Chapter 22

DIANA

Istifled a yawn as I stirred my third cup of coffee of the day in the break room at school. It was lunchtime, but I was feeling more exhausted than ever. It was a good exhaustion, but it made it difficult to stay focused on work. My body was a little sore. The hard floor of the ruins had not been kind to my back.

Rachel walked in with her usual bright smile, but the moment she looked at me, it fell away. "You look like crap."

"It's good to see you too," I said.

"What's wrong with you? Did you pick something up from one of the little petri dishes we call students?"

"No, I'm just a little tired." I took a sip of my coffee and decided I needed more oomph. I dumped in a healthy amount of sugar and stirred again.

"Why are you so tired?" Rachel asked. "Not sleeping well?"

I shook my head, unable to hide the weariness that weighed heavy on my shoulders. "More like not sleeping at all," I confessed, feeling a sudden urge to share my secret with someone. "I was up late. Very late."

"Why? Bad cramps?"

I looked around. The last teacher was just packing up her things. I waited until she was out of the break room so our conversation didn't turn into gossip.

"I was out with Hudson," I said, keeping my voice down.

"Oh?" she asked with a grin. "You weren't sneaking off to his hotel room?"

I rolled my eyes. "We never did that in the first place. But no, it was amazing."

"Amazing is a serious word. I hope he didn't just take you to Olive Garden or something." She shook her head. "I mean, I love the breadsticks, but I wouldn't call it amazing."

"He didn't take me to Olive Garden, although I am a sucker for pasta. Hudson surprised me with a romantic dinner at Bannerman Castle."

"Whoa, really?" she asked.

"Yeah, we took a boat out there and everything. It was just us out there and the serving staff."

Rachel's eyes widened. "Serving staff? Okay, that does sound amazing. I take back my earlier skepticism."

"You better," I said, grinning. "I had told him how I wanted to travel, so he arranged to have a bunch of different dishes from restaurants in town. It was supposed to be an around the world cuisine type of thing."

"Seriously? Fuck unlimited breadsticks. That's awesome." She shook her head like she couldn't believe it. "That man really went all out."

I smiled, remembering how the candlelight flickered off the dark water of the Hudson River. "It was one of the most magical nights of my life," I whispered.

"Damn, this guy has some serious moves," she said.

I nodded. "Oh yeah, he does."

Rachel's eyes widened in disbelief and her gasp echoed through the room. I giggled at her reaction. "What moves are you talking about?" she asked.

"He took my breath away in more than one way," I said with a big goofy grin, unable to contain my excitement.

Rachel's jaw practically hit the floor at my confession. "No way," she whispered. "Are you telling me you did the deed?"

I nodded, my face feeling hot. "I did."

"Okay, you seem thrilled, so I assume you wanted to?" she asked. "He didn't pressure you?"

"Absolutely not," I answered firmly. "If anything, he kept slowing things down to make sure I was okay. I knew it was the right time with the right person."

Her face lit up. "And? Was it worth waiting twenty-eight years?"

"It was incredible," I admitted, unable to stop grinning. "And I couldn't have asked for a better person to share it with. He put together an amazing night, and he was so kind and gentle. Honestly, I'm addicted. I could have stayed there all night with him."

She burst into laughter. "Oh my god! You are such a sex fiend!"

I laughed. "I'm not that bad!"

"Whatever you say, Diana," she said, still giggling. "He's turned you into a monster."

"I don't know if it's like that for everyone every time, but wow. Can I just say wow?"

"That good, huh?"

"Obviously, I have nothing to compare it to, but I quite enjoyed myself."

Rachel smiled. "I'm so happy for you, Diana," she said sincerely. "You deserve all the happiness in the world. But just be careful. This moment is special to you. Guys are a little different when it comes to sex."

"I'm not that na?ve," I said. "But it was special to him. It wasn't a drive by. It meant something. I know we both felt it."

She nodded, sipping her coffee and clearly lost in thought. Then she smacked me on the arm. "You have no right losing your virginity to such a hottie," she scolded, her tone laced with humor. "The rest of us did it with pimple-faced, scrawny boys that sat around playing Dungeons and Dragons on the weekends. You got a real man all wrapped in muscles and hotness. I'm so jealous."

I laughed at her reaction. "Don't knock Dungeons and Dragons," I retorted, nudging her playfully. "I grew up playing that with Jessie."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well, that's because you're a dork, too."

"Oh please, you love Star Trek," I said. "Sounds like the nerd calling the kettle a dork."

"So, what does this mean?" she asked, her voice softer now. "Are you in a relationship with Hudson? Or are you just fooling around? What do you want out of this?"

I paused to consider her question. The truth was, I hadn't really thought it through that far. All I knew was that I was enjoying myself. I wasn't ready to put expectations or parameters on this thing. So far, things had progressed naturally. No sense in trying to force something.

