“It was fine. I got the supply room organized.”
“What an achievement,” Colt mutters, and the two of them laugh as we climb into the truck.
All I can do is bite my tongue and keep to myself, remembering how good it felt to put my foot down with Piper. I could get used to feeling like I’m calling the shots in my life.
And if that’s what I’m going to do, then there’s something I need to look into right away. I need to get a real job. Not only to get away from Piper but to get out from under my stepbrothers’ thumbs. I can’t stand living on their schedule and jumping whenever they tell me to.
CHAPTER19
“Thank you so much for your help. I didn’t think he’d ever get the hang of what they’re trying to teach them in these math classes, but his teacher said he’s already improving from where he was this time last week. He finally gets it.”
I lean closer to the webcam at the top of my screen, smiling at the woman chatting with me from her home. Her son ran off like he was on fire the moment our lesson was over, but it gives me a few minutes to catch up with his mom. “I’m so glad. Trying to pick up new concepts is not always easy. Especially when you’re in summer school. Nobody wants to be there.”
She grimaces. “I’m sure if he had somebody like you explaining these things during the school year, he wouldn’t have needed summer school. Is this the kind of thing you’re only doing over the summer, or do you think you’ll be able to provide tutoring during the school year?”
That’s a good question, one I hadn’t considered yet. I’ve only been doing this online tutoring thing for a few days, not enough time to settle down and come up with a plan. “I might be able to fit the work in,” I decide. “But I won’t know for sure until I start my classes. It will only be my first semester in college, so I’m not sure exactly how long it will take to adjust.”
“What are you majoring in?”
“I want to eventually be an elementary school teacher.”
“Perfect,” she assures me with a wide smile. “Let me tell you, you are worth every penny and then some. I know my husband agrees with me—name your price, and we’ll happily pay.”
I’m almost too pleased to speak. “Thank you. That means a lot.” A moment after we end the Zoom call, I check my PayPal account and see she’s already paid the invoice I sent out.
Could it really be this easy? All I did was post in a few parent groups online that I’m available for math and history tutoring over Zoom. I didn’t know there’d be parents jumping at the opportunity to get their kids tutored over the summer—a few students was as much as I hoped for. Now, my schedule is pleasantly full as I check my calendar to make sure none of my appointments overlap.
It’s almost funny, in a way, how good it felt to receive a little praise just now. It goes to show how long I’ve gone without it. Not that I’m hungry for it or desperate for approval, but the fact is, I used to get it a lot more than I do now. When I was training and competing. To go from that to being ridiculed and belittled on a daily basis… that’s a long way to fall. Only now, with money in my account and praise ringing in my ears, do I know how badly I’ve missed getting recognition for the things I’m good at.
And once the school year starts, I’m sure there will be more students. More parents eager to part with their money if it means giving their kids a leg up. Considering I’m only tutoring middle schoolers, maybe it won’t be too much to juggle this on the side while I study for my own classes. Lots of people work during college, and not from the comfort of their room, either. I can handle it.
In the meantime, I’m going to save every penny I make and put it toward moving into the dorms when school starts. One good thing about having a scholarship for college: it’ll let me put my money toward surviving rather than spending it all on tuition. Even though it’s only the local school and not some big, expensive place, it means being able to get along for a lot less money than I would otherwise. I’ve done the math, crunched the numbers, and even considered how much I’ll have to buy to furnish my room. It feels good to have a plan and a way of meeting my goals. Another few weeks of tutoring, and I’ll already have enough saved up for the first semester. I really wish I had thought of tutoring sooner.
One added bonus: I can look forward to never having to go to that gym again. And once I’m out of this house, I won’t have to deal with Nix, Colt, or James again, either. At least not on a daily basis. Maybe not ever. I doubt I’ll be missed come holiday time.
This is starting to look like my salvation.
The thought of my stepbrothers makes me tune my ears to any sounds coming from the rest of the house. I haven’t heard much from them today. In fact, they’ve pretty much left me alone the past few days, ever since I announced I was going to start tutoring. They haven’t even given me a hard time about not going to the gym with them.
I wish I could relax and believe this means we’ve reached a truce of sorts. I wish I didn’t have to wonder what they’re cooking up.
The problem with using my desk chair for its intended purpose is leaving my door unprotected. It’s a risk I have to take, and within minutes of my call ending, I’m reminded why I should have gotten up sooner and wedged it under the knob when the door swings open behind me. I brace myself, gritting my teeth and hoping whatever they want, they lose interest fast.
“Look at you. The little wannabe teacher.” I find Colt reflected in my screen, slouching against the doorframe with his arms folded.
“Is that supposed to be an insult? Because yes, that is what I plan to be, eventually.”
“Life at the gym not good enough for you?”
“I think this job makes more sense,” I explain as nicely as I can. I don’t want to turn this into a fight. I can’t give him an excuse to mess with me. “It’s good experience.”
There’s no pretending I don’t know why he smiles the way he does as he pushes away from the frame, entering the room. “You want experience? I’ll give you an experience.”
My skin crawls at the implication, not to mention the fact that he’s already given me an experience I would rather not go through again. No matter how much I felt like I enjoyed it at the time. I wasn’t in my right mind. I didn’t understand what was happening. He’s managed to ruin that for me, too. I can’t even remember coming that night without feeling used and dirty.
“I mean the kind of experience that will look good on a résumé.”
He perches on the edge of my desk, overwhelming me without hardly trying. His physical presence alone is enough to make my body go stiff, ready for whatever’s coming next.