30. Kat

Chapter 30

E ven after our weekend together, I still don’t feel like Nathan had enough. If not for Addison and the fact that Monday meant work for him and the guys being back from their trip, I think he would still have me hidden away in that house with him.

Not that I’m complaining. I’m pretty sure I’ve never been more sore, but I also don’t think I’ve ever had so many orgasms back to back.

It’s strange to think that had almost been my house.

So many things happened and lined up perfectly for us to get where we are right now, and despite all the crazy, I can’t help but be thankful for it all.

I know Nathan’s right about my job, which is why Vince is currently driving me to collect my things instead of being back at the house with Desmond and Addison, much to Desmond’s dismay.

As much as I love my job, it’s not like I’ll be giving up teaching, not really. I’ll still have Addison, and he even offered to let me homeschool her if it made me feel better. As of right now, I don’t think that will be necessary, but it was nice of him to offer. Not to mention, I could always look for another job at a different school or maybe as a tutor or an assistant.

It’s not as if Nathan is simply trying to monopolize my time. He had no issue with me working before it became a possible safety risk.

He’s not Carter. I remind myself once again because, despite the panic I feel doing this, I know Nathan, Desmond, and Alex only have my best interest at heart.

The drive to the school makes me nervous despite my belief that it’s the right decision.

“You alright back there?” Vince calls back to me, and I realize I’d spent most of the drive staring out the window in a daze, fiddling with my necklace.

Nathan insisted I wear it despite my feeling it’s too fancy for daily wear. I lost that argument, but he did promise me to try to tone it down in the future.

That didn’t make me feel better as I didn’t want him buying more for me, but at this point, I’m almost positive it’s impossible to stop him.

“Huh? Oh, yes. Sorry, I’m just a bit nervous,” I tell him truthfully.

“Nah, there's nothing to be nervous about. If they give you a hard time about it, let me know, and I’ll come in and handle them for you.” He winks at me in the rearview mirror, and I can’t help but laugh, picturing it.

I know he’s joking, but Vince is an intimidating guy. The thought of him putting Barbara in her place was exactly what I needed to loosen up a bit.

“Ah, that’s better,” he says, turning into the school's drive and pulling up in front of the door. “But seriously, any issues, just let me know.”

“Thank you,” I say quickly as I watch him move to exit the car. Before he can make it out, I quickly open my own door and climb out.

“Kat.” I can hear his growl of annoyance, but when I exit the car and turn to face him, I see his smile.

“I’ll be back in a few,” I tell him with a wave before making my way up the stairs and into the building before he can yell at me.

I’m not sure when it happened, but I can’t deny I love messing with Vince. Something about him seems as though he should be the most serious person ever, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Unfortunately, my playful mood doesn’t last as I make my way into the main office and find Barbara sitting at her desk, scrolling on her phone.

Is there nobody else in this whole building who can ever man the office? How is it that no matter the day, school year, or summer, it’s always her? Does the universe just hate me that much, or does she really just have the best attendance record mixed with zero social life?

I clear my throat as I walk toward her desk, and her head snaps up, a smile in place before it’s quickly replaced with a frown as she recognizes me.

“Back so soon? I thought you had another job you needed to be at?” she smacks her lips together as she chomps on her gum, and it takes everything in me to stop myself from rolling my eyes at her.

Honestly, I’m about to quit, so if there was ever a time, I could stop pretending it would be now. But I don’t really want to stoop to her level, not to mention, I don’t feel like she deserves an explanation.

“Actually, that’s what I was here about. I’m going to have to resign,” I tell her, plastering a fake smile on my face even as she turns her attention back to her phone without so much as batting an eye at what I just said.

“Okay, well, I’m just going to collect my things from my room now,” I say, hooking my thumb over my shoulder toward the door.

“Have fun with that, but just know that once I tell the headmaster, you’ll have to go through the whole hiring process again should you change your mind.” She blows a bubble with her gum, still not looking up, and for a second, I dare say she almost seems to be giving me good advice.

“Or when they change their minds.” And there’s the Barbara I’m used to.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I say instead of the other, not-so-nice things that come to mind as I quickly leave and head down toward my class for the last time.

It took me a few minutes to work up the nerve to even enter the room.

I’d half expected to find the flowers still on my desk where I abandoned them, but they're gone, and while I’m happy not to have to look at them, that’s almost even creepier.

Nobody’s here. Vince is outside, and this is the last time I’ll be here.

I tell myself before taking a deep breath and unlocking the door to get this over with.

“Hey, Red, didn’t expect to see you here today.” I whirl around at the sound of Trevor’s voice, smacking my hand to my chest. I’d been so focused on packing that I hadn’t heard him approach. Not to mention, I didn’t expect anyone else to be here.

“Shit, sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you,” he says, rubbing at the back of his neck, but I wave him off. It’s not his fault I’m so damn jumpy. I always have been, but right now, in this room, it’s worse. “No, you're fine. I just wasn’t paying attention.”

