AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I purse my lips. I’m not telling him anything.
“I have a feeling wherever you went isn’t a pleasant place to be. I don’t think there’s any ice cream there.”
I roll my eyes. “Now you understand the draw of ice cream in December.”
“I think I got it when you and Skye lost your minds over eating huge mounds of ice cream while it’s freezing outside.”
“It’s not freezing outside.”
“And you’re avoiding the subject.”
Of course, I am. I’m an expert at avoiding the subject. When you realize no one believes a word you say, changing the subject becomes a necessary life skill.
“I don’t remember what the subject is.”
“I’m serious, Love. I’m here if you need to discuss anything. Anything at all. I don’t have any preconceived notions since I don’t know the people in town yet. I’ll listen to whatever you have to say and I won’t judge you.” He raises two fingers in the air. “Scout’s honor.”
“Were you really a boy scout?”
“Boy scout?” He scoffs. “I was an Eagle Scout.”
I stare at him with my mind whirling around in circles. Since it became obvious no one would believe my side of the story, I stopped wanting to tell anyone my side. But somehow, I find myself wavering.
Would he listen? Would he understand?
Or.
Would he call me a whore?
“No matter what you say, I want you back as Skye’s nanny. I never should have fired you in the first place. I was wrong. I apologize.”
He was wrong? He apologizes? Except for my dad, I’ve never heard a man admit he was wrong before. Is this some kind of trick?
I study his face for signs of deception but he stares back at me as if he has nothing to hide. I gulp. Am I going to do this? Am I going to tell him what happened? What really happened? Not the story everyone in town believes. Here goes nothing.
“I was fourteen and in ninth grade. My dad was sick with cancer.”
Damon squeezes my hands.
“School didn’t seem very important at the time. Especially not math. Who uses algebra in daily life anyway?”
I’m getting off track. I clear my throat.
“Mr. Simon was my math teacher. He asked me to come to his office. I figured it was because I was failing. I didn’t care if I had to repeat a grade. What did it matter? My dad was the only thing that mattered.”
Damon wipes the tears from my face. When did I start to cry? It doesn’t matter. He can’t touch me while I tell this story. I won’t be able to finish if he’s touching me. I sniff and lean back until he’s forced to drop his hands. He frowns but I don’t have time to deal with his feelings now.
“Mr. Simon said I didn’t need to fail class. I could do extra credit instead. When I asked him what kind of extra credit, he pushed me against the wall and kissed me.”
I shiver at the memory of his clammy lips on mine. His tongue pushing into my mouth.
“I tried to get away but he put his hand around my throat and squeezed. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t breathe. I was frozen in fear. When he finally released me, I ran home. I skipped the rest of the day of school.”
“I’m so sorry that happened to you, Love.”
I hold up a hand. “I’m not done.”
He nods for me to continue.
