Chapter 33

33

ALAINA

I sat across from Kyle Klein, trying to maintain my composure despite his dismissive attitude. His condescending tone grated on my nerves as he leaned forward, his expression full of thinly veiled contempt. His words and his voice said he was pissed at me, but his eyes said he was picturing me naked. It was unsettling and gross.

"Is this really necessary, Alaina?" Kyle asked, his voice dripping with impatience. "Boys will be boys. They roughhouse. It's normal. I'm not sure why you're making such a big deal out of things. It's just like a woman to make a mountain out of a molehill."

I took a deep breath, struggling to keep my voice calm. The man was a world-class asshole. "Kyle, your son pushed Rafe hard enough that he had to go to the nurse. His hands are skinned, and he tore his jeans when he fell. This isn't just roughhousing. It's bullying. He's a year older than Rafe. I think he needs to understand he is bigger and older and shouldn't be pushing around younger, smaller kids."

Kyle rolled his eyes, leaning back in his chair. "Come on, Alaina. You're a woman. You don't understand how boys play."

I felt a flash of anger, but I pushed it aside, determined to stand my ground. "I understand perfectly well, Kyle. And your son's behavior is not acceptable."

He scoffed, crossing his arms. "Look, I'll talk to him. But you need to stay out of this. You're overreacting."

I shook my head firmly. "No, I'm not. This isn't the first time your son has been aggressive with other kids. The principal has already warned him. If it happens again, he'll be suspended."

Kyle's face darkened, his voice turning icy. "You have no idea what you're talking about. You're inexperienced, and you're going to regret sticking your nose where it doesn't belong. I have sway with the school. I could get you fired."

Before I could respond, the door to my classroom burst open, and Roan stormed in, his face set in a determined expression. "What's going on here?"

I looked up, relief flooding through me at the sight of him. "Roan, I'm sorry to have disturbed you at work."

Kyle looked at him dismissively.

Roan ignored him, his gaze fixed on me. "Alaina, are you okay?"

I nodded, grateful for his presence. "Yes, I'm fine. Kyle and I were just discussing his son's behavior."

Kyle scoffed. "She's interfering where she doesn't belong. This is between me and the school."

Roan stepped forward, his voice calm but firm. "And she works for the school, right? Plus, when it comes to my son, it's my business too."

Kyle sneered. "I was trying to explain to Alaina?—"

"Ms. Callaway," Roan corrected.

Kyle rolled his eyes. "The boys were roughhousing and she's got her panties in a bunch about it. I told her it's not a big deal."

"What happened?" Roan asked me.

"Rafe skinned his hands and tore his new jeans. There's a tiny scrape on his knee. The jeans protected his knees."

"I mean, what happened? Were they fighting?"

"No, they weren't fighting." Kyle scoffed. "They were playing, roughhousing."

Roan's jaw clenched. "Your son hurt mine. That's not roughhousing, it's bullying," Roan retorted, his voice harsh. His protective nature over his son had kicked in.

Kyle stood as if to intimidate Roan, but Roan was not a man who backed down. Not to mention, Roan was much taller and stronger.

"Well then, maybe your son needs to toughen up." Kyle scoffed.

"Or maybe your son needs to learn some manners," Roan shot back.

Kyle scowled. "I told her I would talk to him."

"If he does this again," Roan said, stepping forward, his gaze never leaving Kyle's, "we won't just be having a talk. Understand?"

Kyle stared at him for a long moment before giving a begrudging nod. "Fine."

Roan turned back to me, his hard features softening as he regarded me. "Are you sure he's okay?"

"Good God, you guys are acting like it was a major fight," Kyle muttered. "It's not like they were throwing punches. They got a little rough."

"Know this, if your son lays a finger on Rafe again, you'll have more than the school to deal with," Roan threatened. "You can talk to your kid, or I will. If I do it, it's not going to be pretty."

"You won't say a word to my son," Kyle growled.

"Then you better have a fucking talk with your kid," Roan said.

Kyle glared at us both, his face flushed with anger. "You're making a big mistake," he spat.

"I think it's you that's making the mistake," I said calmly. "Don't defend your son's actions. You need to hold him responsible."

"You don't know who you're messing with." Kyle scoffed.

Roan's voice was calm but firm. "I know exactly who I'm dealing with, Kyle. And I won't back down."

Kyle glared at us both, his fists clenched. "This isn't over," he spat, before storming out of the room.

I sank back into my chair, feeling shaken by the encounter. I took a couple of deep breaths. That had been intense. I didn't know Kyle was going to become so aggressive. I expected him to apologize for his child's actions, not come out swinging.

"Are you okay, Alaina?"

I nodded slowly, trying to steady my breathing. "Yeah, I'm okay. Thanks to you."

