Chapter 40

Chapter Forty

GREY

I spend all of lunch surrounded by people who have never once been friendly to me. Normally, I'd find a way to excuse myself, but the pasta served at the cafeteria is so amazing that I literally black out.

"Did you enjoy lunch?" Cadence asks, catching up to me after I leave the teacher's bathroom.

"It was amazing." I pat my belly. "I knew Redwood's chefs were top-tier, but someone put their foot in that."

"Their foot?"

"Oh, it's a saying my mom…" I falter. Talking of mom reminds me of that plane ticket she sent and the big fight we had. Walking out of the principal's office today was a choice that I made for myself and for Sloane. But that doesn't make it hurt less.

Mom is stubborn. She won't be reaching out to me first, especially after promising that if I stay with Zane, I'll never see her again. Her pride won't allow her to take the words back or apologize.

I have my pride too but, more than that, and my mission won't allow me to stop now. My relationship with mom is in pieces, but we're still family. Even if we don't speak to each other. All I can do is hope that in a few weeks or a few months or a few years, when the wound isn't so fresh, we'll be able to communicate again.

"Grey?" Cadence asks, gently touching my arm.

I clear my throat. "I'm okay. Really."

"That's good. And I'm relieved you liked the food. Zane spent the entire morning buying fresh ingredients. He said he wanted to surprise you."

"Zane did what? "

"He didn't tell you?" Cadence laughs prettily. "That's unlike Zane to not take credit for a grand gesture."

Was that supposed to be where he earned his second smile from me?

I glance over the hallway. It's crowded with students heading to their next class, but there's a very noticeable perimeter around me and Cadence. It's like a bubble that no one dares to enter.

"Where is Zane? I haven't seen him since first bell."

Cadence crinkles her nose. "I'm not sure. Dutch went to check on Finn, just in case he needs help with the flash drive. Maybe Zane went with him?"

"Yeah, maybe."

Serena lumbers toward us. "Thanks for waiting for me, Cadence. Hey, Miss Jamieson."

"Hi, Serena." I smile. "I like your hair."

"Oh, thanks. It's been a while since I pinned it up like a bob. I keep saying I'll cut my hair short for real, but my mom absolutely refuses ." She rolls her eyes.

"How's your mom doing?"

"Oh, you know…" She shrugs. "Getting there."

It's clear she doesn't want to talk about it, so I awkwardly tack on, "Well, I'm sure there's a good reason she doesn't want you to cut your hair."

"Mm-hm." She nods. "Hey, I heard about your classes being super crowded today. Congrats."

"I don't know if that's anything to congratulate me on," I murmur. "I'm sure some people were just there to get out of PE."

The PE teacher came into the teacher's lounge glaring daggers at me after first break.

"I don't think so." Serena tilts her head. "When I was in the bathroom, I heard the freshmen raving about your lectures. A lot of them genuinely enjoy the way you teach."

"Really?"

"They want to start a petition to have you teach next year."

I laugh shyly, but inside, I feel warm. My reason for coming to Redwood was to investigate The Grateful Project, but I fell in love with teaching. I love the way students come alive during our debates. I love teaching them real, relevant lessons from classics written hundreds of years ago. I love watching them find their creative writing talents. Plus, I find it gratifying to protect the scholarship students the way no one protected me.

But teaching isn't in the cards for my future. I'm well aware that my world will shatter when I expose the truth. Forget Jarod Cross and The Grateful Project, Redwood itself will rise up against me, using everything at their disposal to tear me down.

And they have a giant bomb by the name of Zane Cross at their disposal.

No school will allow me to teach their children if the truth about my relationship with Zane comes to light. Even if I move away from Redwood, that darkness will follow me like a shadow and the bomb will keep ticking in my ears.

The musical bells chime, and I wave goodbye to Cadence, heading to my next class soberly in thought.

Each of my sessions are filled to capacity. The buzz around my lectures have even roped back in a few of my regular students. Although Maisy is noticeably absent, Vanya does give me a little smile of apology as she leaves during my last lecture.

The day is over and yet I haven't seen Zane at all.

I keep waiting for him to walk through the door and give me that signature, Zane grin, but it hasn't happened yet.

His absence leaves a sharp piercing in my gut.

