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“Except fucking her.” Isla arches an eyebrow.
I pretend her comment doesn’t sting, even though it’s true. “That would just complicate everything. I’m not a hornball, guys. I can go without sex.”
I wish I felt as strongly about that as I did when Damon first reappeared in my life. It’s been so hard lately not to let my mind wander back to that night and how good it was between us. Sometimes late at night, especially when he rubs my feet, I want to broach the subject. Or the other night, when he massaged my shoulders and his long fingers slid down the front of me, teasing the edge of my bra, it was all I could do not to adjust myself so that he’d “accidentally” touch my breast.
The teachers’ lounge starts filling up, so I struggle up out of my chair to head back to my classroom. I don’t particularly feel like being social right now but I have no choice for the rest of the day. We’re heading over to the high school with our classes to see where they’ll be going to school next year.
“I’ll catch you guys later,” I say, walking out of the teachers’ lounge toward my classroom.
I’ve always enjoyed the fact Sami and Isla are opposites. Sami is similar to me and loves everything to do with romance, while Isla is jaded when it comes to love. It made for interesting conversations and allowed me to always see both sides of an issue. But right now, I need the advice of a person who has been in this position. I always thought I’d marry some guy who swept me off my feet, but instead, I got knocked up by a professional football player during a one-night stand.
When the time comes, I head out to the front of the school where the buses are waiting. Shortly after, the eighth grade classes file out of the school and onto the buses.
“Hi, Miss Morgan,” Lucy says as she steps onto the bus stairs. “I can’t wait to go to the high school. So many cute boys.” Her eyes flutter, and she goes to her seat.
“Boy crazy,” Henry whispers, coming in behind her.
“We were all run by our hormones at that age though, weren’t we?” I say, sliding into the seat next to him. Sami and Isla are on the other bus.
“I think some of us still are.” He eyes my stomach, and I tilt my head, barely holding back my scowl. “You’re telling me you were thinking with your head when that little miracle was conceived?”
This is the first time he’s directly mentioned my decision to sleep with Damon last August. He’s always taken the pitying approach to my pregnancy, saying how sorry he felt that I’m in this situation and offering to help me with anything I might need.
“It was definitely hormones, but it’s turning out okay.” I wrap my arms around my stomach as if I’m shielding my baby from hearing that her daddy probably didn’t even know her mommy’s last name the night they got together.
“Yeah, I saw him at the girls’ basketball championship. He always looks at me like he wants to rip my arms off and feed them to me.” He chuckles as if he couldn’t care less.
That’s a tad dramatic.
“I’m sure that’s not it.”
“Believe me, the guy doesn’t like me. And I know that because once you’re at his side, he gets a smug look on his face like he’s won.”
There’s absolutely no way I’ve been missing all of this, but I’m not in the mood to argue about it, so I decide not to engage.
“Like once you went over to him that night and you were all giddy with laughter, he’d pin me with an amused stare.”
“We’re not a couple. We’re just trying to figure out this co-parenting thing.”
The bus finally starts, which I’m thankful for because I’m getting annoyed. Late pregnancy has apparently made me hornier and more temperamental than usual.
“I’m not blind. He’s worked his magic on you. If you think he’s changed, I’m here to tell you, as a man, men like that don’t change. Sure, maybe now, maybe even for a bit after the baby is born, but he’ll get restless, and he’ll be done with having his wings clipped. He’ll want to spread them wide again and fly to where and who he wants.”
Well, thank you for your opinion, Henry. Firmly, I say, “We’re not a couple and don’t intend to be. As long as he’s a good father, that’s all I care about.”
Lies, all lies, but Henry doesn’t need to know that. I already found myself thinking about the what-ifs the other day before I forced myself to get a grip. What the heck was I thinking? Damon Siska is not the guy you double down on.
I don’t engage Henry in conversation for the rest of the short trip to the high school.
As the kids file out of the bus, he stops me before we enter the building. “I didn’t mean to upset you. It’s just… it’s frustrating when guys like that give girls like you the wrong idea. It’s unfair to everyone involved.”
I yank my wrist from his hand. “Thank you, Henry, but you really don’t understand our relationship, so I’d appreciate you keeping your opinions to yourself.”
I hurry after my class, and we file into the auditorium so the principal can talk to us before we head off on our tour of campus.
The kids are behaving, and the tours are going well. Thankfully, we separated from Henry’s class once we were finished listening to the principal. If I’m lucky, I’ll get my class on another bus and not have to share with him again. The audacity of that man.
“Here’s our field house.” The senior leading the tour stops just inside the big track area with four basketball courts in between.
