AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Lando.” Surprise filled Violet’s chest. She had no idea what to say. “Why?”
“Money. Time. I can’t do it right now.”
Violet sighed, her gaze dropping. Lando was one of her favorite students, one of the ones who did her best whenever she could, one who had a passion for the lessons. “You’re one of my best students.”
Lando snorted. “Not true, but thank you for trying.”
“I’m serious, Lando. I wouldn’t lie about that.” Violet moved her thumb along Lando’s cheek, not knowing why she hadn’t stopped touching her yet. They fell into a silence, Violet’s eyes locked on Lando’s mouth, those lips, the way they were slightly parted.
She wasn’t sure who moved first or if they moved together. Their mouths touched. Warmth spread through her, filling every inch of her body. It hit her hard, her chest rising to meet the moment with a breath, her hand sliding to Lando’s neck to hold her closer. Lando’s lips parting sent her into a panic.
Jerking back, Violet put as much space between them as possible on the tiny swing. Her hands were in her lap, folded together so she wouldn’t reach forward and touch again. Lando’s expression was pained, and she blinked, her gaze dropping as she blushed with embarrassment.
“I’m so sorry,” Lando murmured. “I…I totally misread those signs.”
Violet tried to force herself to speak, find something to say to soothe the ruffled feathers, but it was so hard. “You…it’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”
Taking Lando’s hand, Violet squeezed it lightly before letting go and putting that wall back up. The past week had been too emotional for her, too much going on, too much arguing. It hurt to be thrust into another one of those moments, but at least Lando wasn’t yelling or guilting her.
Eventually Lando bent down and picked up their tea, handing a lukewarm mug over to Violet. They sat together, not speaking, as the rain continued to fall around them. Violet hadn’t meant to open up so much, but Lando was there, she was such a good listener, and she was wise beyond her years.
Sipping her drink for the first time, Violet hummed as the flavors burst on her tongue. She hadn’t thought of Lando like that, hadn’t wanted anything to happen between the two of them, but the feelings from that morning came rushing back. The comfort and care Lando showed her, the calm at being held all night.
Her brain swirled in a vortex of confusion. She’d always wanted that with Diane, had always hoped Diane would be that person for her. They’d known each other so long that it had seemed so natural that a romantic relationship would be their next step. Except Violet couldn’t force that on Diane. She couldn’t make Diane fall in love with her. It had been a lost dream from the beginning.
With that thought settling in the pit of her stomach, Violet turned her mind to Lando. She had learned so much about this woman in the few short weeks they’d been together. Lando had hidden so well for the year she’d been in Violet’s classes, for the time they’d spent together. It really brought home the fact that Violet didn’t truly know her students. She knew one very small facet of who they were.
“I’m so sorry about your grandmother,” Violet whispered, not sure why she was speaking. “And your mom.”
“Thank you,” Lando answered. “I never really knew my mom, but my grandmother was my world.”
Violet nodded her understanding. “I wish I had the kind of relationship with mine that you did with yours.”
“All we can do is change the future, Violet. We can’t do anything about the past.” Lando looked directly at her, their hands folded together again in silent support and strength.
Lando was right. Violet had to stop living in the world of dreams and what had happened in the past. She needed to take actionable steps toward the future she wanted and needed, not the one that was merely fantasy.
CHAPTER16
Lando’s lipstingled every time she thought about kissing Violet. They’d stayed out in that storm as long as possible before going inside for dinner, and Lando felt as though they’d reached some kind of impasse, but at least Violet seemed to find a sense of calm. Lando hadn’t seen her like that before.
That night, they had both crashed hard, and Lando didn’t even remember if they touched while they slept. She wouldn’t put it past her. It was damn hard to share a bed with an attractive woman and keep to herself, but she’d managed it so far and would continue to since that seemed to be what Violet wanted.
Still…kissing her old professor had not been in her plans for the season. However, Lando couldn’t get the kiss out of her mind. Her lips tingled again as she turned on her back to stare at the ceiling. Violet wasn’t there, which was slightly odd. It was barely seven in the morning, so she must have snuck out to get coffee again. Lando normally woke to her leaving, but perhaps she’d really just been that tired, or that caught up in her dreams.
Lando wouldn’t put it past herself. Stretching her arms above her head, she readied herself for the day. She already felt better than the day before, less sore and far more rested. After the calm confession from Violet about her friendship with Diane being the pits, they’d built another bridge between them. Lando was glad to lend support when she could.
They should probably talk more about what was going to happen from there on out. Lando hoped Violet had finally found her spine when it came to Diane, but she still had her doubts. Old habits were hard to change. That was something Lando understood viscerally. She scratched at the stitches in her arm before pulling off the gauze to see how it looked. It didn’t seem too bad, and it had certainly been long enough. She hadn’t wanted to disrupt the peace the day before by asking Violet to pull them out.
Staying in her sweats and T-shirt, Lando walked barefoot to the bathroom before heading downstairs to see if she could find Violet, itching at her stitches again. When had they become so annoying? Violet sat at one of the large chairs near the large picture window by the front of the house. Her leg was tossed over the arm, her fingers clasping a mug of coffee as she stared at the sunrise.
“Hey,” Lando murmured, no doubt startling Violet out of her reverie.
“Hey.” Violet’s voice was still far away, as if Lando couldn’t drag her back.
“Do you mind dealing with this? The itches are obnoxious.” Lando held up her arm as if to prove her point.
Violet nodded toward her. “Go get the first aid kit. There should be some sharp scissors in there and tweezers.”
