AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Hmm.” I traced her jaw and ran my thumb over her rosy bottom lip. Astrid didn’t wear a lot of makeup. Barely any at all, and I loved her natural beauty. Everything about her just called to me. “I could teach college art classes for associate degrees. I’d have to start my master’s if I wanted to teach in high school. I’d l—”
“Mr. Reed.” An angry voice snapped through the thin air.
Both Astrid and I whipped our heads around to see Mr. Music stalking toward us. His face was a blackened thundercloud, and his fists were balled at his sides.
Mr. Music had been one of the most supportive people when it came to Astrid’s art. He was quirky, fun, encouraging.
All of the things I knew him to be from my few interactions with her and what she said about him were absent.
My heart quickly thudded against my ribcage as I pushed away from Astrid. “Shit,” I cursed under my breath. This wasn’t going to go well.
“What do you think you’re doing with a student?” He only had eyes for me. Astrid may as well have been swallowed up in the ground. From the rising redness in her cheeks, she would probably have preferred that.
“Mr. Music,” I said as I got to my feet and dusted the grass off of my pants. It was a cop out. I knew it, he probably knew it, but I needed something to do while my racing heart was making me more nervous.
“Please tell me you weren’t touching Astrid inappropriately and—and kissing her shoulder!” He yelled.
We were tucked on the side yard and there weren’t any windows out here. At least not any that were even semi-close to the art wing. How did he see us?
I was sure I looked like a slapped puppy, wide eyed and confused. In my head, I ran through all the possible problems this presented.
I was graduating this weekend. Could this get me in trouble?
Could this get Astrid in trouble?
What about Dan, my professor?
So many bad thoughts crowding the space I should have been using to think of a response.
“Mr. Music,” Astrid started, her voice timid and her shoulders hunched.
I didn’t like seeing her like that at all. We weren’t doing anything wrong. Shit, I mean yes, but not really.
“Not yet, Astrid. You’ll get your chance to explain exactly what you were thinking after Mr. Reed tells me why he crossed this kind of professional line.” He crossed his arms and stared me down.
No, he wasn’t going to put Astrid on the spot and berate her like that. We’d had enough of that from the people who should have loved us the most. She wasn’t going to be made to feel two inches tall by someone she rightfully respected.
“Astrid and I are in a serious committed relationship.” I stepped closer to Astrid, debating if it would make the situation better or worse if I touched her. Fuck it. I caught her hands and threaded my fingers through hers. “We have been for a while, and I understand how this must look to you, sir, but she’s over eighteen. We’ve done nothing wrong.”
Mr. Music made an ugly noise in the back of his throat. “Nothing wrong? You’ve taken advantage of a student when you were in a position of authority.”
Now wait a fucking minute. “No, sir. I came to tutor her as a favor to Dan. I was not paid by you, the school, or the college for the time I spent here. This was how we met, and a friendship developed long before anything intimate.” Mr. Music bared his teeth. Maybe I shouldn’t have said intimate, but it was too late now.
“How old are you?” He spat.
“Twenty-two. And before you ask, Astrid was eighteen before we started dating.”
He dropped his face into his hand. “I can’t believe this has been going on under my nose and I trusted you,” he lifted his head to glare at Astrid.
“Hey,” I stepped forward, dropping Astrid’s hands. “That’s unfair. We’re both of a similar age, similar interests. This isnotwrong.”
“Of a similar age? When do you graduate college?” He turned his hard gaze to me.
“This weekend,” I coughed.
“Right. Let me tell you something. A senior in high school is a lot different, miles different, from a college senior. I should make you both go to the office.”
Oh, fuck. I was reasonably certain they couldn’t do anything to me, but what about Astrid?
