“Well, you told them,” Gabe said as he looked down at her. “That one guy really likes you.”
“We have worked together on a few cases,” Larissa said as she turned into the office to get her supplies for the next class.
“I mean to say he was not pleased when I said you stayed with me last night,” Gabe said. He was trying to see where she was on that fence. Did she like him as well? Gabe needed to know if there was anyone she really did like and maybe didn’t know it.
“I could see that,” Larissa said. “Gabe, he may like me, but he doesn’t really know me at all. He only likes what he sees.”
“What does that mean?” Gabe asked.
“He is a bumbling oaf,” Larissa said, and then she turned and looked at him. “I have had to go over the same thing at least ten times with him before. It is annoying. If he is
“Are you going to tell me what is wrong?” Gabe asked her after everyone left. He was watching her closely, and he could see something was bothering her. Though whatever it was, she was trying to cover it up.“Nothing is wrong.” She said as he looked up to him. “I am just tired and last night, and everything today is just there right out in the open.”“It seems like something else, though.” He said as he took a step closer to her. She hadn’t noticed that the door to the office was now closed behind him. She could only see him right in front of her.“I am just tired.” She said as she watching him move closer step by step. “Then to add all of this with Ann, Drew, Judy, and even your family. I am normally by myself. Too many emotions on overload.”He was right in front of her, and she didn’t even know
Midnight was fast approaching as she looked at the clock for the fiftieth time in a few minutes. Her boss was looking at her through his own office, and he walked over and stood in the doorway. “You know I understand you’re probably tired from teaching. I can have someone take over your full shifts, and then you can just focus on that.” Her boss said, “The doctors all think it is a great thing to be able to go into the schools and start teaching the stuff we do.”“Thanks.” She said though she knew she couldn’t take him up on the offer. A few weeks of hardly any sleeping was something she would get used to. “But I am honestly fine.”“You are going to burn out.” The man said as she looked at her. “Then what good will you be?”“Fine, I will take half my shifts.” She said as she looked at him.
“This wasn’t how I wanted to start this out,” Gabe said with a laugh. “However, thank you yet again. I guess that guy really has it bad for you.”“I don’t know why,” Larissa said as she looked at him. She yawned as she spoke.“Long night?” he asked.“Yeah, you could say that,” Larissa said. “Apparently, now that I am an acting teacher, I am going to have my hours cut here as well.”“What?” Gabe asked as he looked at her.“Yeah, my boss basically gave me the next month off with me really only going over paperwork,” Larissa said, and Gabe smiled.“Well, I can’t complain. That means I can have some of your time.” He said as he looked at her. “You have much more to do tonight?”“Only some files.” She said.“I have some dinner in the c
“I want you to rest when you get home.” He said as he looked at her knowing she had to go back inside. The make-out session in the car went a little further than either of them had thought it would. She was slightly flushed in the dark, and her breathing was starting to become normal. “I guess it is tonight, not tomorrow. I would like to cook dinner for you.”“Okay.” She said. She knew she would be exhausted by the time nightfall happened. She would just get through it, though.“Go and finish for the night.” He said as he touched her face again and kissed her softly. “I will see you at school later.”“Good night.” She said, and she got out of the car. She was still in shock at what had happened. An hour and everything had changed for her and him. He really liked her, and she knew that she felt the same about him. The
Larissa didn’t bother to go home to change. She had planned all of this out before she had left the house to go to work the night before. Dragging, she was sitting drinking her fourth cup of coffee in the office, planning out her day. The school was still in an uproar about the accident and the disappearance of not only the two teachers but a few other people that seemed to be missing now. She looked at the other teachers, who all shook their heads at her, but she wasn’t sure what to believe anymore.Gabe walked in and looked at her, and smiled. Though he was hoping to find her alone, he put his stuff down at his desk in the office, and he made his way over to her. “Did you hear?” He asked softly.“Hear what?” She asked as she looked at him. He looked at her and shook his head. He saw the lines under her eyes as they were dark and circle-like. She had not rested like he hoped.&ldqu
Larissa got through the day without thinking too much about anything that had happened that morning. She just focused on what she had to do and was watching the corner of the room where the hallway was connected when people came in and out. She knew that she was done with her part in all of this, she still felt slightly bothered by what she had done. The cleaning up was one thing, but in a way, she was the one getting something more than she bargained for when it came to Gabe.On the few times she had seen him throughout the day, they had exchanged messages like passing notes in the hallway to one of your friends she had seen others do. She smiled when she opened one that asked about her favorite foods. She answered and waited for the next time they saw each other. Then passed him a note back.At the end of the day, she looked at him
Larissa watched while he worked in the kitchen. She really had zero cooking skills, so it was like learning a new equation for something. He seemed to be having a good time, though, as he worked. Talking about the most inane subjects or starting off stories, this one time. She was just listening. Still a little dazed by her lack of sleep.That was when someone was at her front door. She didn’t get visitors often, so she looked at him confused. She walked to the front of the house, and he turned everything to a low heat and followed her. She opened the door and saw it was her sister-in-law Stacey and her two daughters standing there. They all were upset. “They found him,” Stacey said.“What?” Larissa asked as she tried to process what her sister-in-law said. “Where is he?”
Gabe looked at her and stopped moving around. He was completely lost in thought when he turned and turned off the burners and then turned back to face her. She thought by telling him the truth about herself, she had ended things before they began. It would be safer for the two of them. For some reason, now she felt like she was going to cry. He could see that in her face as he looked at her.His stare at her was unbreaking. She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. There was also an aching pain in her chest. She had never felt that before. He took three steps to be right in front of her, and then he looked down and wiped one of the tears that had fallen from the corner of her eye. “Larissa Walker, you may not know how to be normal, as you put it, but I don’t want you to be anything but what you are.” He said softly, “If I wanted to change y