It was my turn to frown. “Playing us?”
He braced his hands on the back of his head and squeezed. “Luke knows I won’t be as hard on him if you’re here. Or he hopes, anyway.”
“Lawson…”
“I know you two have a bond, but he’s pulled more shit this year than I know what to do with. This has to have real consequences.”
Anger bubbled from somewhere deep. “You haven’t even talked to him yet.”
Lawson stilled. “I talked to the secretary, and she filled me in.”
“And you have a right to be upset, but you also need to take a breath and get Luke’s side of the story.”
“He’s been lying and giving half-truths all year!”
“Stop it!” I yelled. “He’s hurting. I don’t know exactly why, but I know there’s pain in him. I know what that looks like. I also know that your beautiful, amazing, kind, and protective boy is all of those things because it’s who you raised him to be.”
Lawson went stock-still. His blue eyes blazed.
Oh, hell. I’d done it now.
“You yelled at me.”
I bit the corner of my lip. “I did.”
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d done that.
Lawson moved into my space, pulling me into his arms. “Love that you feel safe enough to yell at me.”
Something shifted in me at that. Because he was right. Lawson made me feel so comfortable, I knew I could express anything to him. Except the one thing I needed to tell him most of all.
That I’d fallen in love with him.
34
LAWSON
My fingers itchedto take Hallie’s hand. I knew that just the feeling of her skin against mine would ease the edginess coursing through me. But I also knew the last thing we needed were tongues wagging about the two of us right now.
I opened the door to the school office and held it for Hallie. She stepped inside, her gaze sweeping the space.
“Hey, Law. Sorry I had to call you in. Know you boys are busy,” Debbie said. There was worry in her expression, maybe even a hint of fear. Two dead bodies in a matter of weeks did that to a town. And as necessary as the public safety announcement had been, it just put everyone more on edge.
“Not your fault,” I said. “Debbie, this is Hallie. Hallie, Debbie.”
Debbie gave her the once-over but had a warm smile. “The nanny, right?”
Hallie nodded. “Nice to meet you.”
“You, too, honey. You guys go right on in. The principal’s waiting for you.”
My gut churned as I lightly knocked on the office door.
“Come in,” Principal Meader’s voice beckoned.
I opened the door and gestured Hallie inside. She made a beeline for Luke, who had an ice pack resting on his knuckles. She quickly lifted it, assessing the damage as she sat. “Are you okay? Do you think you need an X-ray?”
“The only one who needed an X-ray was the boy whose nose he broke,” Principal Meader said with a scowl.
