Alex’s voice finally cuts through the silence, low and unwavering.
I flinch, caught off guard. He’s walking towards me now, there’s something in his expression—like he’s assessing me, like he already knows the answer but wants to hear me say it.
For a brief second, I almost forgot about the woman who just left. Almost.
I blink, “How did you—”
He tilts his head slightly, like my question is pointless.
“I have my ways.”
Of course, he does. I press my lips together, my fingers curling into the hem of my shirt. Why does he care?
“Why does it matter?” I ask, my voice quieter now, but there’s a sharp edge beneath it.
He exhales, eyes narrowing slightly.
“You agreed to quit.”
I let out a humorless breath, shaking my head.
“It’s not something I can do easily.”
“Why?” His jaw tenses. “You really want us to go back and forth with this again?”
I hesitate.
Why?
Because this—whatever this is—feels too fragile. Too good to be true, and I can’t trust it.
I look away, my throat tightening.
“Because I don’t believe this will last,” I say quietly.
The words hang between us, heavier than I expect. Alex doesn’t say anything right away, but I can feel the shift in him. I swallow and keep going, because now that I’ve started, I might as well finish.
“I don’t believe that teaching you ASL will last for long, and I’m not going to throw away a job I need just because you think I should.”
He exhales sharply, shaking his head.
“Lucas—”
We’re not the same, Alex.” My voice wavers slightly, but I push through. “You can afford to throw money at anything you want, but I can’t. I have to take care of myself. I don’t have the luxury of trusting someone to take care of me.”
He presses his lips together, his frustration evident.
“Then what do you want me to do?” He asks, anger evident in his tone. “Should we sign a legal contract? Would that make you believe me?”
I flinch at the sharpness in his tone.
“We can have an agreement,” he continues, voice controlled now but tight. “I’ll put it in writing, Lucas. You’ll get paid. You won’t have to worry—”
I let out a bitter laugh, cutting him off.
“You really don’t get it, do you?”
His jaw clenches and his eyes narrow slightly.
