Page 9
Eliana
U nlike last time, when I sat alone in the library fuming waiting for Jake to show up, this time, I came fully prepared with my own agenda of things I needed to get done this week.
I’m not sure whether I should thank him for giving me the extra time to submit my research paper for my Childhood Adversity and Resilience seminar but it was one less thing I had to worry about for this week.
I check the time on my computer and can’t help but snort.
Of course he’s over thirty minutes late.
Again. And of course he couldn’t be bothered to send me an email.
I composed a quick email to the tutoring center informing them that I can longer commit to being Jake’s tutor and request that they find someone else willing to tolerate his bullshit. Well, I don’t use that exact phrasing, but the message is clear. I’m free of Jake Keeley.
I close my laptop and head into the lab a few minutes early.
A part of me hoped Violet wouldn’t be in today, because I didn’t want to tell her I had quit.
She probably wouldn’t even be surprised given she did warn me that Jake had a bit of an ego.
Still, I had worked with some pretty difficult clients in the past and this was the first time I wasn’t able to make something work. Tomorrow. I will tell her tomorrow.
I’m two feet away from the entrance to my lab when I hear someone running down the hall.
From his frantic expression and the way he keeps glancing down at his very fancy and likely expensive watch, Jake’s definitely piecing together how much trouble he’s in.
I feel my heart twinge a bit and for a second, I debate how bad it would be if I give a third chance.
My therapist’s voice starts to play in my head from our last session.
“ I get that helping people can be very aligned with your values, but burning yourself out is not a solution. Sometimes the best way we can care for others is by taking care of ourselves. And also not enabling their behaviors.” Stephanie was right.
I would just have to stick to my decision to no longer be his tutor.
I keep my head down hoping Jake won’t notice me.
Maybe it’s a bit cowardly to hide but telling him I quit was going to be really hard.
Setting boundaries was still very new for me, and if he poked my wall hard enough, the wall and my resolution would definitely cave.
I hear him call my name. Shit. I guess we’re doing this now then.
I turn around and get a face full of his chest, craning my neck up to look at him. “Jake.”
“Listen I know you’re pissed—” He takes a moment to catch his breath.
“Honestly I’m not.” It was the truth. The reality is I never should have taken on an extra client this semester. I had tried to make it work, but clearly he wasn’t going to put in the same amount of effort so all I can do at this point is move on.
His eyebrows knit together. “Oh um…well that’s good. So should we head back to the library?”
“Unfortunately, I can’t. I realized I may not be the best fit as your tutor so I emailed the main office asking them to reassign you with someone who can meet your needs.” Easy. Polite but firm. I give myself a mental high-five for not immediately caving into his request.
His eyes widen. “Please don’t quit on me. I had to drop a friend off at the airport. It was an emergency. I got stuck in traffic on the way back.”
“I understand that emergencies come up, but you could’ve told me you were running late. Or that you needed to reschedule.”
“I tried to, but my phone was dead.” The sincerity in his voice, paired with the mix of panic and guilt in his eyes, made my heart squeeze. My stupid bleeding heart.
“I see. Well I appreciate the transparency, but I’ve already emailed the tutoring center asking for you to be reassigned. I just don’t think our schedules and my tutoring style are compatible with what you need. But I’m sure they’ll connect you with someone new soon.”
“Wait, are you serious?”
“You should hear from one of the admins at the center soon about my replacement. Feel free to reach out to them if you haven’t heard anything in 3-5 business days.”
I needed to get out of this conversation.
Quick. Jamming my key into the lock, I can’t stop myself from glancing up at Jake’s panicked face, which also holds a hint of guilt and downright hopelessness.
I slam the door shut behind me before he can even respond and spend the next three hours burying myself in my work so I don’t have to think about the desperate look in his eyes as I walked away.
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9 (Reading here)
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52