Breaking the Rules (22 page)

“Oh, yeah, Mrs. Morales looked like she approved with her nose twitching like she smelled locker room feet.”

Colin gently pushed his knees between her legs. “Just think about this before you make any hasty decisions. We already decided this was worth a shot. We would be civil to each other at school events, and have our private relationship elsewhere.” He rubbed his damn big hands down her arms, then back up to her shoulders and pulled her closer. “You cannot deny we have something good going on here.”

She looked into his charming green eyes and sighed. “We do … but I can't.” She tried to wiggle free. “You're making this harder than it needs to be. We cannot have a relationship, Colin. I can't risk my job.”

“No one said you're risking your job. Damnit, don't let some old busybody ruin the best thing that's happened to me in the last five years.”

She reached up and touched his cheek. “I don't want to hurt you, Colin. I'm feeling like crap, too. But it's over. I'm sorry.”

He let go of her body and stepped back. “This is bullshit.”

Hope blinked. He actually was angry now. His eyes flared and his chest heaved behind that blue jersey of his.

She tried to reach for his shoulder, but he scooped it away. “It's not bullshit. It's just life.”

He laughed throatily and stepped back. “It's that easy, huh?” He reached up and rubbed the back of his neck. “I guess I just have stronger feelings than you do.”

Hope bit her lip to stop herself from speaking, to contain the tears that welled up in her eyes. She wanted to tell him he was the best thing that happened to her in her whole life. That maybe she loved him. But she couldn't risk her job or her reputation — she'd worked too hard for it.

“No more toying with me, Hope. If you say this is it, then this is it.” He pointed at her and his eyes narrowed with something she hadn't seen from him. “I can't keep going back and forth. I'm not some teenage boy who wants to ask a girl to dance. I'm a grown man with a son who adores you. Shit, I adore you.” He stopped short and looked at her with softer eyes. “I adore you.”

For a moment, her heart leapt in her chest. A man adored her. A sweet, gentle, kind, sexy man who knew how to please her, how to tempt her, how to make her laugh and dream. But when she looked away from him and her principal diploma peeked behind his shoulder, framed on the wall behind her desk, she knew she had to go with her gut decision — not her heart decision. “I'm sorry, but it's over,” she repeated.

Colin's shoulders dropped and his head lowered. He shook his head slowly, back and forth, like a grandfather clock counting down until midnight, his eyes still on the floor. A sense of dread overwhelmed her and for an instant, she knew she'd hurt him more than she thought he would be hurt.

Anger welled up in her. Of all the men, he had her heart in his hands, but she had to splatter it against his chest and crack it into pieces. It was her own damn fault, but she had to do it. She would not relive what happened with Vincent. It would kill her.

Colin eyed her with a stony expression and whispered, “You'll regret this one day, Hope, and when you do, I'll be gone.”

“You're probably right, but there's nothing I can do about it.”

“I think there is.”

A ten-second stare down commenced. When she didn't answer back, Colin frowned and held up both palms in a “whatever” motion. “See you around.” He turned and walked out the office door and didn't look back.

When Hope finally made it back to the cafeteria, after ten minutes of crying, he and Jason were nowhere to be found.

Later that night, she tucked herself into bed feeling the loneliest she had ever felt in her life. She'd lost the best thing that happened to her, for her damn job. She'd better make it the best job she'd ever done.

Two hellish weeks passed. The longest two weeks of his life. He stayed busy with work, but he missed Jason. And when he was honest with himself, he yearned for Hope. He tried not to miss her, since he was furious with her decision. The thing was, she had already worked herself into his bloodstream. Not seeing her was like missing a body part.

He didn't think it could get worse, but after the phone call he had received an hour ago, he knew he was wrong.

Jason was in trouble again.

Walking into the now familiar administrative offices of Harbor Bay Prep, he saw the secretary on the phone. The office was empty except for another person making photocopies in the corner. He tried to smile back at the skinny woman, but he couldn't.

