Teaching Her a Lesson (Class is in Session Book 1) Read online

  He furrowed his eyebrows. “I thought we were...”

  “No,” I said. I let my legs fall from his sides and slipped off the desk, straightening myself up. The classroom came into focus from the haze Owen had brought upon me. As much as I wanted to keep kissing him, I realized just where we were and who he was. I turned my head to see his eyes holding my gaze in concern. It was one of the first times I had seen him show any kind of emotion. For a second, it seemed like he cared.

  “I’m in my classroom,” I explained, raising my hand to demonstrate. The artwork on the walls and the desks with the name tags flooded my mind. As much as it was a reminder to him, it was a reminder to me. “I know you couldn’t care less about how anyone sees you, but I’m supposed to be an example.”

  His face fell but he said nothing. I crossed my arms in front of my chest so I wouldn’t be tempted to give into him.

  “How am I going to teach my kids about respect when I can’t even respect myself? I mean, what’d you think was going to happen in this classroom, Owen? You really think I’m that kind of girl?”

  He looked taken aback, then he settled back into his default expression. Seemingly unbothered and indecipherable. I felt I had been too harsh when I saw how he fell into silence. Then, he spoke up. “Okay.”

  “Okay what?” I questioned him with an eyebrow raised. The way he was looking at me was both making me anxious and turning me on.

  “Okay, you’re right. I apologize for making you feel like I was using you or that I was disrespecting you.” My jaw dropped slightly. This was exactly what I was wanting from him since the meeting, but now considering everything, it just felt so odd.

  Fuck. I’m kidding. Kiss me again. Disrespect me all over this desk.

  I couldn’t stop the thoughts from surfacing, but I had to bite them down. Seeing how rigid he looked in front of me now, posted a foot away with his arms by his side like he wasn’t just all over me made me feel uneasy. Where did that leave us now? I reached out to touch his upper arm.

  “That doesn’t mean that we can’t...”

  “Stop,” he said. “We’re in a classroom, Chloe.” Hearing my words shot back at me made me grimace. “I should go.” I placed my hand on his upper arm to get him to stop just as my door swung open.

  “Miss Rivers!” a young girl waltzed in with her friend. Both of them running up to me excitedly, smiles beaming from ear to ear. I pulled my hand away from Owen.

  “I figured out an idea for my presentation.” My two students started going on about one of our class assignments as other students started spilling in. With the flurry of the morning hours, I didn’t even notice when Owen slipped out of the room.

  Chapter 4

  Owen

  Even though I wanted to keep kissing her, the last thing I wanted was for Chloe to feel disrespected. I settled into the seat at my desk just as my students walked in. “Mr. Masters!” I heard from a group of boys at their cubbies. I smiled at them.

  “Good morning guys,” I said back. “Go ahead and get settled in so we can start with announcements and then dive into History.”

  The handful of students who were in the classroom groaned. “Why do we have to start with History? Can’t we just jump into lunch? Gym?” one of the boys said.

  I shook my head and laughed. “Nope, I think one day you guys will realize how important learning about history really is...”

  ***

  It was the middle of the night. I hated that I couldn’t get back to sleep considering I had to get up early for work the next day, but I couldn’t help but toss and turn. I swung off the covers from my body, begging for sleep but afraid of what it might bring. I turned my head to see the framed photo on the dresser and shut my eyes tight to will the memories away, thinking back to the words I had told my students about the importance of history. I couldn’t even take my own advice.

  I started thinking about Chloe. To her, I couldn’t care less about what anyone thought of me when in reality, I cared about what she thought of me. I picked up my phone to note the time. Four AM. I would have to be up in an hour. My phone buzzed in my hand. Chloe. I remembered back to when she asked for my number so we could exchange ideas and get a hold of each other faster.

  I opened the message to see a screenshot of some decorations she liked. I was surprised to see that she was up so early and grateful for the distraction.

