Hard To Handle (Teach Me Book 2) (27 page)

Rolling his eyes, Zach shook his head, giving a deadpanned, “You’re hilarious.”

Foster grinned. “I’m kidding. Let me know if you need help. For real, man.”

“I appreciate it, Fos.”

Foster rose from the table then pushed in his chair. “I’ve got some work sh— er, crap to take care of, so I have to run.” His gaze rested on Zach. “I still think there’s a good chance Laney will surprise you.” With a wink, he said good-bye and made his way through the crowded tables to the exit.

“Well, I’ve got a beautiful wife to get home to, so I’ve got to get going,” Mac said. With a friendly slap to Zach’s back, he rose saying, “I think things will work out better than you expect.”

After Mac’s exit, Zach stared down at his beer in silence. “Laws?”

“Yeah, pumpkin?” came the smartass reply. Yet, it didn’t even bring the slightest quirk to his lips as he was so lost in thought.

“You, uh, think there’s a chance Laney’ll actually come around?” God, he sounded like such a fucking pansy ass, right now.

There was such a long silence that Zach looked up from where he had been picking at the beer label. Lawson was watching him carefully. His friend’s lips twisted briefly before he finally answered.

“I guess you’ll never know if you don’t stick around.”

Zach’s eyes returned to his bottle of beer but not really seeing it. The truth was, he wasn’t so sure he had it in him to stick around anymore.

C
HAPTER
F
ORTY
-O
NE

I
T WAS THE SECOND WEEK
of May and a Monday to boot. Mr. Pratt had been out at a principal in-service the previous Monday so their meeting had been postponed until today. According to the meeting’s agenda everyone had been emailed that morning, their principal would be announcing those who were retiring or leaving the school.

Normally, since Mr. Pratt was such a great person to work for—and with—anyone leaving the school was doing so only because of retirement or because their significant other’s job was causing them to relocate.

Laney grabbed her notebook and clipped her pen to it, ready to head over to scoop up Raine and Tate and head downstairs to where the meeting would be held on the first floor in their Media Center. Exiting her classroom, she saw Zach walking out of his own, notepad under one arm, pen clipped to the collar of his polo. He gave her the briefest nod before turning to lock his door. She locked her own, turning in the opposite direction, and walked down the hall to meet her friends.

She felt like it was easier to breathe, the farther away she walked from him. When she entered Raine’s classroom, she saw both her and Tate turn as if startled by her presence. The two women exchanged a worried look. But why?

“Everything cool? You hot things ready to head down?” she asked lightheartedly.

“Yeah.” Raine drew the word out slowly. “We’re ready to roll.” Her two friends walked over to where she was standing by the door.

Tate’s eyes scanned her features as if to gauge her expression. For what, she wasn’t sure. “You doing okay?”

Laney started to nod but then stopped herself. Blowing out a short breath, she lifted a shoulder in a semi shrug. “I’m trudging through.” Her forced smile felt brittle.

The door opened behind her and she turned to see Mac. “Well, if it isn’t the three most beautiful ladies in the school.” Smiling at them, he winked. “Ready to make the other men jealous by escorting me to the meeting?” He held out his arms.

Raine shook her head with a laugh. “You are incorrigible, Mackenzie.”

“You love me, just the same,” he replied with confidence.

His wife merely rolled her eyes and exited the classroom ahead of them as Tate and Laney took Mac’s offered arms and walked down the hall, following their friend.

“This is a better view, anyway,” Mac called out to Raine before lowering his voice. “God, I love that woman.”

She turned to see Mac’s gaze still on his wife, a content smile on his face, corners of his eyes crinkling slightly. She bumped her shoulder lightly against him. “We know, buddy. We know.”

Mac looked over at her and his lips parted as if he were going to say something more. But he was interrupted by Lawson who was waiting at the top of the stairwell, preparing to head down to the first floor with them.

“What’s this? I never get escorted anywhere like that.” Lawson laid a hand over his heart as if he were hurt. “Why does he get all the love? Whyyyyyy?”

“Get over here.” Laney let go of Mac’s arm, tugging her friend to her. She linked her arm with Lawson’s. “Better?”