"That guy is a real piece of work."

I managed a weak smile. "Yeah, he is. He's got a reputation for being pushy with the teachers here."

Roan's expression hardened. "Well, he won't intimidate you. Not while I'm around."

I squeezed his hand gratefully. "Thank you, Roan. I appreciate you standing up for me and for Rafe."

He smiled warmly at me. "Anytime, Alaina. I mean it."

"I guess the apple didn't fall too far from the tree," I muttered. "We know where his son gets his bullying ways from. Poor Rafe."

Roan nodded, his expression softening. "Yeah, he's fine. Just a bit shaken up. I checked in with the nurse before I came here. I didn't get details, but she assured me he was fine. Rafe gave me a thumbs-up."

I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding, feeling a rush of relief. "Thank goodness."

"Thank you for coming down," I said and got to my feet. "I'm sorry we had to pull you out of work."

"I was at lunch," he said. "And don't ever apologize for getting me down here if Rafe is ever in trouble."

"This of course had to happen when Trudy was away," I groaned. "The vice principal is out sick. I was not prepared to deal with Kyle."

He stepped closer, his gaze holding mine. I didn't move away. His presence was comforting. I hated to admit the confrontation with Kyle had upset me. Roan leaned in to brush a soft kiss on my temple. "Thank you, Alaina." He gave my forearm a little squeeze. It was a small gesture, but it sent a jolt of electricity through me. This was more than just friendly.

I managed a weak smile, trying to compose myself. "You're welcome, Roan. Always."

He nodded, his gaze lingering on mine for a moment longer before he stepped back. "I'll let you get back to work. I don't think there is any reason for Rafe to go home early. I don't want him to think this is a good excuse to get out of school."

I laughed. "I don't think Rafe would ever look for an excuse to get out of school. He loves it."

"True. So, the other kid," he said. "Is this something that has been happening a lot?"

"No." I shook my head. "Not with Rafe. It was at recess. The boy is kind of a bully. We've talked to him before. I don't think it will be an issue again. We won't let it."

"Thank you for keeping an eye on him," he said.

"He wasn't too upset about it." I smiled. "Maybe Kyle was right and I panicked a little. I saw Rafe go down and rushed right over."

"In some ways, I agree with Kyle." He shrugged. "Boys do play rough, but something about that guy rubs me wrong. I don't believe it was just boys playing rough. His kid's probably an asshole just like his father."

"Which was why I called the parents in. It was serious enough to intervene."

"I appreciate it," he said. "I should get back. Thanks for the heads-up. Take care, Alaina."

"You too, Roan," I replied, watching him leave the office.

As the door closed behind him, I sank back into the chair. What just happened between us? We were supposed to be friends, not leaning into each other with intimate gestures. I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. This day was going to be the death of me.

Just then, Trudy rushed in.

"Hey, Alaina. Are you okay? Sally just told me you had some excitement."

I managed a weak smile. "Yeah, I'm okay. A confrontation with Kyle Klein was not on my Bingo card."

"I'm sorry I wasn't here to help," she said. "Of course all hell breaks loose when I'm gone."

I waved off her apology. "It's okay, Trudy. It was just one of those things."

"I think you handled the situation very well. I've dealt with Mr. Klein several times and I'm usually looking for a stiff drink afterward. You seem to be taking it all in stride. Maybe you'll be a principal one day."

I couldn't help but laugh softly. "I've been a teacher for all of five minutes. I should probably master that job first."

Trudy chuckled, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "You're doing just fine, Alaina. Better than most, I'd say."

I smiled gratefully at her, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders. "Thanks, Trudy. That means a lot."

"You're welcome."

"I better get back to my classroom," I said, a little disappointed I had to skip lunch to deal with the situation. "I'm glad you're back."

Walking back to my classroom, I took a moment to let out a deep breath, trying to shake off the earlier encounter. As I pushed open the door of my classroom, the familiar voices of my students gave me some comfort.

The rest of the day was relatively peaceful, drama-free, and flew by quickly. Rafe seemed to wear his torn jeans like a badge of honor. As soon as I dismissed the students for the day, I sat down at my desk, closing my eyes for a moment. Everything had left me emotionally drained.

I went straight home, planning on ordering a pizza and numbing my brain with a little reality television. I didn't know if it was the encounter with Kyle that was disturbing me or if it was seeing Roan. It was the first time I'd seen him since he stayed the night. I had been trying to tell myself to let that night go. There was no point in dwelling on something I couldn't have.

But dammit, that was so much easier said than done. Every time I closed my eyes, I thought about him touching me. About him moving inside me and the way he looked at me. That one night with him had just set the standard for any future encounters. Unfortunately, I didn't think I would ever find another man that came close to measuring up to him.