  Chole: I don’t expect you to be up but... I need your honest opinion.

  The truth was I didn’t have one. The one benefit of working on decorations for the gala was working with her, but if I didn’t come up with an answer, she’d get upset with me for not trying or making her feel some type of way. I never knew with her. I just always seemed to do or say the wrong thing.

  It’s nice. I wrote.

  She read the message according to the read receipts. Dots appeared after a beat and then the message: That’s it?

  What do you want me to say...? I wrote back.

  I was already getting sick of writing back and forth. It seemed communication always failed me in person and now it was via text too.

  Never mind. I’ll add it on the wish list.

  That was the last thing we said to each other. There was so much more I wanted to say but I couldn’t find the right words. I thought back to when I was kissing her. That was so much easier. As I stared up at the ceiling, I prayed for the right way to tell her that I was falling for her.

  Chapter 5

  Chloe

  I lay awake in my bed, staring blankly at the ceiling above me while the covers around me gathered like wings around my body. Everything was so still and quiet. I turned my head to see my alarm clock on my nightstand. Four AM. I sighed and fell back onto the bed, cursing myself for not being able to get back to sleep.

  Even after six months, it was still hard to get back into the pattern of sleeping alone. I thought back to the nights I spent cuddled next to my ex-boyfriend, Justin, and how he’d pull me in so close to him his warmth would just overwhelm me. Then I thought back to the times where he’d grab my arm too rough or yell at me because I had done something wrong. I squeezed my eyes shut at the memory. How he could be all around me—in my thoughts and actions—and be long gone baffled me. I hated how he managed to still control me.

  When I thought of Owen, I started to smile. I thought about how his eyes brightened when he was really listening to me and how I felt safe when he held me and kissed me. I remembered that I had his number. I scrolled down to his contact page and sent him a photo of some table pieces I had seen online. After seeing that the message had delivered, I fell back onto the bed and rolled onto my side, pulling my legs into my body so I could hold myself close. He’ll see it when he wakes up, I thought, and that way I have a reason to talk to him this morning.

  A sharp ding from my side grabbed my attention. I realized it was him after I read the message. It was a simple message, but I still got excited to have a reason to speak to him. I asked him for his honest opinion when he quickly approved of my choice, but all I got was It’s nice.

  I frowned at the message and typed something back, growing frustrated with his responses. I set my phone down to prevent myself from getting us into another disagreement, sighing as I threw the covers over my body to drown myself in darkness. It was foolish to fall for someone who seemed so uninterested and yet here I was.

  ***

  Although I could feel him sneaking glances at me during the day, I ignored Owen in the morning and during lunch time when the fourth and fifth grade classes met. I was almost successful until recess arrived. Jamie Watson, Miryam Webster and I were standing in a circle when I saw Owen making his way across the courtyard. With my sunglasses on, I was allowed to roll my eyes.

  “Look who’s on his way ladies,” Miryam said with an arched brow, clearly liking what she was seeing. “Mr. Masters is here. I’d be his student any day.” I was both annoyed and threatened at her comment but said nothing.

  “He is pretty attractive,”
Jamie said eyeing him from a distance.

  “He’s alright I guess,” I said shoving my hands into my pockets.

  “Alright? If that what you call a man who’s over six foot, has a job, a British accent, and was in the army. You just know he has body under that dress shirt,” Miryam added just as Owen joined the group.

  “Hey, ladies,” he said to the crowd, barely addressing me.

  “Hi,” Miryam chirped first.

  “How’s it going?” Jamie chimed.

  “Oh alright. It’s actually pretty nice out today. Spring is starting to show its face, huh?” Owen said with a smile.

  I rolled my eyes hard. Now, he was Mr. Smiles. I never got too many of those back to back, but it seemed all too easy for him to play nice with Miryam and Jamie. I could just imagine his response to that now. Something like...

  It’s not my fault you feel that way. What does how you feel have to do with me?

