Page 28 of Working for the Teacher

“Reyes pulled me off the job. Told my boss I threatened that kid yesterday. Cornered him, intimidated him.”

“That's not what happened. I was right there.”

“Doesn't matter what actually happened. Matters what supposedly got reported, and what got reported is a grown man with my record getting in a kid's face.”

“I'll tell them the truth. I'll go talk to Reyes right now.”

“Charlotte. No.”

“Why not?”

“Because it won't matter, and you'll end up in the middle of this. Reyes has been waiting for a reason to do this since the day I showed up on this job. You arguing with him isn't gonna change his mind. It's just gonna put a target on you too.”

“I don't care about that.”

“I do. You've got a job here. A life you're trying to rebuild. I'm not gonna let you burn any of that trying to defend me to a man who already decided who I am a long time ago.”

“This isn't fair,” she says.

“No. It's not.” I lean against the tailgate, some of the fight draining out of me all at once. “But he's the vice principal, and he's had power over people like me for a long time, and we both know exactly how this ends if you push it. He wins. He always wins. That's how this works.”

“I hate this,” she says.

“Yeah. Me too.”

I see Dave making his way out of the school.

“I've gotta talk to my boss, figure out where we actually stand. I'll come by tonight.”

“Ryder.” She catches my sleeve before I can turn away. “This isn't who you are. Whatever they're saying, whatever he's trying to make it look like. I know exactly who you are, and it's not that.”

For a second, I can’t say anything. She has no idea what those words do to me. I’ve spent half my life trying to prove I’m not the kid everyone in this town remembers. Most days, I’m not even sure it matters how much I’ve changed. People see what they expect to see.

But Charlotte doesn’t.

Her hand is still curled around my sleeve, and I cover it with mine.

“You really believe that?”

Her eyes soften. “I do.”

I bring her hand to my mouth and press a kiss to her knuckles.

“I mean it, Ryder.”

“I know.” I hold her gaze. “That’s why it means so fucking much.”

9

CHARLOTTE

Imarch down to Reyes’s office and I don't slow down until I'm standing in front of his closed door, knocking loudly.

“Come in.”

He's behind his desk when I push the door open, reading something he doesn't bother looking up from right away. When he finally does glance up and sees it's me, something shifts in his expression.

“Ms. Hayes.”