Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
Alba turned her watch towards herself just as the bell rang through the corridor, signalling the end of the lesson.
The sound echoed through the classroom walls, instantly triggering a burst of movement from the students in front of her.
Chairs scraped across the floor as they stood, conversations resumed mid-sentence, and the quiet focus that had existed moments before dissolved into the chaos of the end of class.
She had the next hour free before lunch, which meant she could finally sit down and run through the material for this afternoon’s lessons.
Only two more classes with her older students remained today—those beginning the long road towards their GCSEs—but Alba liked to stay ahead of everything whenever she could.
Preparation had always been her comfort zone.
“Okay. Please don’t leave anything behind.
I won’t be here until after lunch now.” She spoke loud enough to be heard over the rustle of bags.
Or at least she thought she had. Judging by the lack of response, none of them were paying attention to a single word she’d said.
Half the class was already cramming books into rucksacks, while the more enthusiastic escape artists were halfway out the door, still wrestling one arm into their blazers.
Alba shook her head and laughed. “And don’t forget the trip to The Lakes in November.
I need your attendance slips back, signed, or you won’t be getting on the coach. ”
That caught at least a few ears. Trips outside of school always did.
“Miss, what if I can’t get my mum to sign mine?” Madison asked suddenly, lingering by Alba’s desk while chewing nervously on the cuff of her school jumper. “Sometimes she doesn’t wake up before I come to school.”
Alba’s smile softened. She didn’t know Madison’s home situation in any detail, but she mentally bookmarked the comment without hesitation.
Years of teaching had trained her to listen carefully to the things children said off-handedly.
Often, those were the things that mattered most. “Could you maybe ask her to sign it before the end of the day? Then you don’t have to worry yourself about finding the right time to ask her. ”
“Yeah, I’ll do that.” Madison shrugged and slung her rucksack over her shoulder. “Bye, Miss.”
A moment later, she was gone, her bag bouncing rhythmically against the backs of her thighs as she vanished out of sight.
Alba lowered herself into her chair and took the weight off her feet for a moment. She had no reason to rush out of here, not unless something demanded her attention elsewhere.
As if summoned by Alba’s thoughts, her phone buzzed inside her desk drawer. When she pulled it out and glanced at the screen, a message from Ellie was waiting for her.
I believe you have the next lesson free…
Alba frowned. Did Ellie need something?
I do. Did you need to see me?
Truthfully, Alba wasn’t sure whether she hoped the answer was yes or no.
Seeing Ellie had become…complicated. Only a few days had passed since the evening she’d sat in Alba’s living room eating soup, but the memory remained in her mind far more vividly than Alba would have liked.
Distance might have been the sensible option, but it seemed Alba wasn’t particularly good at choosing the sensible option when Ellie Hamilton was involved.
Her phone buzzed again.
Eloise’s best friend turned fifteen yesterday. She brought me a huge slice of chocolate cake last night and I cannot eat it all by myself.
Alba’s palms tingled. Ellie wanted her to share the cake. Why not someone else? Surely there were dozens of staff members in the building who would happily help demolish a slice of chocolate cake. Why Alba?
Just eat the cake with her, for the love of God!
She quickly responded.
How did you know that chocolate cake is my favourite kind of cake?
A smile tugged at her lips when Ellie’s reply arrived instantly.
Maybe we’re just that in tune.
Alba wished that was true. There was no denying something existed between them—some strange, easy connection that neither of them seemed able to ignore—but Alba had to remember one crucial thing. Whatever she was feeling…Ellie wasn’t feeling the same.
Still, there was no harm in a playful response.
Maybe we are. I’ll be right there.
She locked her phone and stood, swinging her bag over her shoulder since she wouldn’t be returning to the classroom for a while. As she switched off the lights and stepped into the corridor, her phone buzzed again. Ellie had replied with nothing more than an emoji blowing a kiss.
Alba stared at the screen. “Oh, you’re playing with fire here.”
Ellie meant nothing by it; it was just some harmless teasing between friends. Thankfully, Alba was perfectly capable of being friends with another woman…even one who happened to be incredibly attractive.
She repeated that thought firmly to herself as she started walking down the corridor.
