Chapter 1
The last bell of the day—of the week—shrilled, and I had to raise my voice to be heard over the eruption of teenagers whooping it up for their two-day freedom.
“Remember—your rough drafts are due on Monday!”
A couple of thoughtful kids glanced back and nodded, but most of them were already gone, spilling into the hallway in waves of laughter, slammed lockers, and shouted plans.
Minutes ticked by on the wall clock as the noise faded, replaced by a quiet so sudden it felt unnatural.
I dropped into my chair with a sigh. “What a week.”
“Tell me about it, Nicole. Is it just me, or do they get more difficult every year?”
I looked up.
Principal Bill Dracut leaned casually against the doorframe, looking exactly as he had that morning—sharp, composed, untouched by the chaos of the day.
By contrast, I felt wrung out. My blouse had lost its crispness sometime around third period, and I was pretty sure a strand of hair had intentionally escaped my ponytail and was now permanently committed to rebellion.
But Bill? Not a single hair out of place.
His white button-down was still perfectly tucked, sleeves rolled just enough to suggest ease without sacrificing control. The lavender print silk scarf draped over his shoulders made him look more like a sexy university professor than a high school principal.
Sexy. Intelligent. Controlled.
Even the glasses he’d started wearing after his separation from his wife only added to the effect. I secretly suspected they were part of his new and revised persona – like I said, sexy and intelligent. He had even let his hair grow out just enough to signal that he embraced a touch of rebellion.
“I don’t know,” I said. “Feels like they get louder. Either that are we are just getting older.”
Bill chuckled, pushing off the doorframe and stepping inside. “And less tolerant. You going to the game tomorrow?”
“Probably not,” I admitted. “I get my fill of the kids during the week.”
“Now who sounds old? You should come,” he said easily. “It’d be fun. I can pick you up.”
I blinked.
“In fact,” he continued, “I didn’t see your car in the lot. Everything okay?”
“Oh—yeah. My brother’s using it. His is in the shop.”
“In that case,” he said, more certain now, “let me give you a ride home. We could grab a drink first. Decompress a little. Complain like old people about teenage angst.”
There it was.
Clear enough that I couldn’t pretend I misunderstood.
And for a second—just a second—it felt… nice, maybe exciting.
He had been popping by my classroom after school for a couple of weeks now. Not in a predatory kind of way, rather like he was on a scouting expedition.
“I’d love to, Principal Dracut,” I said, hearing the stiffness in my own voice, “but I promised my brother I’d help with the nursery tonight. Karen’s due in a couple of weeks. It’s kind of all hands on deck.”
The lie came out too easily.
He studied me for a beat.
“Another time, then. And remember – it’s Bill after the last bell.”
“Perhaps,” I said. He was handsome. He was smart. I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t fantasized about him. But I was uncomfortable with the fact that he was still married. His divorce wasn’t final yet. I didn’t want to get in the middle of their affairs.
Been there. Done that. Not him, but another. No fun.
And of course there was the fact he was my boss.
I stood, grabbing my bag, suddenly needing movement. “He’s probably already outside.”
“I’ll walk you out,” Bill said, a little too quickly.
We stepped into the hallway together.
“Can I help you?” Bill’s tone shifted slightly as he looked past me.
“I’m looking for Nikki’s classroom.”
The name hit me like dropped glass.
Sharp. Sudden. Splintering.
My heart stuttered.
Only a handful of people ever called me that anymore.
No.
That wasn’t—
“Nikki?” Bill repeated. “Do you mean Nicole? You found her.”
I didn’t move right away.
I couldn’t.
Suddenly, I was aware of everything—my nails in need of a manicure, my messy hair, the fact that I had been complaining about teenagers thirty seconds ago like that mattered.
“Hi, Nikki—Nicole, I mean.”
And there he was.
Jonas Wyatt.
Filling up my doorway.
And filling out his jeans, T-shirt and flannel in a way I didn’t remember from high school.
Time didn’t stop. That would’ve been easier.
Instead, everything kept moving—air, sound, my pulse pounding too loud in my ears.
He looked the same.
And not.
Still tall. Broader now. More defined. His hair shorter, his jaw shadowed with stubble that hadn’t existed back then.
And that smile.
