A better place.It wasn’t much, but it was enough to fill me with a keen sense of relief. I sat down on the corner of the desk and took a breath. He didn’t allude to Renn again, instead keeping to lighter subjects such as Gage’s improved fastball and Robbie’s new art classes.
“Thanks for telling me about the boys, Pete. I’m so glad you’re all doing well.”
“Don’t thank me yet. In fact, you might be pretty upset with me in a minute.”
“Huh?”
Ten seconds later I heard purposeful footsteps stomping down the hallway. With so few people in the school this late in the afternoon, I knew it couldn’t be a coincidence. At the knock on my classroom door a moment later, I looked at Pete wide-eyed.
“What did you do?”
He shrugged. “It felt too much like fate. What can I say? I’m a romantic.”
Pete walked over to my closed classroom door and opened it like he had every right to do so. I held my breath.
“What’s this about, Pete? Is Robbie okay?” Renn’s deep voice sounded frantic. “What the hell is this text? ‘911. Robbie’s school. Room 206.’ What is going on?”
“Robbie is fine. As far as I know, he’s with Ryder at the house.” Pete stepped aside and Renn came barreling through the doorway, still looking down at his phone.
I was leaning against the desk, bracing myself with my hands. I conjured a shy smile that was somehow in place by the time Renn finally glanced up at me. He did a double take, an actual double take like the kind you see in cartoons—blinking his eyes a few times, before shaking his head as though to clear his vision. His eyeballs then made a valiant effort to pop out of his face. His reaction turned my timid smile into a huge one.
“Holy fuck. Sadie,” he stuttered only a beat, and then walked my way fiercely. I thought for a moment he was going to launch himself at me, so intent was his stride, but he stopped a foot away, before finally reaching to take my hands.
The two years had been kind to him, the last traces of boyishness gone from his face, replaced with more defined angles under a short scruffy beard. His standard daywear was the same—long-sleeved Studio Obscurum t-shirt and gray pants—but the bun-pony was larger, his hair longer and captured in a full coil. The lone tendril hanging loose against his cheek evoked images of running my fingers through his curls. I blinked the memories away.
He continued to hold my hands and gaze at me mutely, as though he couldn’t believe this was happening.Same, Renn, same.
A throat-clearing noise sounded across the room. “Well, uh, I think my work here is done.” Pete let himself out, shutting the door firmly behind him. Neither of us broke our stare to acknowledge his departure.
Renn glanced down at our hands before looking up at me again. “This is so crazy. I can’t even believe this is happening.”
“I know—”
“And I realize we need to talk, and I have so much to say, but I just…I…” His eyes were shiny as he stumbled. “I’ve thought of this so many times… Can I…hug you?”
“I want that so much.”Pride? Self-preservation? Never heard of ’em.I leaned forward into his embrace as his arms tightened around me. I wrapped mine around his shoulders and plastered myself to him, burying my nose in his neck. He started swaying our bodies to a silent rhythm, as though he still couldn’t get close enough. I understood the sensation. It was like that first drop of water after a grueling run. Like my body wanted to make up for every time over the past two years I’d wanted him and he wasn’t there. Every time I’d reached for his warmth and come up empty.
His lips snaked out to skim against my neck before he forced himself to pull back. He laughed and grinned at me. “I’m not sure I could have stopped myself, honestly, but hugging was probably a bad idea because it makes me think about…other things.” He leaned back further. “Shit. I hope it’s okay I said that.”
“More than okay.” I laughed, leaning back in his arms without letting go. “How are you, Renn?”
He huffed. “The short version of that answer is I’m good. But the long version is that I have so much I want to tell you. And ask you. So much that I don’t even know where to start.” He exhaled, shaking his head. “I wasn’t expecting to do this today…fucking Pete.” I startled when he said that, mainly because he said it with fondness rather than vitriol.
“Fucking Pete,” I concurred, smiling, finally pulling away completely to catch my breath.
He looked around and began putting the pieces together. “So, teaching? That tracks.”
“Yeah. I got a vision of it when we were together. Helping people, kids especially, that’s what gets me out of bed in the morning.” I pointed to the picture of the eyelash mites. “Plus, biology is a pretty cool subject to teach.”
“I’m sure your parents would be proud. Saving the world just like they did, but in a different way.”
“Something like that.”
“No more making lattes, then?”
“No. I quit Chester’s right before I had Char—” I caught myself just in time.Wait, should I just tell him?“Uh, before I finished student teaching. Zach still pulls me in for shifts at Hal’s sometimes, when he’s short-handed.”
“I’m weirdly glad to hear that. How is Zach doing?”
