***
The next day, I had just turned in a project when my office phone rang.
I answered it and said, “Lila Durant.”
“Yes, Ms. Durant. This is Principal Henning. There’s been a problem at the school. Cole Adams asked me to call you. It would be in his best interest for you to come down here.”
I remembered telling him I would be right there, and then I flew out of my office, out of the building, and out to my car.
The only thing I remembered about the drive was pulling in front of the school.
I had just opened my door, climbed out, when a body moved.
It was as if my body recognized it was him before my mind could tell that it was.
And I flinched as he crowded in front of me.
I knew he saw it.
Felt it.
He placed his hands on either side of me, caging me in. “Know I fucked up. But your opinions, your thoughts, hell, everything about you is something I treasure. So, I want you to be in there and be the woman I know you are, right down to your core. A mama beast.”
I sighed, then I said, “For Cole.”
He looked deep into my eyes, and nodded, then he whispered, “Gonna make it up to you. Fucking swear it.”
Then he moved away from me, and we walked side by side into the school.
The moment we entered the office, I looked at Cole first, and when I saw the blood on the corner of his mouth, I made my way over to him.
Before I could even talk to Cole, Mr. Henning snapped, “He’s suspended. Get him out of my school.”
I froze mid-step. And in a low tone, I warned, “You are going to hold the fuck on.”
Mr. Henning snapped back, “You will not speak to me like that.”
I sneered at the asshole.
Once an asshole, always an asshole.
“I will speak to you anyway I choose. You're nothing but a disgrace. You call yourself a leader of the youth? What a crock of shit. My boy is sitting there with a cut on his lip, and nothing has been done to help him.”
Ignoring his blustering ass, I knelt in front of Cole.
I reached up and fingered the cut to this lip, and softly, I asked, “What happened?”
“Hale,”
I growled.
“Are you fucking kidding me?”
Cole nodded.
I pulled out my phone and called Frank.
“Hey there, sweetheart. Everything okay?”
