Chapter Nineteen
Jack winced as he placed a cold compress on his split lip. This had gone disastrous. He shouldn’t have kissed her, nor should he have gone around to her place. Fuck! One day he’d been without her, and he couldn’t even handle that. Seeing her around school, knowing that he’d broken her, it had fucking cut him up inside.
He hadn’t felt much better.
Working didn’t help.
The heartache had been real.
He couldn’t think of a single thing to do other than go and win the woman he loved.
Now she was having to deal with her father, and he didn’t know what to fucking do. He didn’t punch him back or beat down on him, even though he wanted to. He wanted to hurt the fucker and get answers to his questions.
Everything had moved so fast, he didn’t know what to do.
His first instinct had been to protect Lucia.
No matter what, he needed to make sure she was safe.
A knock at his door made him wonder if Bill Deen had decided to go straight to the school and report him. He didn’t mind.
He deserved it.
Opening his door, expecting some inspector from the school, he was a little shocked to see Marie on his doorstep.
“I’m so sorry. Lucia … she asked me to come.”
He stared at Marie, seeing the young girl had tears in her eyes. “Is Lucia okay?”
“She’s fine. She’s fine. Erm, she told me what happened. That you both got caught.”
He nodded.
“She … she’s fine. They’re moving immediately, and Lucia told me to come to you, to say that she’s making it right. That she’s really sorry for everything that happened, and that this was all her fault.”
“What do you mean they’re moving?”
“She’s gone. Lucia called me, and I went over there. They were in the car, driving toward the airport. She’s gone. She texted me everything.” Marie held her cell phone out, and he took it.
Marie: Why are you crying?
Lucia: Dad knows everything. He knows about Jack. About me. He’s … angry.
Marie: Holy shit. Are you okay?
Lucia: He was going to report him but I told him it was all me. That Jack didn’t pursue me but he said that the only way to prove it was to go with him. We’re heading to England now. I … tell Jack I love him. I love him and I’m so sorry. I can’t talk to him. I’m not allowed. Dad will report him and I know he loves teaching, I just, love him so much. Please, make sure he keeps on teaching. He’s too good to give it up.
The next few texts were his address.
Stumbling back into his house, Marie caught her cell phone just as he collapsed in a heap on the ground.
“Do I need to call an ambulance?” Marie asked.
“No, I’m fine. I’m just … I’m processing. I need to go to her.”
“Don’t do it, Mr. Parker,” she said.
“I love her more than anything, and I know she loves me. I can live without teaching.” He had plenty of income and more means that meant they would never go without.
Marie stepped over the threshold and crouched down to stare at him. “I’ve known Lucia a lot longer than you, Mr. Parker. She doesn’t want you to give up what you love.”
“But I love her more.”
“I know you do. I know to a lot of grownups,” she air quoted the last part, “we don’t know what we’re doing and that we don’t understand people or whatnot. That’s bullshit. We know a lot that you guys take for granted. Right now, you can give it up, but what about ten years, twenty years? You love teaching. I know because Lucia told me. She’s doing this for you, and even though I’d love for you to go bring her back, I know her dad. Mr. Deen stays true to his word, okay? He will ruin you.”
He ran a hand down his face, wincing. “I can’t believe I’m being given advice by an eighteen-year-old.”
“I intend to be a counselor one day. I think it’s only fitting that I start getting in some practice.” She held out her hand. “Come on, Mr. Parker.”
She helped him to his feet.
“Do you feel any better?”
“No.”
“She can’t talk to you though.”
“You’ll tell me everything that is going on in her world?” Jack asked.
“Yes. I’ll stop by your class when I know more. I better head back home. Mom needs me to take care of my brother. Bye, Mr. Parker.”
He watched her leave and stood in his doorway, feeling incredibly lost. Grabbing his keys, he jumped into his car and headed out of town toward the city.
At first, he didn’t have the first clue of where he was going or what he was doing. He just got in his car and drove. The past few hours echoed around his head.
“You better get the fuck out of my house before I kill you.”