  “Miryam and I are in charge of food and after the theme became India, we’ve been working with some of the local restaurants so we can get some of the traditional cuisine available for the gala. How has decorations been for you guys? Hopefully not as hectic as trying to feed five hundred people.” Jamie’s eyes darted from Owen to me, expectant of an answer from either of us.

  I pursed my lips and waited for Owen’s take considering how he hadn’t done much of anything besides judge my choices and give vague opinions.

  “It’s going pretty well if I do say so myself,” he said to the ladies. Then he turned to me and said, “Chloe’s really got an eye for this stuff so you could say she pretty much does it all.” He laughed as though it were a joke and Miryam and Jamie followed with Miryam laughing the loudest. I felt my whole body tighten when she let her hand fall onto his upper arm as she took in his weak joke.

  “Oh, Owen,” she said. “Chloe, you two must have a lot of fun working together.”

  “Lots,” I said dryly.

  Miryam nodded, but then turned to Owen for his take.

  “We have a lot of fun,” he said. He glanced at me briefly. The look in his eyes told a story that only he and I knew, but the subject was quickly changed.

  “Did you guys hear that Bethany resigned?” Jamie asked the crowd.

  “When?” I questioned.

  “Yesterday evening,” she added. “Crazy right?”

  “It is crazy,” Owen said. “She was a good teacher.”

  I shot a glance at him. As much as some times he made me want to jump on him and kiss him, other times I just wanted to just jump on him. “Are we really going to do this again?”

  “Do what?” he asked.

  “The thing you do when you act like an insensitive asshole?”

  I could hear the women ooh in shock of my tone and language on the playground, but I didn’t care.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.

  I sighed and held my tongue. The gawking from Miryam and Jamie was enough to make me want to disappear. He had managed to make me feel small, yet again. I pulled away from the group and dismissed myself. “I need to get started on the next lesson.”

  I saw something shift in Owen’s eyes but didn’t wait long enough for him to say anything. Unlike a few months ago, I respected myself enough to know when to give up on someone who would never get it.

  Chapter 6

  Owen

  Chloe pulled away from the group. All the energy she normally had drained out of her in record time. My face fell at the fact that I was responsible. “I need to get started on the lesson,” she said to no one in particular before turning away.

  “Chloe,” I said to get her attention, but she was already halfway across the courtyard, calling for her students’ attention.

  “What’s up with her?” I heard Miryam mumble.

  I sighed and shook my head, disappointed at myself for screwing up the one thing I care about.

  ***

  I waited a little bit after dismissal so I could catch her before she left for the day. “Chloe.” I called out for her attention as she fumbled with her keys outside her door. “Can we talk? Please.”

  She shot me a glance but continued to lock her classroom door. “I have no time.” She moved away from the door and started walking down the hallway. I could only follow, pleading for a chance to explain myself.

  “Chloe could you just give me one second?” I begged as she opened the door to the stairwell, secluding us from the rest of the school.

  “What? Why?” she cried out. I could hear the sorrow in her voice, a reminder at how badly I had fucked up after all these months. As much as I didn’t want her to be, she was right. I didn’t care what anyone else thought of me, so I didn’t have to pretend to care about their feelings. Despite this, seeing Chloe with her eyes full of pain shot my pride like no other and I wanted to fall before her and tell her everything that I was feeling—take a chance on her understanding and potentially reciprocating the love that was growing for her.

  But this feeling was so foreign to me, I could only muster a soft, “I’m sorry,” that seemed insufficient considering everything.

  “That’s what you wanted to talk about?”

  “Yes,” I said. “I mean, no that’s not it.”

  “Well then what is it?” she asked incredulously. “You manage to be so quick with your words when it’s with other people. So quick with a smile, so quick to be pleasant. I mean, what is it? Is it me? Am I just so awful? What did I do or say to you that made you feel like you could treat me like this?”

