“No,” I said, closing out of the program and standing up. “I’ve got everything I need.”
I kept my breathing steady as I headed to my classroom. Now that I knew the underlying issue, it was time for me to be the ally Benny deserved.
FOUR
BEN
Warning Call
Dig. Fling. Dig. Fling. Dig. Fling.
I was completely locked in the rhythm of my task when my phone let out a shrill ring. Digging a ditch wasn’t exactly glamorous, but it was involved enough to keep me occupied and menial enough that I could let my mind rest. Technically, I didn’t need the money from the gig I was doing—I had the entire pack treasury plus the money I took when I finished off the last of the rogues who killed my pack—but it was a way to stay busy and get exercise.
Naturally, I would give up every single cent to have my family back. Hell, I’d swear myself to poverty for the rest of my life if it meant I could spend one more hour with my wife.
But that wasn’t how it worked. No matter how hard I wished, my pack had been massacred, and I hadn’t been there to protect them.
It was my fault.
RING.
Oh, right. My phone.
I always kept it on full volume so Natalie could reach me if there was an emergency with my daughter, but she’d set her own ringtone. The sound emanating from my phone wasn’t that. No, it was the shrill and over-the-top default tone.
Who would possibly be calling me?
I didn’t recognize the number, but then again, I didn’t have anynumbers memorized beyond that of my childhood home, and I’d sold that along with the rest of our pack lands. I knew I couldn’t step foot onto those grounds ever again, not with the blood that had been spilled there. Every moment of every day, I would be reminded of how I’d failed my people. How I’d allowed myself to be tricked like a complete fool, a moron of the highest order. At least where I was now, I could occasionally forget if I was occupied or tired enough.
RING.
Shit, my phone.
“Hello?”
“Hello, Mr. Poynter?”
“Speaking.”
“Oh, fantastic. I apologize for calling without emailing first, but this is your son’s teacher, Miss Fischbacher. I wanted to touch base with you about a few things.”
I frowned, trying not to feel defensive. My boy was a great student, so if she was about to spin me a tale about how he was trouble in class, I would be highly dubious.
“How may I help you?”
“I want to start off with saying that Benny isn’t in any trouble at all. I just have some concerns I would love to discuss with you in person.”
“Concerns?” I repeated, feeling like a stupid parrot. I hadn’t really talked to anyone at school since the beginning of the school year, and it was almost like I sent Junior to aseparate world every day. As far as Junior told me, everything was amazing, and he enjoyed his friends and his class, but considering I’d been homeschooled, I would have no idea if he was lying to me.
But my son wouldn’t lie to me.
Would he?
No. Junior was my best friend, and he knew he could tell meanything.We had literally lost everything and had been rebuilding our lives together for the past year.
“Yes. I am aware that Benny’s circumstances are unlike most students, or any student’s, really, and I’d like to discuss some possible special help that might be a huge boon to him. Are you available anytime this week or the next?”
“I can come in tomorrow.” I didn’t need to check my calendar. Outside of the gig work I did, my whole life revolved around my children. I didn’t think I could ever truly recover and learn to live after everything that had happened, but iftheycould, then fighting to survive every day was worthwhile. The nightmares were worthwhile.