He laid his hand atop the one she had placed on his arm. “Much. Shall we descend the stairs, milady?” he asked with a British accent.

“We shall.” She nodded primly, playing along. Catching Mac and Tate’s smiles, Tate winked at her.

Laney knew that behind all the fun and silliness with Mac and Lawson was concern for her, attempts at trying to keep her spirits up. As they descended the stairs, making their way to the first floor of the school, she knew without a doubt that she was a very lucky woman.

She may not have love in her life, but she had the most amazing friends. And that, in itself, was a true blessing.

* * *

Sitting through the meeting, waiting for Mr. Pratt to make his announcement of those leaving due to retirement or otherwise, he braced himself. It was going to be difficult to receive the shocked responses from the teachers he had come to know over the years; teachers he had worked side by side with, laughed with, commiserated with.

You want to know how Laney’s going to take it
, an inner voice taunted him.
You want to see if she even cares
.

Before he could negate those thoughts, he heard Mr. Pratt’s voice. “… and, sadly, Zachariah Mayson is leaving us to accept a fifth grade position at Neptune Beach Intermediate.”

Don’t turn Laney’s way, don’t turn Laney’s way, don’t
—

His breath caught at the look of utter shock and disbelief on her face. Her eyes flashed with pain before he forced himself to turn away, refocusing his attention on his principal. Because, really, what did it matter how Laney felt about the news of him leaving? She didn’t give two shits about him or how he felt about her. She’d made that perfectly clear.

“All right, folks. That wraps up our meeting. Go on home and I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow,” Mr. Pratt called the meeting to an end.

Within seconds of Zach standing to push in his chair at the table, he was surrounded by teachers expressing their dismay or disappointment at the news. A few offered up boxes to help him pack up his classroom materials, others hinted at asking the question of why he was switching schools.

He was saved from having to answer when Lawson slung an arm over his shoulders and entered the conversation.

“This guy just couldn’t handle the competition I was giving him with all the beautiful ladies at this school.” Lawson gave a look of sorrow as he shook his head. “It’s going to be tough being the main guy admired by everyone, but it’s a role I’m willing to fill.”

Of course, the older female teachers tittered with “Oh, Lawson” and the younger ones rolled their eyes with a chuckle. But he did the job and they dispersed, exiting the Media Center. Only Lawson and Zach remained along with the main librarian, at the far end, still filing books.

Lawson removed his arm from Zach only to fold them across his broad chest, concerned. “You okay, man?”

Shaking off the slightest feeling of dread at the idea of leaving the people he worked with whom he had come to think of as family, at not having his group of friends as close by any longer, he forced a half smile. “I’m gonna be okay.”

He noted that Lawson didn’t point out that he hadn’t exactly answered his question. He also recognized his own words for what they really were: a mixture of a plea and an affirmation. Because the truth of the matter was, he needed to know he was going to be okay, that he was going to be able to move past this.

To move on without Laney in his life.

C
HAPTER
F
ORTY
-T
WO

L
ANEY FIGURED THAT SHE WAS
in a state of shock because she didn’t recall any part of the walk back to her classroom after the meeting had ended, nor the conversations her friends were having which sounded muffled to her ears. She was in a daze as she returned to her classroom, key poised in her hand to unlock the door.

“Laney,” a voice forcefully called out to her, causing her head to whip around. Raine and Tate were standing beside her, their faces concerned.

Shaking off the fog that had attempted to consume her thoughts, she gave them a tight smile. “Um, I’m good. I just … need to, uh, get my stuff and head home.”

She jammed the key into the door and unlocked it, pulling it open forcefully, feeling as if she were suddenly safe as soon as she stepped foot inside her classroom. Quickly, she walked to her desk, shoved her notebook in her bag and slung it over her shoulder. Whipping around, she caught wide-eyed expressions on both of her friends’ faces as she came back to the doorway.

“Sorry, but I really need to leave now,” she told them, knowing that they normally walked out together.

Raine nodded slowly, still watching her cautiously. “I’m going to check on you in a bit, okay?”

“Yep.” Laney couldn’t force anything more out aside from the simple one-word utterance.