  Now she was on the verge of tears. She sucked her teeth and straightened up. “I think it’s best we focus on finishing the tasks for the gala in two weeks. Clearly, whatever this is isn’t working.”

  I was at a loss for words. It seemed nothing I said or did would be enough for her to understand what I was still trying to make sense of in my head.

  “Okay,” I said reluctantly. “Maybe we get the bulk of it done this weekend.”

  “Where?” she quickly responded.

  “Um, my place works...”

  A silence fell on top of us. I hated myself for feeling so futile. She nodded her head before walking off, the thud of the door closing on the first floor being the only sign that she was gone. I sighed and hung my head. It was my turn to sulk.

  Chapter 7

  Chloe

  The looming weekend brought a sense of rest, but as I poured the wine into a glass that Friday evening, I could only think of the events of earlier that day. I poured a little bit more just for the frustration Owen brought upon me. I took a long sip. That was to I don’t knows and I’m sorries. I moved to my sofa and settled into the deep cushions, feeling the lightness in my head taking over as a black and white film played.

  There was a knock on my door just as I was refilling my glass a second time. “One second,” I said as I moved to the front of my apartment. I peeked through the peephole and froze. I hadn’t seen him in six months and yet here he was at my door, looking slightly shorter but with a grown-out beard.

  “It’s me, Chloe. Open the door. I want to see you,” I heard.

  The glass in my hand felt heavy, but I still raised it to my lips and downed the entire thing. I held my hand to the door, feeling my body quivering at the idea of him. Despite everything he had put me through, I felt enough power to pull the door open and look him in the eyes. “What do you want, Justin?”

  “Can I come in?”

  His low voice brought chills over my body. I glanced back at my apartment and then back at him. After shutting the door as he entered, I realized what I had done but refused to let him see me as weak. I was past that.

  “What do you want?” I asked him again.

  “I wanted to...” Apologize. I didn’t realize it, but I had been wanting of an apology since we split up. I held my breath in anticipation. “Tell you that I am getting married.” My eyes widened in shock. “I know it’s really soon considering...everything and I know you’re probably wondering wh
y I’m telling you this at all, but I didn’t want you seeing it on social media without you hearing it from me. I mean, I loved you after all.” He reached out his hand to touch me but I flinched and pulled away. This was the last thing I was expecting from him.

  He had managed to con some poor woman into marrying him in less than six months. I felt sick because that could’ve been me and yet here I was feeling as worthless as he had made me feel all three years that we were together.

  “Could you please stop?” I pleaded softly.

  “Stop what?”

  “Lying!” I exclaimed hysterically. “You never loved me. You don’t love her. I’m convinced you’re incapable of loving anyone but yourself.” Shock plagued his face while I spoke which riled me up even more. “Did you love me when you were cheating on me? Or how about when you took advantage of every opportunity to drag me down. I was never good enough for you. I bet you loved me most when you put your hands on me.”

  It got quiet. Even he didn’t have the courage to say anything as I looked deep into his eyes, remembering how wild they got when he got angry. “Did you love me then, Justin?”

  “I already apologized for that.”

  “No you didn’t! If you’re referring to that half-assed sorry you gave me a few hours after you’d hit me, remember how you’d blame me right afterward. You shouldn’t talk to me like that, Chloe. You should’ve known better. Fuck you.” I scoffed. I could feel the tears burning at the sides of my eyes but I refused to let them fall in front of him. “Fuck you,” I shot at him again. “Now get the hell out of my house.”

  He lingered for a beat, wanting to say more but realizing how wrong he was. For once. He stalked off past me. After I heard the door shut behind him, I lost control of my tears and let them fall down my cheeks like a river.

  ***

  I didn’t know I was at his door until he pulled it open, eyebrows knitted together in confusion. “Chloe, I thought we were meeting tomorrow,” Owen said, looking down at me. He pulled open the door when I couldn’t find the words to speak and shut it after I walked into his apartment.