God, that smile.
“It’s Jonas,” he added, stepping forward. “Jonas Wyatt.”
“I know who you are,” I said quickly, forcing my feet to move.
I reached out for a handshake.
He didn’t.
He pulled me into a quick, warm hug instead.
My brain short-circuited.
“Long time,” he said, pulling back. “You look exactly the same.”
Heat flooded my face.
“I’m not sure that’s a compliment,” I said, trying to laugh it off.
“It is,” he said easily. “Only difference is you’re more beautiful than I remember.”
I wasn’t prepared for that.
“I’m Bill Dracut,” Bill said, stepping in, “Nicole and I work together.”
Jonas turned to him, and they shook hands—firm, measured.
“Jonas Wyatt. Nikki and I went to school together.”
The way he said Nikki.
Like it belonged to him. Maybe a long time ago. I used to like the sound of it rolling off his tongue.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, needing to redirect the electrical spark I felt. Ground yourself, Nikki. You’re not seventeen anymore.
“Roger called me,” Jonas said. “Karen went into labor. He couldn’t make it.”
My stomach dropped. “What? She’s early—”
“He said she’s fine. Told me to pick you up.”
I was already moving.
“Take me to the hospital,” I said, barely remembering to lock the classroom door.
Jonas stayed close as I moved down the hall, his stride matching mine easily.
“I stayed with them last night,” he added. “Helped get some stuff done around the house.”
“That’s good,” I said quickly. “That’s really good.”
“Hey,” Bill’s voice came from behind us as he caught up. “You don’t have to rush off like that. I can take you.”
I slowed, just slightly.
“Maybe we could stop on the way,” he added, his tone lighter now, but not casual. “Like we talked about.”
I turned. For a split second, I saw it clearly:
Bill—steady, predictable, offering exactly what I understood.
Jonas—quiet, watching, not offering anything… but somehow taking up more space anyway.
“I’m good,” I said, a little too quickly. “I’ll talk with you later, Bill.”
Bill nodded, though his eyes lingered for a moment longer than before.
“Alright,” he said. “Let me know how everything goes.”
“I will.” And then I turned away, making my way to the front doors.
The air outside hit cooler than I expected.
Jonas’s car was pulled along the curb in the No Parking area. Of course it was. No one ever told Jonas what he could and could not do.
He moved ahead of me, opening the passenger door without a word. I hesitated.
“You gonna stand there all day,” he said, glancing at me, “or are you getting in?”
There it was.
That edge.
Familiar.
Unsettling.
I narrowed my eyes slightly.
“Is this the same car from high school?”
“Yeah. Just runs better now.”
“Is it really purple?”
“Midnight violet. Purplish in the right light.” He sounded and looked proud.
“Do you want a ride or not? Because I think Bill would have been more than happy to give you one.”
I got in, despite the feeling that I was reliving raw, painful moments from a lifetime ago.
The door shut with a solid thud, sealing me into a space that suddenly felt… smaller than it should.
Jonas rounded the front of the car and slid into the driver’s seat with ease and confidence.
The engine turned over.
And then—
Silence. For a second too long.
“Thanks,” I said finally. “For coming.”
“Yeah,” he said, pulling away from the curb. “Roger told me to get you.”
I glanced at him.
He glanced back. Just briefly. But it was enough.
“What?” I asked.
One corner of his mouth lifted. “Nothing.”
“That didn’t sound like nothing.”
“What did it sound like?”
And just like that, he looked back at the road.
Like he hadn’t just done what he had always done – make me feel too self-conscious. Naked. Flawed.
I shifted in my seat, suddenly aware of everything—my hands, my posture, the way I was breathing.
I reached up, tucking that damn loose hair behind my ear—
“You still do that.”
“Do what?”
“That.” He nodded toward my hand. “When you’re thinking.”
My stomach dropped. “That’s… oddly specific.”
“Yeah.”
Silence again.
“You remember that?” I asked before I could stop myself.
“You always sat by the window. Second row. Played with that strand of hair.”
I stared at him. “You’re kidding.”
“I don’t kid much.”
“That’s all you do,” I snapped.
That half-smile again.
“Just like the good old days.”