“Me, too. And if we don’t hear back from you—even if it’s just a quick text—we will show up.” Tate traded a look with Raine as if to affirm the threat.

Laney nodded, feeling as if the walls were already starting to close in on her. “Got it.” She started down the hall, nearly sprinting to the door leading to the stairwell. Just as her hand reached out to it, it opened and … Zach.

They both froze, staring at one another, and it was only thanks to Lawson that it didn’t become even more awkward. Their friend jostled Zach from behind, playfully adding, “Dude, don’t be a bottlenecker. Let us through so the lady, here, can be on her way.” This spurred Zach into moving through quickly, without a word, as Lawson gave Laney a tight smile, following his friend.

She raced down the stairs, her bag bouncing against her side as she exited the school building, walking through the parking lot to her car. It wasn’t until she was pulling onto I-95 North to head back up to Fernandina Beach that she was able to breathe easier.

The entire drive home, she thought about the fact that Zach was transferring schools. Moving from Fernandina Beach to Neptune Beach. And it was because of her. She had done this. She had refused to have a relationship with him, refused to take that leap and experience love to the fullest. And he was cutting her out of his life, changing it so there wasn’t any possible way for them to interact. Unless it was by his choice.

She had done this. And now she had to accept it.

* * *

Zach stared down at his planner on the desk for God knows how long before Lawson finally spoke. “Dude, I hate to break up the whole gazing longingly at your planner thing and all, but it’s going on two minutes now and it’s starting to really freak me out.”

Lifting his head, he stared at Lawson, hearing the desolate sound to his own voice when he spoke. “She didn’t say anything. Not one word, just … nothing.” He broke off, the last word coming out sounding strangled. A part sigh, part groan escaped him as he ground his palms into his eyes.

Why was he letting this bother him? A month had passed. If she were going to come to some realization, it would’ve already happened, right?

“Sorry, man. I’ve got to get my shit together,” Zach muttered, shutting his planner and placing it to the side of his desk. He stood from his chair. “Time to blow this pop stand.”

Lawson remained sitting on the counter against the windows, watching him intently before saying quietly, “No one spilled the news ahead of time, Z. It’s possible that she’s totally in shock over it and just didn’t know what to say.” He shrugged. “I know I’d be the same way, if it were me.”

“Don’t make excuses, Laws. Don’t.” His tone was sharp, jaw clenched.

Lawson put up his hands as if surrendering. “I’m only mentioning it because it’s a possibility, that’s all.” He appeared to ponder something for a moment before he looked down at his hands linked together. With his eyes still downward, as if studying his linked fingers, he spoke quietly. “You know, I envy you.”

Zach’s head jerked back as if he’d been slapped. He opened his mouth to speak, an acerbic response on the tip of his tongue, until Lawson’s eyes met his. The emotion in his friend’s gaze caught him off guard. Zach returned to his seat, watching, waiting for him to continue.

“I envy you because you’ve put yourself out there, dude. You did it. You took that leap, gave it your all. Yeah, maybe it didn’t work out the way you planned, but you still gave it your best shot. And now, even more impressive, is the fact that you’re making some big changes in your life so that you can move on … and eventually take that leap again. That takes some serious balls, dude.”

Or he was just a fucking pussy who couldn’t deal with seeing Laney every day and being reminded of the fact that he wasn’t enough for her.

With a humorless laugh, Zach said, “Let’s just call it like it is, Laws. I’m taking the easy way out so that I don’t have to come face-to-face with her on a near daily basis.”

His friend shrugged. “It’s all in perspective.” His head tipped to the side. “To someone who hasn’t found anyone worth putting themselves out there for yet, you’re a pretty brave dude.”

He held Zach’s gaze for a moment before sliding off the counter, and dusting off the back of his khakis. With a wry smile, he walked over and laid a hand on his shoulder. “You know where to find me if you need me. I’ll just be in the restroom, removing the tampon from my ass because, well, this conversation was pretty damn girly, ya know?” Zach couldn’t help but chuckle as his friend left, letting the classroom door fall closed behind him, the sound sending an unwelcome jolt through him.

Making him wonder how many more times he’d see his friend enter and leave his classroom before it was finally the last time. It was more than simply a sobering thought; it was one of the saddest.