Page 43 of Her Forbidden Teacher

One of the EMTs shoot him a strange look, but he ignores it. After a thorough checkup and cleaning up some of my cuts and scrapes, the EMTs deem I’m okay enough to go home with my dad. Theo helps me out of the back of the ambulance. Almost immediately, Dad shows up and yanks me to him.

“My God, Adds. What the hell happened?”

I manage to tell him through my tears and Theo fills in the rest. By the end of it, Dad is scowling at Theo like this is all his fault somehow. Probably looks pretty bad how he’s staying right by my side like a good boyfriend, not simply a caring teacher.

Finally, the cops come and take my statement. Sheriff McMahon is gentle and concerned, listening to every detail. Then, he assures me both Lucy and Nick are in a lot of trouble. Both were arrested and taken to jail.

“I’m taking her home now,” Dad says to anyone who’ll listen. “Where’s your stuff, honey? I’ll get it for you.”

I point to my car and shiver as he releases me. I’m drenched in sweat because it’s a thousand degrees outside, but I can’t stop shaking. Theo wastes no time wrapping his arms around me.

“Guess I’m going home,” I say through my tears. “I wanted to be with you.”

He kisses my head. “Soon. Right now, get home and rest. I’ll call you shortly.”

Dad practically has to pry me away from Theo and deposit me into his car. Once we’re on the road, he shoots me a furious glare.

“What was that?”

I know he doesn’t mean Lucy beating my ass.

He means Theo.

Swallowing, I force myself to meet his glare and lift my chin in a show of confidence. “He’s my boyfriend.”

“The hell he is.”

He punches the gas and curses the entire way home.

Chapter 14

Theo

Not seeing Addison last night, sucked. All I wanted to do was hold her in my arms to make sure she was physically okay. But her dad was being protective and did the job for me. Thankfully, she did call me, and we stayed up late talking. So late, I missed gym time again.

I think the guys will understand.

I’m still not okay at having seen that psychopath trying to beat my girl to death with a baseball bat. Everything happened so fast. One minute I was popping in for a quick staff meeting about how to handle when students distribute what’s considered child abuse material and the next, we’re getting alerted to a fight in the parking lot.

Intuition told me to run, and since my new friend, Everett runs fast as hell, the two of us raced to the scene. Had we wasted even ten more seconds, I hate to think what Lucy would have done to Addison. She was so close to clobbering her in the head with that bat.

But I saved her from it.

Thank fuck.

I’m making my way into the school and see Everett standing by his classroom. I stop for a moment to clasp onto his shoulder. “Thanks for dealing with that asshole.”

“My pleasure.” He smirks as if giving headlocks is a perk of the job.

My phone rings and it’s Adam. Everett shrugs when he sees the name. I move aside so a student can go into Everett’s class.

“Hey, man, what’s up?”

“I need you in the office,” Adam says, voice tight and sounding odd. “Sheriff McMahon and Mary Ellen are here.”

Ice chills my veins. “Be there in two.”

Everett shoots me a questioning look. I quickly tell him about the call. He curses under his breath and then smacks me on my back. “Whatever happens, we’ve got your back.”