That landed harder than it should have. “Glad to see you’ve grown up.” My temper was starting to flare – felt the heat creeping up my neck. God … he still had the ability to get under my skin, in both bad and good ways.
He responded by laughing and rolling down his window. “Getting a little too hot in here.”
“Stop being so dramatic and just get me to the hospital,” I responded, trying not to brood and pout.
“No can do. Roger told me to pick you up and bring you back to their place.”
I whipped my head toward him. Was he joking again? “Why? I want to go to the hospital.”
“Murphy needs to go out.”
“You’re staying with them. You can take him out. I want to go to the hospital.”
“Damnit, Nikki, you’re still as pig-headed as ever!” He slapped a palm on the steering wheel.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean? And why didn’t Roger call me instead of you?”
“Because he can’t say no to you.” He sighed heavily and sunk into his seat, looking uncomfortable.
“I don’t understand what you’re getting at. He can’t say no to me about what?”
“About anything,” Jonas sounded exasperated.
“You’re not making any sense, Jonas. Please just take me to the hospital.” I placed my hands calmly on my lap, intending to keep my composure when I felt like I was about to lose it.
“No,” he said. “I can’t. Karen wants this time to be just her and Roger.”
The words landed hard.
I stared out the window, jaw tight.
Silence filled the car.
After a minute, I forced my voice steady. “Can you just take me home?”
“Look, I know that was a shitty way for Roger to handle the situation. But I was available. If it makes you feel better, he doesn’t want me there either.” He ended the sentence with his heart stopping smirk, but my soul was already feeling too weighted to care.
Please, God …no, no, no. The tears were threatening to surface. Not in front of him of all people, please.
“No, I get it. It’s their time, personal time. I should have thought of that myself. I’m just so excited to meet my niece. I wasn’t thinking. But it’s been a long week. I just want to go home.”
“I’ll take you home. On one condition.”
“I didn’t realize my request was up for debate,” I said, trying to sound merrier than I felt.
“Take a ride with me?”
“And why would I do that?”
“Because I’m asking nicely.” Jonas shrugged.
I was tempted and curious, but I also just wanted to go home and sort out my thoughts and bruised feelings. Roger and I weren’t actually twins but we might as well have been. I felt shut out. It was an odd feeling. Even through their multiple failed pregnancies, I had been there for them. Not just Roger – Karen too.
“Another time? Please. Besides Murphy needs his walk. You drop me off and go take care of the dog.”
Jonas audibly sighed and pushed up his sleeves. The tendons and muscles in his arms were like a marble statue, but not so cold. Tanned and sinewy in a way that had my mind swirling. His right one showcased an elaborate tattoo. At my angle, I could make out a cross with wings.
“Is that new?” I pointed at the artwork.
“I’ve had it for a while. Got it right out of high school.” He immediately pushed his sleeves back to his wrists.
“Hey! I wanted to see that.”
“Another time. I’ve got to drop you off and take care of Murphy.”
“C’mon, are you seriously going to be like that?”
“Yep. Another time. It’s personal and I would rather spend a few minutes discussing with you, if and when you want to.”
“You’re just pissed I won’t go for a ride with you. You don’t get to have everything the way you want when you want.”
“Tell me about it, Queen of her way or the highway.”
“Excuse me?”
Jonas flared his nostrils and went stone-faced.
I crossed my arms and just as quickly uncrossed them. My hands needed something to do, so I reached for the radio dial.
“Nope,” he said sternly.
“Stop being a baby, Jonas.”
“It doesn’t work.”
I ignored him as I rifled through my bag for my cellphone. Still no messages or calls from Roger. Suddenly the tears started to roll. There was no stopping them. But Jonas was too busy feeling sorry for himself to notice. Thank goodness. I didn’t need to hear his remarks.
He pulled into my driveway, and I hopped out way too fast for him to even consider getting the door for me. “Thank you,” I said as I slammed the car door and marched to my side stairs.
I waited to hear the rumble of his car but it didn’t come. What the hell was he waiting for? Just go already. I stole a look back to him and he was watching me. I rummaged for my keys and quickly let myself in, slamming the kitchen door. I propped myself against it and when the engine revved in reverse and down the street – it was only then that I slumped to the floor and cried until I could barely breathe.