She liked her life the way it was right now.
Her quiet evenings and the chance to rebuild everything that Audrey had shattered.
That was her focus. Friendship and stability.
If she held onto that long enough, perhaps Ellie could even help her ease back into the dating world eventually.
Better yet… Maybe they could tackle the dating scene together.
Especially now that Ellie was slowly stepping back into the world again.
That idea made Alba smile as she pushed through the doors and stepped outside into the fresh air.
Instead of heading straight for Ellie’s office, she looped around the front of the building and sent a quick message to Lois.
Ellie has offered me her cake. If I die, know I was happy when I went!
She barely had time to lock her phone before it started ringing.
Alba burst out laughing as she answered. “My God! You’re so easy to wind up,” she said, striding across the school grounds. “You do realise that I’m only joking, right?”
“You, a gorgeous woman, and chocolate will not go well together.”
Alba stopped dead in the middle of the car park and lowered her voice. “Oh, shit! You’re right. Once she starts licking the chocolate from the spoon, I’m probably going to find myself on my knees under her desk…licking elsewhere.”
“Oh, you’re disgusting!” Lois scoffed. “And you may say that you’re joking, but you’re obviously thinking about it, or you wouldn’t have said it!”
Was Alba imagining moments like that? Locked inside Ellie’s office, listening to her boss moaning softly where she sat at her desk? Damn it…Yes. Yes, she absolutely was.
“Trust me, nothing of the kind will ever happen. I was just playing with you.” Alba groaned inwardly as those words left her mouth. It only reminded her that yes, nothing would ever come of this. Why had she even texted Lois? Now she was just stuck in her own head. “Anyway, I’d better go.”
“I do wish you’d take this more seriously than you are, Al,” Lois sighed. “She’s always over at your place, and now you’re spending time in her office with her.”
“She’s been to mine twice. Don’t be so dramatic!
” Alba knew exactly how it looked, but she also knew something else.
She found it incredibly difficult to say no to Ellie Hamilton.
And, if she was being honest, she found it just as difficult to say no to herself.
If a beautiful woman wanted to share chocolate cake with her, who was Alba to refuse? “Would you prefer it if I didn’t go?”
“Yes, I would prefer that.”
Alba smiled. “Okay. I’ll head back to my classroom.”
“Oh, thank God. Are you really going back?”
“Nope.” Alba snorted with laughter and waved at another teacher entering the building through the side entrance. “Ellie wants to eat cake with me. Nobody else. Too fucking right I’m going to her office. Catch you later, bye.”
She ended the call and looked up at the glass front of the school building.
Then she exhaled slowly. Maybe this was a mistake.
Maybe getting this close to Ellie was walking straight into something messy and complicated.
But if it was…Alba would just add it to the ever-growing list of questionable decisions she’d made in her life.
After all, her mental “why in the name of God did you do that” list was already fairly impressive. What was one more entry?
Ellie grinned as she lifted her head at the sound of the light knock on her office door.
It was soft, tentative, but she knew exactly who it was before the door had even opened.
She didn’t know why she’d chosen Alba to share cake with.
All she knew was that when she’d looked down at the generous slice of chocolate cake sitting on her kitchen counter the night before, Alba’s face had been the first one that had popped into her head.
Not Susan, not Danielle, not any of the other teachers she’d known for years.
Just Alba.
Ellie had even checked Alba’s timetable before sending the message.
If anyone else had discovered she’d done that, they’d probably raise their eyebrows and question it.
But to Ellie, it hadn’t felt strange at all.
If she was learning anything lately, it was that she genuinely enjoyed Alba’s company.
“You summoned me for cake…” Alba leaned casually against the doorframe, her body angled just enough to suggest she wasn’t entirely sure how welcome she was, even though the grin on her face said she knew exactly how welcome she was.
Something unfamiliar stirred deep inside of Ellie, but she pushed it down as far as she could. Whatever that was, she didn’t have the mental space to unpack it right now. “I did. Now get inside before anyone else knows I’ve got it. I’m not sharing with anyone other than you.”
Alba pressed a hand dramatically against her chest before stepping fully into the room and closing the door behind her. “I feel honoured.”
“You should. Nobody eats my cake.”