Page 33 of The Teacher

Ugh. He’s so cockily annoying it turns me on.

Why do I always fall for the bad guys?

Typical Sandy Finn.

He leads me to his car, a very fancy Lamborghini. Just a rental, he says like it’s a crap car or something and not a luxury sports car. And he drives us off to Rockpool, the restaurant. The same restaurant my cousin, Cliff, owns. I don’t think Cliff’s been back here in New Water for years. He’s off gallivanting around Europe. Last time he called me he said he was partying pretty hard in London, and I believed him. He’s a typical playboy, just like all the other men in my family. Breaking hearts, still, after all these years. Never changing.

It would be nice for him to come home though, I miss him.

Skipper is a fast driver, but also incredibly smooth. He doesn’t cross any road markings at all on the way to the restaurant, not once. He’s immaculate in his driving, it’s just that he’s very fast. I watch him as we speed around the bendy roads of New Water. His face is stoic as he drives. Strong. His jawline is sharp and his eyes focused. The man’s a supermodel out of a catalog, and he’s only gotten more defined and handsome after eight years. Damn.

We arrive at the restaurant in the center of town overlooking the beaches. Skipper talks to the waiter on the way inside. He’s already booked us a table. We sit in the back in one of the booths. A place private, away from the other customers.

He wants us to be left alone together.

“I’m here for just a drink,” I say to the waiter when he tries to hand us food menus. He nods and hands me just the drink menu and then disappears. From across the table, Skipper stares at me from under his perfectly groomed brown hair. He really does think he can change my mind on my one drink policy.

Oh, he’s so wrong.

“So, it’s one drink and then back to my place?” he asks with a smirk.

I glare back at him. “Don’t be so filthy.”

“Or what are you going to do, Miss Finn? Punish me? Teach me a lesson? Put me in detention?”

“I wish I could.”

“Let’s go then. Back to my hotel suite.”

“You’d be so lucky.”

“Come on,” Skipper says. He slides closer to me in the booth so that we are sitting side-by-side. “What’s the issue? You’ve been nothing but angry at me since I’ve come back. Am I ever going to see the real Miss Finn, or are you going to remain pissed off at me forever?”

“The issue?” I ask, whispering so we can’t be overheard by the other customers. “The issue is what you did eight years ago and the fact you think we can just ignore it.”

Skipper bows his head so that I can no longer see his face. He goes quiet and stays like that for a long time. I nearly lean over and ask what’s wrong before he sits up again. I’m shocked. I notice his eyes are actually wet like he’s actually got tears in them. He takes my hand in his.

“I am sorry about what happened,” he softly says under his breath. “I am so sorry. You must know, it’s haunted me every day of my life. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t want to get into a time machine and go back to that party and tell my drunk ass not to go through with it. One moment of stupid impulse has destroyed me inside and out every day for the rest of my life, and I know that what I do or say from now on will never reverse what happened. But I just want to say sorry to you. For everything. That’s why I’m here. That’s why I’m truly here.”

I look at him, deep into his brown eyes, and I know he’s telling the truth. I know Skipper Deep like the back of my hand, and I know when he’s being certified one hundred percent genuine. There’re not many times when he is, but right now is one of them. His cocky façade is down and I’m seeing the real vulnerable him. The man I fell in love with all those years ago.

He’s actually sorry. Skipper Deep wants to tell me he’s sorry.

“You’re sorry?” I ask.

“I am.”

I lean back in my seat and let go of his hand. “Wow, that’s a lot to take in.”

“I know.”

I remember that night. Ascending those stairs in that house, opening that bedroom door. The image of Skipper and my best friend in bed together. Exposed. It comes flooding back to me like it happened yesterday.

I can’t forget something that easily. Not over some nice words.

It’ll take a lot more for me to trust him again.

“You better understand that this doesn’t change anything between us,” I say. “Just because you come back to New Water and say you’re sorry doesn’t mean I’ll just jump back into bed with you.”