"It'll only take me a moment."

"Please? I really have to get to work."

"I'll give you a ride." I say without even thinking. I suppose old habits die hard.

Her breath catches and I swear I hear her heart let out a thud. "No, umm, that's okay. But thanks."

Shot down. Not that I expected any different.

"Okay, well, I'll pick one up shortly and you can collect it tomorrow."

"Thank you, Mr Price."

I hate it when she calls me that. "You can still call me Isaac you know? I don't have a problem with that."

"I do." She murmurs, brushing past me. I feel her heat and smell that ridiculously delicious scent, but I don't do anything about it. I can't do anything about it. "See you tomorrow."

And then she's gone and I'm left wishing I had more vodka. I should really return that ticket to her before I do something stupid and decide to actually use it. If I don't have it in my possession at least there's no chance of me entertaining the idea.

For now I actually do my job and head to the storage room where all the exercise books are kept. Hopefully they'll have a few left. I'm certain they do, although three students have had to purchase new ones over the Christmas period.

It's when I enter the storage room using a spare key that my heart stops and my head spins.

I hear it, the sounds of s.e.x coming from behind the closest shelf. Whoever is in here hasn't heard or seen me enter and I have no f.u.c.king clue what to do.

f.u.c.k.

It's probably a couple of students.

Something tells me it isn't and the thought of Eloise behind that shelf with another man burns a hole straight through my chest and fills me with rage.

I have no clue what to do. This isn't in the teaching manuals.

I back out of the room slowly and close the door quietly behind me, locking it again. It was locked when I got here, so clearly they have a key and only three teachers in this school have keys to the storage room.

Myself, my dad and Diplock.

I hang back, hiding around the corner behind a row of lockers. I wait, my eyes on the door. In my mind I chant over and over, "Please don't be Elle." Even though I know deep down it won't be, I still... gah... it's painful to think about.

I wait for ten minutes before the door finally opens and I blow out a breath of relief.

It's Shannon.

f.u.c.k.

It's Shannon!

She brushes her trousers down and quickly fixes her hair, looking around with shifty eyes. Then she walks towards the exit and the store cupboard door opens soon after.

I glare at Diplock, even though he doesn't see me. I can see that f.u.c.king smirk on his face.

What the h.e.l.l is he doing?

He's married! He has kids!

She's his f.u.c.king student! She's clearly vulnerable and has a thing for men of authority... Christ it was only this afternoon she was testing my limits, so I know she's not into him long term. She's just looking for acceptance.

What the h.e.l.l do I do about this?

I can't tell my dad myself. He'll never believe me.

Am I being hypocritical? No I am not. I don't believe I am. Elle and I were different. I respected and still respect her as an equal and as a woman. He clearly just wanted to get his d.i.c.k wet.

f.u.c.k.

f.u.c.k!

I wait for him to leave before doing the same, my mind burning with vicious thoughts of planting my fist straight through his fat f.u.c.king head. If anybody finds out this would shame the school. He'd lose his job, his wife, his kids... that's if she doesn't forgive him. Even if she did, what would he do then? He wouldn't be able to teach elsewhere; he'd lose his license.

I can't just sit back and let him do this to her.

I should talk to Shannon.

No... I should get a friend to talk to her.

This day just keeps getting better and better.

Chapter Twenty Five.

Eloise It's lunchtime so I head to Isaac's cla.s.sroom to pick up my History book.

I can't wait to see him... not.

Yesterday was torture; it was so awkward. I couldn't stop picturing him naked. I barely stopped myself from getting on my hands and knees and begging for him to come back to me.

I've been trying to stay strong. I've been trying to keep busy, but it hasn't worked in keeping him from my mind.

I yelp when my arm is grabbed and I'm pulled into the cla.s.sroom. I notice immediately how the blinds on the windows are closed.

"I need to talk to you," Isaac says, his eyes frantic.

"Okay." I wonder what has him so worked up. He doesn't look as if he's slept at all. "Are you keeping on top of your laundry?"

"No." He shakes his head. "I mean yes, but..."

"Seriously, you're wearing odd socks."

He grabs my shoulders, his pupils tiny, and for a second I think he's high but then mentally laugh that off. Isaac doesn't do drugs; he despises them as far as I'm aware. "Will you please listen to me?"

Okay, he's serious. I need to focus. "What's wrong?"

"Diplock."