Smiles were rare in the last fourteen days. He took a deep breath, knowing he'd have to face the woman who offered him many smiles, but now took them away, leaving him like a kid opening a stocking full of coal.

The secretary stood. “Dr. Calaway, Mr. Stevens will see you now.” She pointed to a second door behind her.

He flinched. “Where's Ms. Robinson?”

“She's not in today. Mr. Stevens is the assistant principal.”

He frowned. “She's not here? Where's Jason?”

“He'll be with you in just a minute. He's getting his things. Right this way.”

Colin scratched his head as he followed the secretary. Was Hope avoiding him? She should know better. They could act normal with each other. A disappointment swept through him. He had hoped he would see her. He missed her so much — that laugh of hers, the way she stood up straight to act like a school marm, the teasing, the seductive texts, the kisses, the warmness she brought into his heart.

He blinked to clear the thoughts and knocked on the assistant's open door. “Mr. Stevens?”

The man stood from his desk. “Come in, Dr. Calaway. Have a seat.” He motioned toward the empty chair in front of him.

Colin sat at the same time as Mr. Stevens. “Sorry it took me a while to get here. I was in surgery.”

“I understand.” Mr. Stevens took off his glasses and rubbed his nose, then gazed at Colin. “Jason has been suspended for two days.”

Colin sat up straighter. His throat closed up for a second and he had to clear it before he spoke. “What happened?”

“He and another boy, Bret Wilson, were in a fight. Mr. Hunter had to break them up and it wasn't easy. They're both a little battled and bruised, but the nurse took care of them.”

A heavy feeling plunged to the bottom of his stomach. His breath caught in his chest as it dawned on him who the other boy was. He gritted his teeth and asked, “What will happen to Bret?”

“He's suspended, too, although I'm not at liberty to discuss the other boy.”

“Mr. Stevens, Bret Wilson has been picking on Jason all year. This is not the first incident. I'm sure Jason only defended himself.”

“Actually, I'm aware of that and that's why Jason only has a two-day suspension. We're just following the discipline protocol. It's his third major offense and this is what happens. When he gets back, he'll work with our counselor on anger management.”

“Anger management? Jason doesn't need help with that. What he needs is someone to stop this other boy. He continues to berate my son and Jason's only using the defense he knows.”

“We understand.”

“We? What does Ms. Robinson say?”

He avoided eye contact with Colin. “Ms. Robinson is not involved in this case. There will be serious measures taken with the Wilson boy.” With the finality of his statement, he leaned forward and tapped his pen on the desk. “Now, about Jason, you need to go ahead and take him home. The suspension takes effect immediately. He can come back on Friday.” Mr. Stevens stood and held out his hand to shake.

What did all this mean? Why wouldn't Hope be involved? What the hell was Jason thinking? Who the hell was this guy and why didn't he show any emotion?

Colin scraped his hand over his face and then shook the man's hand. “Thank you.”

In the main office, Jason sat in one of those uncomfortable plastic chairs, with his face down. Colin stood in front of him and lowered his chin. “Let's go, Jas.”

Jason looked up with a bandage over the right eyebrow and a blue mark underneath his left eye.

“What the — ” Colin cut himself off. “Alright, let's go.” He walked out with Jason following behind. Once they were alone in the hallway, Colin hovered over Jason. “What happened?”

Jason lowered his gaze.

“Look at me, Jas. What happened?”

He stared at his feet. “Bret pushed me, so I just pushed him back. Then it went on from there.”

Colin nodded. “And what started all this?”

Jason rubbed at his eyes. “He laughed at me and said I wanted Ms. Robinson to be my mom.”

Colin lifted his head and looked at the ceiling. He had to take a deep breath and unclench his fists so he wouldn't slam the wall behind him.

“All the other kids around him were laughing. I couldn't just ignore him, Dad. He's a real jerk and I couldn't let him push me around.”

Colin placed his hand on Jason's shoulder. “You're right and you're wrong. He had no right to say those things.”
That little shit had no freakin' idea.
“But, we need to talk about how to defend yourself better.”