I turn back to my desk, pulling out the last of my lesson plans and journals for the year from the drawer. My talk with Barbara already took longer than I wanted it to, and I feel bad making Vincent wait, despite how often he might tell me he’s fine doing it.

“So I heard you got moved, put in a bigger room this year, huh? That’s actually why I stopped in, since you're right next door to me now.” His words make me pause, but I brush them off and keep packing up my things. “I didn’t expect you to be here. Most people are enjoying their summer vacation until the last minute.”

“Oh, um,” I grab the last of the papers and push the drawer closed, standing up to really look at him for the first time. I hadn’t realized he’d moved further into the room, but he’s still near the door, which is good because we need to leave. “I actually just put in my resignation. I won’t be here next year. I was just getting my things.”

Moving around my desk, I set the papers in one of the last open boxes before looking around for my purse, only to realize I’d left it in the car.

Well, at least it’s one less thing to carry out.

“What?” Trevor’s tone is sharp, and I quickly look up at him. His brows are drawn down in confusion, and I can see why it might be a shock. I’ve only been here one year, and it’s not like this is a bad job; no, most people who teach here do so for the rest of their lives.

“Yeah, I had another offer.”

It’s not actually a lie, though judging by the way his eyes narrow, I get the feeling he isn’t buying it.

Crap.

With three large strides, he’s in my face, backing me up against the desk that my box rests atop of.

“This is because of them, isn’t it?” he hisses, all traces of friendly conversation from a moment ago gone.

“What? Who?” I stammer, unsure of what he’s talking about.

Trevor has always been a bit much, but right now, he’s bordering on crazed. His eyes dart around my face before looking down the length of my body in a way that puts me on edge.

He doesn’t respond, and I’m not sure if he’s ignoring me or just didn’t hear me.

“Trevor?” My voice comes out in a pathetic little whisper, and I cringe at how fucking weak I sound.

In a flash, he reaches out, his larger hand gripping my biceps as he pulls me toward him until we're chest to chest.

“They’re making you leave, aren’t they?” His hand tightens around my arm, making me wince, but I bite back against making a sound.

“Who?” I ask again, although, at this point, I’m pretty sure I know. I feel like I need to keep him talking, though, so I can find a way to get out of this.

If there’s a way out of this.

“Don’t play stupid with me!” he shouts, shaking me, and this time, I can’t bite back the whimper of surprise that leaves my lips. “Those fucking assholes think they can come in here and buy you!?”

If I’d had any doubt about who he was talking about before, it’s gone now.

“N-no. It’s not like that,” I tell him, hoping I can reason with him. His grip tightens, and I know I’ve said the wrong thing. The same way, I know I’ll have a bruise in the shape of his hand on my arm later.

“Trevor, you're hurting me,” I whisper, hoping I can maybe appeal to his sense of humanity, but instead of loosening his grip, he throws his head back and laughs.

“ I’m hurting you!?” he barks, shaking me and making my hip slam into the desk. “What do you think those assholes are going to do to you, Kat? Do you think they are going to love you?”

His face twists up as if it’s the craziest thing he’s ever heard in his life, and I wish it didn’t hurt, but it does. I know he’s not in his right mind; that’s very clear, but damn if he didn’t hit the nail on the head.

“You think you're so special that they're just going to throw away their playboy ways and settle down with you when they could have anyone they want? When they can afford the best and the brightest. They’re only pretending to care because you serve a purpose to them right now.”

“It’s not like that, Trevor, I’m only taking care of Add—”

“Liar!” he screams in my face so loud I flinch away from him. Not that it does a damn thing, considering I’m trapped between him and the desk. “I’ve never seen so many of them around. Usually, they stick to themselves, but ever since they met you, they’ve been circling this place like hawks, waiting to get to you!”

I can feel his spit as it hits my cheek, and my ears ring. If this was a normal day, I have no doubt someone would come running to see what all the commotion was about, but it’s not. It’s the middle of summer, and as far as I know, the only other person here today is Barbara, and somehow, I doubt she would ever come running to help me.

“He’s old enough to be your father, Katherine! He’s a sick, perverted old man who uses his money to attract beautiful young women like you so he can use you until he’s had his fill and then throw you away for the next one.”

“You're wrong,” I yell, despite knowing it’s in my best interest to keep quiet. I just can’t seem to keep my mouth shut.

Hearing him talk about Nathan like that pisses me off. He might be older, but everything else Trevor said is bullshit. He doesn’t know the first thing about Nathan or the rest of them.

If he did, he’d know he’d never be half the man Nathan is.

“What did you say?”

My eyes fly open, and I come eye to eye with Trevor, who's only a breath away from my face, so close I can see the anger as it flares in his eyes.

Oh fuck, I just said that out loud…

How the hell am I going to get out of this now?