Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 67553 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 338(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67553 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 338(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
The screen on our end was paused with Gabriel’s hand wrapped around Viveka’s throat where he was clearly choking her so badly she couldn’t breathe. He was also ripping the front of Viveka’s shirt down.
Fucking motherfucker.
If I could kill a man over and over, this man would be the one to experience that particular phenomenon.
“He’s at his office right now,” he said. “I found out he has an appointment today around three for a client of his who thinks he’s about to be fired. He wants his lawyer there when it happens. Once he’s out of there, I’ll take care of it.”
“Let me know if you need anything,” I said.
He laughed. “Oh, I won’t.”
After we hung up, I looked at Lev, who looked rather smug at my reaction.
“I want cameras in her classroom by the end of the day, and I want access to all cameras in that school by noon,” I said. “Ivan can take care of the cameras in the school. You can get me access.”
“Will do.” He stood up, and I swung around to get to my computer. “Shasha?”
“Yes,” I answered, looking up.
“I like her.”
My lips twitched. “She’s going to be my wife.”
“I know.” He started out of the room but stopped and looked at me over his shoulder. “One day, I want that.”
“You’ll have it, Lev. All you have to do is step out of your comfort zone.”
One day, each of us burned a CD for the last time and didn’t know.
—Brecken’s secret thoughts
BRECKEN
My ex-fiancé, my ex-best friend, and Gabriel sat across the table from me.
To make matters worse, there was the superintendent on one side of me, the principal and the dean of students on the other, and about five people lined up behind us that were higher-ups in some way.
This was starting out fantastic.
Not only was I missing my lunch period for whatever the hell this was, but I was also having to deal with three of my least favorite people in the world.
“All right, now that all of us are here…”
I ignored the way the superintendent sounded snippy about me arriving ‘late’ even though I was coming straight from my class and missing my lunch period and sent out the text I’d been sending to Shasha before I’d been informed that I had a meeting I needed to attend.
A mandatory, no-getting-out-of-it meeting.
I pulled out my lunch and laid it out on the table in front of me.
I took a bite of my peanut butter and jelly sandwich made on gluten-free and dairy-free bread.
Jesus, I was totally going to make Polina the best woman at my wedding…
The superintendent frowned at me as my phone vibrated in my lap, and I couldn’t stop myself from saying, “I’m starving, Mr. Pondant. This is my lunch period, and I’m already one of three who takes their lunches this late.”
He dismissed me and looked at the principal. “Do you want to explain about the meeting?”
“Yes.” He stood up. “It’s come to our attention that all students are having a hard time in your classes. All of them feel uncomfortable.”
My brows rose. “Are you talking about my students?”
“No.” He held up his hands. “No, not you. Them.” He jerked his chin at Rupert and Jolessa. “You are here to let us know if you’ve felt uncomfortable having them here.”
I snorted. “You literally have them on either side of my room. Of course, I’m uncomfortable having the man I was supposed to marry on one side of my room and the woman that used to be my best friend and cheated with my ex-fiancé on the other.”
“Her comfort is not necessary to doing her job,” Gabriel snarled.
“Actually,” Principal Grayson said, “it is. She’s pivotal to the students here at West Dallas High. All of the students love her, she’s on the shortlist for becoming principal here next year since I’m only here out of retirement until we can find a suitable replacement, and I have never had one single complaint about her in the ten years that she’s been here. So yes, her opinion does matter. And she’s also very well-tuned to the state of the students’ wellbeing.”
“The students are too soft, then.” Gabriel rolled his eyes. “All that should matter is if the students can learn the material that my clients are very well practiced at teaching.”
“They can’t. That’s the problem,” one of the men at my back said, causing me to look behind me as I took a bite of my sandwich.
“What are you talking about?” Gabriel sounded annoyed.
Good.
He deserved it.
“The students have all asked to be transferred out of his classroom. All of our other teachers are at over capacity because of the two adults you’re representing. The ones that didn’t know the drama have also now asked to leave their classrooms because of the hostility. Mrs. Goodman has made her desire to not be teaching art very clear, making an inhospitable environment in her classrooms. And Mr. Tomlinson’s students have assured us that they feel very uncomfortable with him because of how he acts. Some students say that he’s snappy and refuses to teach his subject anymore because he ‘should be principal.’ Others are saying that when they ask questions, he refuses to answer. And out of the entire school, their grades are the lowest out of any teacher present.”