Trinity nodded and he turned back to the adoration in Miranda's eyes. Her innocence and gratitude made him feel ten feet tall, like a hero.
Now, only if her mother would—
Just business,he reminded himself,just twelve months.
But his attempt at cautioning himself came far too late.
?TRINITY?
"Ma'am, I don't understand how we should monitor all her interactions; it would only prove difficult and succeed in making her feel isolated," said a snooty voice.
It set Trinity’s teeth on edge. "She is feeling isolated without the benefit of that now," she pointed out.
The older man seated across her smiled frostily, a move she expected was intimidating some, but not to her. "I hardly think childish squabbles are worth—”
She didn't allow him to finish his condescending statement before she countered hotly, "It is not childish squabble when they tell my daughter she is the granddaughter of a murderer!"
"That is another matter entirely," the older man finally subsided, a little shocked himself.
She made progress, but still refused to be pacified. “There is no way—” She almost blurted out her thoughts, but suddenly realized that Michael was tense beside her.
What had happened?He had been willing to allow her to battle it out while lending his support silently so far. Had she gone too far?
"We will do something about this, madam. I don't see how such vicious rumors could have originated from the children themselves." The principal conceded. He gave a sigh, indicating this was not the first time he had suffered an issue like this. "I assure you that I will have a stern talking to the parents and their kids. We do not tolerate such behavior within our educational setting."
Compared to his previous icy manner, he was humbled and apologetic now.
"See that you do," Michael growled, his one and only contribution to the conversation before he stood up and exited the office.
Trinity followed, wondering what had happened.
The silence between them remained as they got into the car and followed still as Michael drove out of the school grounds. She couldn’t help but look at him.
She must have done something, said something that upset him. Did that insult mean something to him, or had she fallen foul of a particular social etiquette by shouting at the principal?
She knew so little about this silent man, and now more than ever he seemed much more closed off. It put a whole a whole new spin on themarry in haste, repent in leisurephrase. She couldn't help wondering what made him suddenly rigid in the office, and his reason for storming out. His actions were nothing dramatic, but his abrupt leave was just that.
"I'm sorry she had to go through that," he said, his words surprising her.
He started to look over at her, but it was only a brief glance before he returned his attention back to the road. He turned the corner out of the school gates and into the main road.
"I'm sure you didn't expect the school to be negative for her."
"You don't understand," he continued.
That’s right, I don’t.The atmosphere chilled, and she could tell there was something weighing in his mind.
“No. It’s my fault in more ways than one.” He kept his eyes on the road, not looking at her. “You see, my mother killed my father when I was a young boy. Until now, I believed that was something that had faded out of the memories of many people, but apparently just because it faded out of mine, doesn’t mean it has left others."
He delivered it precisely, and so very politely. She hoped she was never a victim of his politeness — he handed it off like bombs.
She caught the distress lurking deep in his eyes, for the first time feeling like she knew him, Trinity felt like he had lied to her. She knew it as surely as she knew her own name.
He may have hoped people had all forgotten about it like he had, but where he was wrong was that he hadn’t forgotten it himself. No, not when it was etched like an invisible mark just under the skin, an ache that throbbed at the oddest moments.
And she knew this because she could understand what it was like trying to outrun her past, and trying to forget. She didn’t offer any judgment, because she was just as bad as he was about holding onto the past.
Without thinking, she allowed her hand to cross the console and rest gently on his thigh. He tensed at her touch, but she didn’t move from him.
