She was my entire reason for showing up here every day, and that was no longer enough.

Owen shook his head, sinking his fork into the cheesecake for another bite. “I guess I literally repel women now,” he said. “I’m really letting Ava Greentree down.” I laughed. Ava was a student in Owen’s class, and she was always asking him if he had a girlfriend yet—usually followed up by a “why not?” Once, she even asked me if I was Owen’s

He didn’t have to say he disapproved of the way I was excusing Eli’s behavior—it was written all over his face. Whatever he was thinking, he’d never say it out loud.

“You know, I really want to try a slice of their pumpkin cheesecake, but it looks huge. I could never finish it myself. Do you want to split one?” “Abso-fucking-lutely.”

Sarah’s body tensed as she took a deep breath. “Let’s talk outside. Now.” She was using her teacher voice on him.

It’s not like I wasn’t guilty of the same thing with Sarah a mere ten seconds ago, but Eli’s lack of subtlety was almost comical.

Of all the teachers I could work across the hallway from, I’d ended up with the woman who gave inanimate objects personalities and cried when she watched videos about ducklings looking for their mom. I was already so lucky.

All I could think about was the way Sarah’s eyes twinkled when she looked up in mine and how good it felt when she shoved my side. Every time she touched me, it ignited something within me, spreading a warmth through my entire body. I wanted more than anything to grab Sarah and hold her in my arms; to know what it felt like to be the person she

Walking backwards toward my classroom door, I said, “Don’t spiral, Lavely.” She just nodded. It was too late.