I don't know when Zane got under my skin. It was a quiet thing, soaking through my defenses like water, like mist. I'm aware of the shadows he's brought into my life, the darkness, the obstacles. But like the stories written about Greek gods who willingly descended to Hades for their lovers, there's a part of me willing to walk through hell if it means I get to keep my hand in his.

Dangerous thoughts.

Unrecognizable, really.

Maybe I was less crazy when I was seeing Sloane.

"Am I too late for class?" a dark voice rumbles while I'm packing up after my last lecture.

I gasp and spin around.

Zane is leaning against the doorway. He's so tall, his head nearly bangs against the top of the frame. He's wearing a different Redwood Prep uniform, this one is a sweater vest over a button up.

I frown, having never seen him wear the uniform correctly before. "Where were you all day?" I step closer and notice cuts on his face. "And why is your face scratched up?" Something sparkles in his hair and I rise to the tips of my toes to inspect it. "Is that glass?"

"Oh, that?" He brushes it off.

"Zane, what happened?"

"I was hoping we could take out my bike, but I guess riding one-handed isn't a great idea. I ran straight into a stop sign. These elementary school kids were crossing the road and they laughed their butts off."

"Did you get hurt anywhere else?" I look him over.

"No, but my bike has a few marks on her. Don't worry. Nothing I can't fix, but I'll be driving Dutch's car for a little longer."

His voice is carefully casual. In fact, even his smile is perfectly easy-going. It's an expression I've seen on his face a thousand times.

He winks, still smiling. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah, just let me stop by my desk real quick." He nods and follows me to the teacher's lounge. The hallway parts as usual. Everyone watches us, no doubt still trying to decide if we're involved or if we're just step-siblings.

For once, I don't care.

Outside, Zane opens my door for me and I catch him wincing when his wrist accidentally knocks against the car.

"Did you hurt your arm?" I demand.

"It's just a scratch."

I grab his wrist and he curls inward, his face tightening in pain.

"Just a scratch? Zane, your fingers are swelling."

He sputters some stupid excuse that I call BS on.

"Did you really hit a stop sign today? And don't lie to me again," I say sharply.

He looks away. "Dad called a meeting. I went to see him and…"

"And?" A sick feeling gnaws at my stomach.

"I met your mother instead."

The wind is knocked out of my lungs. I blink, frozen. And then, I snatch the keys from him.

He stares at me uneasily, but I don't say a word. I just shove him into the passenger seat and start the car.

When I climb in, Zane's expression is wary.

"Babe, I know your mother is a sore spot, but if you plan on working it out the way you did last time, I'm in a little too much pain to be of service."

Still ignoring him, I put the car in reverse and zoom out of Redwood.

"Are you trying to start and end the day on Jinx's app?" Zane teases. I glare daggers at him and the smile slowly fades. He sighs heavily. "Where are we going?"

"The hospital," I bite out.

I say nothing more to him for the entire drive and while I fill out the forms as the doctor looks him over.

When I rejoin them in the emergency room, Zane is sitting on a cot and the doctor who worked on his wrist is standing beside him.

"Doctor, how is he? His wrist isn't broken again, is it?" I ask, scrambling forward.

Zane gives me a welcoming grin which I return with a scowl.

That only makes him grin harder.

Which makes me frown harder.

The doctor glances back and forth between us. "Thankfully, it's only an external bruise. We're almost ready to remove the cast, but if he doesn't behave," the doctor slants Zane a dark look, "he'll have to keep the cast on for longer."

"He'll behave," I say determinedly.

The doctor gives me a curious look. His eyes scrub over my face. "We met the last time, right? Who are you again?"

I could very well tell him I'm Zane's teacher or his step-sister and they would both be true.

But I imagine mom in Zane's face, fighting and screaming at him. And I know, with every bone in my body, every vein, every molecule, that Zane allowed her to do so. Not because he can't fight back. Not because he's such a gentleman.

No, he let my mother pummel him because he loves me.

Something inside me breaks.

A slow, winding anger pushes itself forward. It takes over my body, rigid and rebellious.

I look the doctor right in the eyes, because damn him.

Damn this world.

Damn the rules.

They want to know who I am?

I set a hand on Zane's shoulder. "I'm his wife."