, painting, putting on a movie for background noise. I stood behind my desk and scanned the classroom and the class. It was going to be hard not to be there anymore. There was no denying that I had really fallen into the job. It was almost a joke when I decided to become a teacher but it worked out.
All the kids surprised me with goodbye cards, which had been orchestrated by the other third grade teacher. Miss Hartly was a grumpy old single woman, but she and I got along. And it was damn touching that she had all my students make a card.
When Anastasia put her card on my desk, her chin started to quiver.
She broke down into tears and I stepped from around my desk and dropped to one knee.
“You’re my favorite teacher ever, Mr. Leith,” she said.
Wow.
I smiled and offered her a hug. Next thing I knew, the entire class was hugging me. I shut my eyes and all I could smell was the leftover odor from the crayons, markers, pencils, and whatever sugar they had already eaten for the day.
My throat tightened for a seconds and I had to stand up before the giant Mr. Leith started to cry too.
The bell rang for the end of the day - and the end of the school year - and just like that, I was suddenly forgotten.
The kids rushed out of the room to get in line for either the bus, to walk home, or to get picked up.
Then the classroom was empty and quiet.
I cleaned everything up, lumbering along the small desks, laughing to myself at the looks I’d get on the first day of school each year.
I heard a knock behind me and turned to see Charlie standing at the door.
“Got a second?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” I said. “I don’t work here anymore. Officially.”
Charlie laughed. “Good point. So I guess we’re talking off the record.”
“Have at it,” I said.
“Just wanted to extend my thanks to you. For what you’ve done here.”
“I appreciate you taking the chance,” I said. “I don’t exactly look the part.”
“Which is what made it work,” Charlie said. “Just wanted you to know that you always have a position here. As long as I’m here, I’ll make sure of that.”
I nodded. “Appreciate that. But when I move forward, Charlie, I move forward for good.”
“Makes sense. Don’t tell anyone what I’m about to say here, but I’m going to damn miss you.”
“Yeah, I’m going to miss this place a little myself,” I said.
Charlie left and I took in the last few minutes to myself.
The cliché alphabet hanging on the wall. The solar system dangling from the ceiling. All the little desks and chairs. Each day the kids were there was another day of challenges and memories.
But what came next…
It was everything I ever wanted.
“I can’t believe you did this,” Beth said.
The house was empty.
Finally.
What wasn’t worth selling I donated.
I knew the house wouldn’t be hard to sell.
And it was definitely time to walk away from the house. I bought the house because I thought it was the right thing to do. And everything that followed just wasn’t me. It wasn’t what my life was supposed to be. So I was more than fine with letting it all go.
I looked at the key in my hand and laughed.
Soon, this would be someone else’s home. And the couple that bought it, I hoped they had nothing but good memories. Start a family. Grow up and grow old. Keep the house busy and full of love.
I didn’t need a house to feel that way.
I had Beth.
“You ready to go?” I asked her.
“Almost,” she said.
She reached for her neck and took off the necklace I had given her all those years ago. The same necklace I fought to get back.
I raised an eyebrow.
“Watch,” she said.
She walked into the kitchen and opened a drawer. She put the necklace at the back of the drawer and slammed it shut.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“Leaving it all behind,” she said. “Let someone else find it and let it be a new memory or something. You know? Maybe whoever moves in here will be nervous and finding the necklace will be like some kind of sign.”
“So I took punches the face for that thing and now it’s someone else’s sign?” I asked.
Beth walked toward me in a slow and tempting way. She slipped her hands to my face and grinned.
“Just means you’ll have to buy me a new necklace.”
“I guess so,” I said.
We shared one last kiss in the house, then I took her hand and we left.
When we got to my car, I opened the door for her and looked back.
It was just the way life went.
And it was our time to do whatever the hell we wanted.
Her friend Holly was more than happily married. Her other friend Nelle actually found a boyfriend. And Dani was just cleared of all cancer and decided to quit her job, take a long vacation on an island, and was then going back to school for psychology.
I had been working with Bucky at night on his projects and it was going damn amazing. So much so that we signed a deal for four books.
I’d write. He’d draw.
We’d make money.
And for Beth… she just wanted to have the windows down and sing.
Which was fine by me.
Her voice always made me smile.
I got into the car and started to drive. The back seat was full of bags of all our stuff. The trunk packed just as tight.
And that’s all we had.
Some stuff. The road.
And each other.
I put the windows down, turned up the radio, and reached for Beth’s hand.
She laughed as the wind ripped at her hair.
I looked at her and smiled.
We had each other.
Finally.