"For now, it's just fun," I admitted. "My little slice of heaven, if you will. I just want to enjoy it for as long as possible. I don't have any illusions that he'll move here. Hudson is not the kind of man I could see being happy settling down in a small town."

"And you're going to be okay with that?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. I think I have to be. I don't want to make it a big thing. My dad would lose his mind if he knew I was associating with Hudson at all. He already lectured us about the newcomer stirring up trouble. He's never going to be okay with me being in a serious relationship with him, if it was even an option."

Rachel nodded in understanding, though I could see the concern in her eyes. "I get it. But just remember, secrets have a way of coming out eventually. And it would be better coming from you than someone else. Your mom will be thrilled, but your dad? Well, he might have a literal heart attack."

I shuddered at the thought of my father's reaction. He was fiercely protective of me, and the idea of him finding out about Hudson terrified me. "I know," I sighed.

"Off with your head," Rachel joked, though there was a hint of truth in her words. "You will no longer be the perfect princess the rest of us should try and be like."

"Very funny," I muttered. "I don't think it's going to be anything to worry about. Hudson is here, taking time for himself. I honestly don't know if it even means anything to him. He's got this whole other life back in the city."

"But if he falls for you, then what?" she asked.

"I have no clue," I replied. "I don't know if he would even want to bother dealing with my dad. I love the man and I can barely stand his strict ideas of what's proper."

"Hudson doesn't strike me as someone who would run at the first sign of trouble," Rachel said. "Not after making such a grand gesture like the one he made last night."

I could only nod in agreement. Hudson's kindness and generosity had left an indelible impression on me. "You're right," I said. "But don't jump to conclusions. We'll see how things go from here. I don't want him to think he has to marry me now that he took my virginity."

Rachel chuckled at my comment, but I could see the seriousness in her eyes. "Okay, okay. I won't jump to conclusions. But let's just hope he's sincere. I don't want to see you get hurt."

"I know. I just have to take it one day at a time and hope for the best. I can't let the fear of getting hurt hold me back from enjoying myself. I like hanging out with him. He's fun and there's a lot more to him than what he presents to the world."

"Oh no," she groaned. "It's the wounded bear scenario."

"The what?"

"Women, it's our fatal flaw. We see something wounded, and we want to fix it."

"I don't want to fix him," I retorted.

"But seriously, you need to be careful. I know you're attracted to him, but there's something else going on, something deeper. And you can't ignore the red flags just because you're having fun."

"There aren't any red flags," I said.

"There's a couple," she argued. "Nothing major, but you're new to this. Just be careful. Don't fall head over heels in love with a man that's got shit going on back where he came from. A man that's running isn't really solving problems. He's just running. Eventually, it catches up to him. I don't want you hurt by whatever he's trying to outrun."

I sighed, considering her words. "I know you're right, but I can't help feeling drawn to him. It's like he's the only one who understands me, like we have this special connection, even though he seems to be keeping so much of himself hidden. He does have some demons, but he's not bad. He's not running; he's just trying to find himself."

Rachel's eyes softened. "Just promise me that you'll keep your guard up and not be too quick to trust him. Love is a powerful thing, and it can blind us to the truth."

"Thank you, but I think my eyes are wide open," I assured her. "I went into last night knowing it wasn't a forever thing. I'm not saying I wouldn't want that, but I am also well aware he might leave tomorrow. I don't think he will, but I have to be okay with that. I made the choice to do what we did. Even if things don't work out between us, I won't regret what I had with him."

Rachel nodded, her expression still serious. "That's good to hear. Just remember that even if things don't work out with Hudson, you have me. I'm always here for you, no matter what."

"Thank you, that means a lot to me."

"So, what are your plans with Hudson? Are you going to try and see him again?"

"I'm sure I will, but we didn't make any set plans," I said. "I told him this week will be crazy."

She groaned. "The last week before we're off for a month. I both dread Friday and look forward to it. The kids are already like little live wires. Trying to teach them anything this week is futile.

"Do you have any plans to see anyone romantic during these next few weeks of freedom?"

Rachel rolled her eyes and laughed. "Not really. To be honest, I'm enjoying the single life."

"Liar."

She grinned. "I'm just waiting for another tall, dark, and handsome stranger to roll into town. I call dibs. You got this one, I get the next."

"Deal." I laughed. "I better get back to the classroom. We've got a test. That's always a bundle of joy."

"Good luck," she said.

I made my way back to the classroom. I got ready for the kids to return from their lunch, putting a test on each desk. Rachel's words were replaying in my mind. I told her I knew Hudson and I weren't serious, but that didn't mean I didn't think about having that kind of relationship with him.

For now, I would see where things went, and if my heart got broken at the end of this, I would just have to deal with it.

The risk was worth it.