Jason rubbed his eyes again, this time a tear escaped on his cheek. “I thought Ms. Robinson would help me, but she wasn't in the office. Mr. Stevens didn't get it.”

“I know. We'll talk at home about what we're going to do about this and what your consequence will be. For now, here are the keys and I need you to go to the car in the parking lot. I'm just going to talk to Kelly for a few minutes.”

“Okay.” He took the keys from Colin's hand.

“What room in she in again?”

“Down that hall. Room Four.” Jason pointed.

Colin didn't know what the hell was happening, but he was right when he thought things could only get worse. A two-day suspension. And to top it off, something wasn't right with Hope. Where was she? Why was it all secretive? A chill ran down his back.

He opened the door to Room Four. Kelly was helping one of her students when he spoke up, “Mrs. Weeks, can I have a word with you?”

She blinked rapidly and answered, “Sure, Colin.”

Slipping outside the classroom, they stood together in awkward silence in the hallway. Kelly couldn't look him in the eye.

“Did you hear about Jason?”

“Everyone is talking about it. It was a big fight, Colin. Is he okay?”

“He'll be okay, but I feel like beating the crap out of that other boy.” He shook his head. “Forget I said that.”

Kelly smiled and then nodded. “Bret is suspended for a week. He's had issues with other kids and this is the last straw for him before he gets kicked out.”

“Where's Hope, Kelly?”

She broke eye contact and glanced down the hall. “She's not here.”

“Why? What the hell is going on?”

She twisted her hands together. “She's been suspended from work the last two days and there's going to be a board meeting on Thursday night about her continuing at the school.”

A pounding in his ears made him stand up straighter. “What the — ” He stepped aside and back to her. “How did this — ” Running his hand over his mouth he looked up. “Does this have something to do with me?”

“It has everything to do with Mrs. Morales and her cronies.”

He lifted a fist. “That woman is the devil.” He took Kelly's shoulders. “Where is she?”

“I can't say. She'd disown me.”

“This is unbelievable. If this has something to do with me, I have a right to know.” He walked away and pointed. “I'm going to find her, with or without your help.”

He found himself almost running down the school steps to his car. Once in the car, next to Jason, he pounded the steering wheel.

“Dad, I'm sorry, okay.”

“I'm sorry, too. I have to find Hope. Let's get home so we can make a plan.”

Where was she?

• • •

At home, Jason stayed in his room writing an apology letter to the assistant principal and the crappy kid, Bret. Colin gulped down a glass of water and sat on the barstool at the kitchen counter. He pulled out his phone and tried to call Hope. As expected, she didn't answer. Slumping into his stool, he keyed in a message.

Where are you? We need to talk.

He waited for an answer and didn't hear back. Should he drive to her place? He couldn't leave Jason home alone and he wasn't about to ask his mom to watch him. He'd get a mouthful from her about how his parenting was half-assed — too many hours at the office, less time as a family. He didn't want to hear it. Getting up, he held his chest because it hurt.

The entire last two weeks had hurt. Realizing he couldn't live without Hope hurt worse than losing Beth. He hated to admit that, but Beth and he were finished before she died. With Hope, he was far from done with her. Their relationship had blossomed into something truly special and he had long ago admitted, to himself at least, he'd fallen in love with her.

Being in love and not being able to hold on to that person sucked. Trying to laugh it off only ended up hurting worse. He had told her he wouldn't come back, but like a boomerang, he knew the minute she said she wanted him again, he would drop everything and run back to her.

Jason even acted grumpier than usual. Knowing that kids were making fun of him because of his relationship with Hope made Colin rage on the inside. Jason had attached himself to Hope already, just like Colin, and knowing his son was involved in this too hurt worst of all.

His phone beeped and he quickly picked it up.

I'm in Virginia with my parents. On a break.

Shit. All the way to Virginia? He needed to see her.
What's going on? I know about the suspension.

He stared at the phone for the next two minutes waiting for a response.
It doesn't concern you, Colin. Forget about it.