"My English teacher?"

"Yes." He rolls his eyes before snapping them back to mine, his warm hands still gripping my shoulders. "He's sleeping with Shannon."

Oh. "Okay?" I'm not sure why he's telling me. "And?"

"I need you to tell my dad." He finally releases my shoulders and takes a step back as I gape at him.

"Me? Why the h.e.l.l would I do that?"

"It'll look better coming from you."

I retract what I thought earlier about him despising drugs. I'm pretty sure he's on them. "And how do you know they're sleeping together?"

"I saw them in the storage closet when I was getting that book for you." He winces. "Remind me to get you that later."

"Isaac," I whine, frowning deeply. "I need that. Your essay is due tomorrow."

"I'll dismiss it until Monday."

"Really? Yay."

He growls and flicks my chin. "Will you focus? Please?"

"I'm not getting involved. It's none of my business." I hold my hands up defensively when his face darkens with anger. "Well it isn't! I'd be such a hypocrite." My voice lowers. "What we were doing..."

"Is different."

Eye roll. "How is it different exactly?"

"It just is!" I can see he's getting frustrated with me, but I stand by what I'm saying.

"n.o.body else will see it that way if they find out. Just leave it, Isaac." I go to turn, but he grabs my bicep and keeps me facing him.

"I can't do that. He's taking advantage of her."

Sigh. "Were you taking advantage of me?" He glares at my words, clearly resenting the fact I'd even ask, but I'm only trying to prove a point. "Exactly, so why would you think that about him? Isn't he your friend or something?"

"He's married."

Yeah, it's awful what he's doing to his wife, but I still don't see why I should get involved with this. "How many married men have affairs do you think? It's horrible, I know, but it's none of our f.u.c.king business. Just leave them be."

"But he's using her, Elle! Don't you care about that?"

"I can't prove that he's using her any more than you can."

"Please, just go and tell my dad. Speak to him; tell him Shannon confided in you. Maybe he'll catch them in the act."

"No." I pull my arm free. "I'm not telling anyone anything."

"You're a coward."

"Nope, I'm just giving them the same chance I hope somebody would have given to us. Besides, your dad can't take this kind of pressure right now."

He slams his hand on the table to my right, causing me to jump. "Fine, I'll deal with it myself."

"You do that and, when you march into that office and tell your Dad about Diplock, tell him about us too. Let's see how he listens and feels." I'm shouting now but I don't care. I'm aggravated. "Because if you feel this way about Diplock, you must be feeling this way about what we had."

"We were f.u.c.king different!"

"Right." I roll my eyes again. "Of course we were. That's why we had to sneak around and lie to everyone. I mean what did we do really other than watch movies, eat and have s.e.x?"

"I wasn't taking advantage of you."

"Weren't you? Are you sure? You seem to be thinking otherwise. Maybe your anger over the Diplock issue is misplaced anger that you really want to aim at yourself." I prod him in the chest, forcing him back a step. "You don't have a right to judge another teacher for doing what you did! I didn't realise you looked at it like it was sordid and seedy."

He runs his hand through his hair. "It's not, Elle, and you know it."

"I do? And why's that? You're both the same age. Shannon and I are the same age."

His hands come back to my shoulders and my back hits the door. "You didn't see the way he left that closet. He doesn't love her and respect her like I do you. He'll never love her and respect her the way I do with you. I know his type; he'll get what he wants until he's bored! She'll go on in life with even bigger issues than she's got now and you know she's got issues. They aren't in love. Is that what you want for her?"

We both freeze at his words. My mouth drops open and my body goes numb. I heard that correctly, right? He said he loves me.

"I'm done with this conversation." His hands ball into fists and he rubs his eyes. "Go."

"Wait..." I try, but he pulls the door open.

"It doesn't change anything," he snarls and, with a hand to my back, he gently pushes me through the doorway and slams it shut afterwards.

I look both ways down the hall. A handful of students look my way, but only because they heard the door slam.

I shift my bag up my shoulder and walk away, my lips still parted as I try to figure out whether or not I just dreamed all of that.

He said he loves me. Not loved, but loves, as in present tense. He still f.u.c.king loves me and always did.

I don't know why this brings me so much joy. It shouldn't because he's right; it doesn't change anything. It still makes me run to my next cla.s.s with the biggest grin on my face. If they turn off the lights, I swear I'll be glowing.