Page 30 (1/2)

I have a grip on the edge of the table that is so tight, I don’t even notice until Lake taps lances down at rasp and close ivethat my bout of jealousy will now be played off as if I were protecting her However, I’ but relieved I’m furious Javier is lucky his ass isn’t in here, because there would have been an extreht in this office

Lake continues sharing her version of the story, but I don’t hear another word of it I do ether until everyone’s dismissed, but it’s the hardest five minutes I’ve ever had to contain myself As soon as they dismiss her, Mr Cruz and Officer Venturelli follow her out the door I stand up in my seat and let out a breath I pace back and forth under the intense gaze of Mr Murphy I’h me, so I continue to pace and he continues to silently watch me

"Mr Cooper," he says cal else to add or is her version accurate?"

I pause and look at him "I wish it wasn’t accurate," I say, "but unfortunately it is"

"Will," Mr Murphy says "You did the right thing Quit being so hard on yourself Javier was completely out of line and if you weren’t there to stop hiirl"

"Is he being expelled?" I ask, stopping to grip the back of the chair

Mr Murphy stands and walks to the door where Officer Venturelli is outside speaking with Mr Cruz He closes the door and turns towardit was a ht she wanted hiht, but that’s the extent of his punishment"

I nod, very aware that what I’m about to do is the only answer at this point There’s no way I can ever be in the saain and not have it end badly

"Then I’d like to resign," I say evenly

16

the honeymoon

"YOU WILLINGLY RESIGNED?" Lake asks, dureement They would have let you keep your job, Will Why the hell did you resign?"

"Lake, there’s no way I could have continued teaching there I’d reached et fired one of tays if I hadn’t resigned that day"

"Why do you think that?"

"Because it’s true They would have fired me the first day Javier returned to school because I would have kicked his ass the moment I laid eyes on him That, or they would have fired me because one more second in a room with you and I would have jumped you, but in a cohs "Yeah The tension was intense We would have lost control eventually"

"Eventually? We lost control that sa her of our incident in the laundry roohs a deep sigh

"What’s wrong?" I ask her

She shakes her head "Nothing It’s just hard thinking about that night It really hurt," she whispers

I kiss her lightly on the forehead "I know I’m sorry"

laundry room

I SOMEHOW MADE it to the end of the workday without getting suspended, fired, or arrested I’d say being transferred to Detroit to finish outis one of the best outcomes I could have anticipated

I pull into the driveway and the boys are helping Lake and Julia with groceries I haven’t even made it out of the car yet when Caulderwith excite my hand "Wait till you see this!"

I walk across the street with hirab the rest of the sacks and take theroceries It looks like sewing supplies

"Guess e’re going to be for Halloween?" Caulder says

"Uh--"

"Julia’s cancer!" he yells

Did I just hear hilook

"You only live once, right?" She sus s," Kel says "You want toone"