“She’s my student. You know I can’t say anything about my students. They told me they’ve kept it a secret, but they knew it would come out soon with her enrolled in school.”
I have to cover the phone again when she screams, so people don’t hear her.
“And you knew?”
I drop my head back in shock, wonder, hell, even amazement of the memories that plagued me for so long last night that I couldn’t sleep.
His eyes had seemingly melted into mine. I thought I had been imagining things, but something about the way I’d felt made me pine for more. He’d spoken to me with his simple look, making me imagine the possibilities of being with someone I shouldn’t want in this world.
Maybe I wasn’t imagining it?
“Hello? Earth to Sarah. I’ve already had to wait all morning. Now, tell me.”
I close my eyes, letting the chills run through my body, which create goose bumps all over, before I respond, “I already did. She’s my student.”
“Law or not, best-friend code trumps silly law code.”
I laugh at her thought process. “I don’t think it works that way. Plus, it’s cool that he kept her a secret. I didn’t want to be the one to change her life and let their secret out.”
“Why? Why does my best friend have to be the one person on earth to actually follow the golden rule and have such a big heart?” she teases.
She’s back on the move, walking down the busy New York street, holding her arm out wide above her head, shouting up to God, looking like a crazy person and not having a care in the world about what people think. It’s amazing how different our living situations are.
We met when the school randomly paired us as roommates. I was the goody-two-shoes virgin who wore Gap sweaters and ballet flats, looking to break out of my shell. Maggie was the miniskirt-wearing, flirting-with-any-guy-she-could girl from Queens. We were completely opposite yet perfect for each other.
Her craziness opened me up, and my virtue calmed her down. Neither one of us changed too much, yet we both grew to become smaller versions of one another.
I laugh out loud. “Because I’m the only person to tame your ass.”
I hear her chuckle on the other end before she holds the phone up better for me to see her. “Yeah, you’re probably right about that. And I’m glad to hear you didn’t sayrear endthere. I amnotgoing back to those days with you. You hear me, missy?”
I can’t help the smile from the memories of her making fun of the way I used to speak. “Yes,Mom.”
“So, at least tell me what he smelled like.” She gives me a devilish grin.
Like manly heaven wrapped in a soft blanket placed around me.“I didn’t get close enough to smell him.”
“Liar!” she yells. “Your face can’t hide shit. You totally did. But that’s fine. Keep it to yourself. I won’t hold a grudge or anything. But you haven’t read what people are saying …”
My eyes open wide as I click to switch our call to a normal call. I pull up the article once again and start scanning.
“Are you reading now?” I hear her say through the speaker. “You see the speculation that you might be the little girl’s mom?”
Shock fills my soul.At least I know my dad won’t believe that.“No!”
“Actually, you might want to stay away from the comments people are posting. There are some haters out there but also people who want to share their knowledge. People from your small-ass town feel all big, knowing who you are, and were quick to rat you out.”
“They did not,” I say breathlessly.
“Um, yes, they did. You should make your Facebook and Instagram pages private because your life is being run through by jealous bitches.”
I tightly close my eyes, praying I don’t have anything too embarrassing on there.
“Miss Russo,” I hear someone say and turn around to see Linda.
I quickly pull the phone up to my ear. “Maggie, I’ll call you back.”
Linda steps a bit closer, and I see the trepidation in her facial expression. Her lips turn down in a frown, and she sighs. “I take it, you know.”
