SAM
“Took you long enough.” Marissa gives me a cold look as I sit down, with Kelsie between us. “Did you get lost?” she sweetly adds, her tone heavy with snark as I put my arm around our daughter and kiss her on the head. Then I glare back at Marissa as I slump down in my chair.
“Parking was a bitch.”
And so are you.
“Mm.” She makes it clear she thinks I’m full of shit. “Did yourstudentget home okay?”
I don't like the tone of her voice, but I know she's trying to goad me, and I refuse to bite. Her parents are sitting across from us, eyeing me like I'm a shit stain on the bottom of their shoes that just won’t scrub off, no matter how hard they try.
“She did.” I keep my voice even.
“It's sokindof you to drive such a pretty young girl home. She must have lived very far away,” Marissa continues, her tone scathing. I laugh, because me driving Chloe home was her fucking idea in the first place. Did she suggest it solely for the purpose of having something to berate me over in front of her parents? I wouldn’t put it past her.
“Are you accusing me of something?” Acid drips off my tone as I stare her down.
Her eyes narrow, her lips thinning out into a line. “Of course not.”
Damn right, she's not. Except she is, and everyone at the table knows it, aside from Kelsie. My heart momentarily melts as I glance at my daughter. God bless her. She's happily colouring in her paper placemat, lost in her own little world. She’s still too young and innocent to notice when Marissa and I snipe at each other, but I'm sure that won't last forever. What happens when she is old enough to know what’s going on between the two of us? Am I foolish enough to think we can work our shit out, or too much of a coward to get myself out of the hole I’ve found myself in? Marissa and I are over; I know this but staying together and pretending is easier than being true to myself and ending things.
“You drove a female student home?” Marissa's mother Therese’s shrill voice rings out as she arches a brow, making her disapproval clear.
“Yes, I did,” I reply defensively, not bothering to add it was her daughter’s idea. “It's freezing out, pouring rain, and she didn't have a ride.”
“How kind of you,” she scoffs, echoing her daughter’s disgusted tone.
I glare at all of them as they exchange knowing, judgemental glances. I might as well have screwed Chloe on the backseat of my car, because it’s pretty much what they’re accusing me of anyway. Fuck this. A few beers were definitely not enough to deal with this bullshit. I should’ve gone for something stronger.
“You know what?” I kick my chair back and get to my feet. “I have things to prepare for my classes tomorrow.”
“Really?” Marissa sneers. “That’s what you do in your office for all hours of the night?Class preparation? Because your internet history suggests otherwise, Sam.”
With my jaw clenched, I shrug my jacket back on, not giving her the satisfaction of a reaction. Her bringing this up here, in front of her parents and sister of all people, is the last fucking straw.
“See you later, little princess,” I murmur, placing a tender kiss on my daughter’s forehead. She gazes back up at me with adoration in her eyes, her arms up, demanding a hug. I embrace her, kiss her on the top of her head again, and then I turn around and stalk out.
“Sam!” Marissa barks out my name, but she doesn't chase after me. I knew she wouldn’t. That would cause a scene, something I know she likes to avoid at all costs.
Outside, I scan the street for a taxi, but then I zip up my jacket and start walking instead. It’s a fair hike, but I can use the time to clear my head and maybe burn off some of the frustration burning inside me.
The days feel so long because everything just feels the same. With the exception of my kid, I really hate my life. I look forward to work, just to escape home, and when the weekend arrives, I feel smothered, like I’m trapped beneath the ground. I can’t breathe. It’s like I’m floating with my head barely above water, and nights like this, having to play happy family doesn’t help. All it does is magnify how fucked up our marriage really is.
* * *
I takethe long way home. It’s only farther by a few minutes, but it will take me right past Chloe's neighbourhood. Maybe I’m overreacting, but I’m starting to regret not following my gut when something didn’t feel right. Even as a fit, strong male, I know that this isn’t the best place to be walking alone around after dark, which makes me even more concerned for Chloe.
I’ve only known her for a day. Aside from driving her home tonight, our only other communication happened inside the classroom this morning. She struck me as just another bored teenager, but after driving her home tonight, I’m curious about her situation and what brought her here. Is she in trouble? Or was she just embarrassed to show me where she really lived? I want to make sure she’s okay, but at the same time, I’m wary that she will misunderstand my intentions as something more. Something inappropriate.
Walking down her street, I pause in front of the house I saw her disappear into, a frown forming on my lips. With its partially caved-in roof, broken windows, and graffiti-covered exterior, it’s clearly been abandoned, but inside, there’s a glowing light. A shadow catches my eye, and a few seconds later, I see a flash in the window. My breath catches in my throat, because it’s Chloe.
Fuck.
My instincts were right. I knew something was off when I left her here. That would’ve been the time to ask her what was going on. Walking in there now just makes me look like a creep who’s been standing out here for the last two hours, watching her. My hands shoved in my pockets, I step closer. I want to help her, but I’m not sure how. All confronting her is going to do is kick her defences into gear or worse, land me in a hell of a lot of trouble. Pressing my lips together, I force myself to keep walking.
The best thing I can do is try to talk to her about it tomorrow.
* * *