Page 15

“That’s a long time!” One of the other two women who had been standing quietly around them the entire time added. “Why didn’t you ever get married?”

Kamryn tensed, her entire body going rigid. Elia was up close and personal with her, so she felt it in her own body. That was a touchy subject still, no doubt, and there was no way that Kamryn was going to be able to talk about it.

Jumping in, she made the decision to change the topic. “Those are usually complicated answers. But what about you? How did you and Lauren meet?” Elia looked directly at Rosie, hoping that the fact she seemed to be running this conversation would pull her to talk about herself instead of being cruel to someone else.

“I met Lauren through Andra, actually.”

Kamryn jerked. She was staring at her shoes, her cheeks were red, and her eyes were barely open. Was she holding back tears?

“I’m sure that’s an interesting story, but I’ll have to hear all about it another time.” Elia stated, using her teacher voice that meant she wasn’t going to leave any room for argument. “I forgot that I have an early meeting in the morning, so we should get home so we can get some sleep.”

“Yeah, that’s probably a good idea.” Kamryn leaned into Elia’s side and let her lead them away from the small crowd.

Elia guided Kamryn through the throng of people, ignoring the stares at her back. There was far more to Kamryn than she’d wanted to believe there was. She’d spent the last few weeks trying to make her out to be the enemy who had stolen a job right from under her, but it was anything but that. Kamryn was a person, someone who came with her own history and problems and pain.

And Elia had unwittingly walked right into the center of it all.

She kept Kamryn upright as they walked toward her car. When they stepped off the curb, Kamryn’s voice finally reached her ears. “Where are we going?”

“Back to the school,” Elia said, keeping her tone firm and collected. She was upset still about the scene that Kamryn potentially could have caused, that if she hadn’t stepped in to collect her it could have gotten really bad. She was upset that Kamryn would ever remotely think that getting drunk in public would be a good idea.

But she couldn’t exactly yell at Kamryn right now either. Not while Kamryn was drunk, not while they were still trying to get back to the school. Opening the passenger door and sliding Kamryn into the seat, Elia stepped back after she closed the door and took a deep, steadying breath. Abagail was going to hear all about this before she left for her trip.

Even as adults, Elia was still cleaning up her students’ messes.

How did that responsibility seem to always fall onto her shoulders?

At least it used to when Kamryn had been a student. But ever since then, it was different. Elia had made sure of it. She wouldn’t repeat mistakes.

Sliding behind the wheel, she turned the car on and lowered the volume on the radio. “So you and Lauren dated.” It wasn’t a statement. But Elia was insanely curious how that one had happened and how it had ended. While she’d wanted to stick around for the details from Rosie, she was pretty sure that it wouldn’t have worked out well in Kamryn’s favor.

“Yes. And lived together.” Kamryn ran her fingers over her face. “I’m sorry.”

“For dating Lauren?” Elia asked, already knowing where this conversation was probably going. She could only hope that Kamryn would remember it in the morning though.

“Well, yes.” Kamryn sighed heavily. “But more for putting you in an unethical position. I shouldn’t have… That wasn’t a very wise…” Kamryn groaned. “I’m sorry I kissed you without your permission.”

Permission?That word rang out in Elia’s ears. She’d never had anyone ask for her permission, explicitly, to kiss her before. Not in random kisses she’d had as a teenager and young adult or even within longer-term relationships.

But that bit of knowledge, the admission of guilt and pain that seemed to settle into Kamryn from knowing she’d done something without permission intrigued Elia. What would it have been like to have been asked?

Would it have been that much better? Because that kiss out there had been amazing, even with the alcohol, without the anticipation, without the interest between two parties.

“I should have asked for consent. I was wrong.”

“Kamryn…” Elia stopped herself. She was about to tell Kamryn that it was fine she hadn’t asked, but they would talk about it some other time or just forget that it happened, but she stopped herself. That would be invalidating the confession. “You should have. And to be very clear, I don’t plan on holdingthatpoint against you.”

“That point?” Kamryn looked at Elia then, their eyes locking briefly before Elia pulled out into the street.

“Yes. We’ll talk more in the morning.”

“Now you sound like you’re going to make me talk to the Head of School because you caught me drinking.”

Elia snorted lightly, a smile that she hoped Kamryn couldn’t see playing at her lips. She’d done that many times with many students over the years, though she hadn’t ever had to do that with Kamryn. Kamryn had been one of the good kids. Always ready to please, and a very hard worker.

“I suppose I could walk you up to her office in the morning.”

Kamryn groaned and sunk deeper into the seat. “Now everything is spinning.”