Page 112 of Apparently, I’m Trouble

“I don’t believe this,” I muttered.

I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to sift through everything she said, trying to poke holes in it.

Rochelle’s tone softened. “I was in a bad place after Roger cheated. The most important part of my life was over, and I felt like I had to do whatever it took to hang onto the other part. All I had left was my career. Those artists were just… I know it’s not an excuse.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked, frustrated. The thought of my sister going through all this alone made my gut twist.

“I didn’t want anyone to know.”

I read between the lines. My sister was embarrassed by what she’d done. She didn’t want to relive it any more than she had to. I could, at least, understand that.

“This fucking day,” I muttered. How was it that I found out about my sister’s history of blackmail on the same day that fucking photo came out?

“What about it?” Rochelle drawled. “Yours is still fine, isn’t it?”

“No,” I admitted.

“Why? What happened?”

“I slept with Mia.”

The silence on the other end of the line was deafening.

“And you were right. I’m in love with her.”

A gust of air blew through the phone, making that staticky noise I knew she hated.

“Theo, you need to be careful here. Mia is your daughter’s teacher. If anyone finds out–”

“The entire school already knows.”

“Shit. What the hell, Theo? You had one job. Kira needed you.”

I was out of my chair, pacing my office. “You think I don’t know that? You think I don’t know how fucked up this is?”

“Then why didn’t you stay away from her?”

“I tried,” I grated. “No one was supposed to find out.”

She let out another breath, and despite what I now knew about Rochelle’s legal history, it felt good to tell her this. Like I wasn’t carrying this huge thing alone.

“How did Kira take it?” she asked.

“Not well. She’s at work with me. In one of the empty offices.”

She tsked, then said, “What happens from here?”

“I don’t know. The principal took Mia off the program, so Kira can keep going, but–” I cursed under my breath “–the students know. They’re going to make these next two months hell for her.”

“Can you move to another school?”

I shook my head, despite knowing Rochelle couldn’t see it. “She’d lose all her progress, and she wouldn’t get another opportunity like this one.”

“Then she stays and knuckles down.”

“She has to. I don’t think there’s any other choice.”

“And what about Mia?”