I turn away from her and make my way across the room to the door, not sparing Kian or his wife a glance. Just before I walk over the threshold, Kian gives his parting shot.
“Kiss your career goodbye, Monroe. I’ll make damn sure you never step foot in another school. And if I see you around my daughter again, I won’t give a fuck if my wife or Luna are there. I will kill you.”
I don’t give a damn about my career. The school board can shove it up their ass for all I care. And I’m not particularly scared of his threats.
No. What has my heart splintering down the middle as I leave the house, is losing something precious that I know could have lasted a lifetime.
Chapter 12
LUNA
I pause before pushing open the kitchen door and pull in a deep breath, trying and failing to calm my nerves. My parents are on the other side of this door, and just like it’s been for the past five days, I don’t want to see them. I love Mom and Dad, but I don’t like them right now. Especially Dad.
Mom hasn’t been so bad. She’s actually been more understanding than I thought she would. I mean, I know she doesn’t like that her and Dad caught me and August in bed together. She’s expressed her disappointment multiple times over the fact that I slept with my teacher. A man who’s almost double my age. But at least she seems concerned about my feelings.
Dad though? He’s being a jerk and won’t listen to a word I say about August. Any time I try to bring up the subject, he shuts it down, refusing any and all conversation about the matter. He’s got it in his thick head that he took advantage of me. Like I’m a thirteen-year-old who’s not mature enough to make my own decisions.
It’s frustrating. I want to smack him upside the head to knock some sense into him. I may be young and unwise to a lot of things in the world, but I’m eighteen and I know my mind and heart. And both want August.
I hate disappointing my parents, and normally I do my best not to, but I’m not budging on this.
Squaring my shoulders, I push open the door leading to the kitchen, and momentarily pause when I just find Mom sitting at the kitchen table. I let out a small sigh of relief and walk straight to the fridge.
I feel Mom’s eyes on the back of my head. “Good morning, sweetie.”
I respond without turning to face her. “Morning.”
“Did you sleep well?”
I give her the truth. “Not really.”
It’s the same answer I’ve given her the last five mornings. I haven’t slept worth crap since Dad forced August out of my room last week. It doesn’t help that I haven’t seen or spoken to him since then either. Other than a few texts from him asking how I was, August and I haven’t had any contact. I guess Dad followed through with his threat to have him fired because he wasn’t at school Thursday or Friday.
I can’t even go to his house to see him because Dad won’t let me leave the house, other than to go to school. He put a freaking tracking device on my car to ensure I didn’t go anywhere but there.
Let’s all say overboard together.
“Where’s Dad?”
I don’t ask because I want to actually know where he is. I just need to know how much time I have before I have to face him again. It’s probably childish of me to think this way, but if he wants to treat me like a child, I’ll damn well act like one.
“Taking the trash out.”
Great. What I thought would be a reprieve really isn’t.
Mom comes up beside me as I drop a bagel in the toaster. I ask something I’ve been wondering about.
“Dad knew him that night. How?”
“He was out celebrating one evening with some co-workers at a bar after work. Your dad met him there.”
I nod.
“You need to talk to him, Luna. I hate this wedge between you two,” Mom says, worry lacing her words.
“I’ve tried talking to him.” Opening the silverware drawer, I pull out a butter knife. “He won’t listen.”
“He’s just worried about you. We both are.”