Chapter 13
Chapter 13
0
0
When Charles Logan got up to leave, Jimmy Leach rose to see him out.
Teresa Sullivan didn’t move—just quietly picked at her food.
After dinner, everyone went their separate ways. Teresa and Neil were both headed back to the school, so they walked the same way.
The small town lay quiet under a bright moon and a handful of stars, their shadows swaying side by side along the road.
It was October. The osmanthus trees were in full bloom, the air thick with their sweetness.
Teresa was never much of a talker, and the walk stayed quiet until
Templatby Megiller War War bands Hedlands, y tapeil couldn’t stand it any longer.
“So, where’d you go to school, Ms. Sullivan?”
“Riverdale University.”
“I’ve got a good friend who graduated from there too.” the
What a coincidence.”
“I hear from the principal you’re heading back to Riverdale tomorrow?”
“That’s right. My time here’s up.”
“Then… mind if I take you to dinner sometime?”
Teresa paused, thought a beat, then said, “If you come to Riverdale, dinner’s on me. You’d be doing me the honor.”
Neil rubbed the back of his neck, smiling in that open, boyish way. “Since when do the girls pick up the check?”
Before they knew it, they were at the school gates.
By the track, Jimmy stood in the shadows with Charles. From there, they could see Teresa and Neil walking back side by side.
“Look at that, Mr. Logan,” Jimmy said, half–grinning. “Don’t Dr. Sullivan and Mr. Watson look like a perfect match?”
Charles’s gaze drifted their way, his expression giving nothing away.
Teresa, in his mind, had never known when to quit. He’d told her no, clear as day, yet she kept pressing–asking if he
No wonder he’d stopped picking up her calls.
coming home.
After Yolanda was born, Teresa was a mess–hair unkempt, clothes smelling of milk, skin gone sallow and dull. Whatever brightness she’d once had was long gone.
He hadn’t touched her in years. Still, like it or not, she was his wife.
But she seemed to have forgotten that–getting far too close to another man.
Charles said nothing. Jimmy took it for disinterest, but couldn’t help adding, “She’s a good girl. Whoever married her is a lucky man.”
Lucky?
Was he?
Charles didn’t think so. He didn’t care.
After all, everything he had had very little to do with Teresa,
Meanwhile, Teresa and Neil turned the corner of the academic building.
“Mr. Logan,” Jimmy said suddenly, “you and Mr. Collins have both been drinking. I doubt you’ll make it back to the city tonight. Perhaps you’d be willing to rough it at my place for the night?”
The town had no decent hotels, and Jimmy doubted a man like Charles would stomach the run–down conditions.
1/3
11:28 AM P.
Chapter 13
Charles looked off into the distance, lost in thought.
。
By the time Teresa reached her room and closed the door, Jimmy was leading Charles down the hall. Jimmy’s room was right across
from hers.
As Jimmy opened his door, Charles said, “No need, Mr. Leach. I’ve got a place to go.”
Before Jimmy could ask, Charles was knocking on Teresa’s door.
She opened it to see him there, brows drawing in. “What is it?”
Her voice was cool, lacking the warmth or respect she used to show him.
He didn’t bother waiting for an invitation–just stepped inside.
Jimmy was still caught off guard when Charles quietly shut the door behind him.
The room was simple: a bed, a desk, a small sofa, and a bathroom. Th nothing fancy.
ஈ.
bedspread was pale green, dotted with tiny flowers–clean, fresh,
Teresa stood by the door, eyes narrowed. “You just came in without asking–what’s your purpose?” real anger.
were
sharp, but without
Charles sat on the sofa, his bespoke suit out of place here. Looking up at her, he said, “Nowhere else to
I’ll stay
here tonight.”
If it came down to it, he’d rather sleep where she had than in a filthy inn–or in a bed some stranger had used.
She caught the faint trace of liquor and guessed enough.
She didn’t throw him out. “Then I’ll sleep somewhere else.”
Once, she’d have run to hug him, drawn him a bath, changed his sheets, found him a set of comfortable pajamas and slippers.
She wasn’t that foolish anymore.
Reaching for the door, she was ready to leave when he said, “Teresa, I want a shower.”
In his mind, she’d always given him whatever he asked.
He didn’t mean to depend on her–circumstances just made it the only option.
If he could, he wouldn’t even see her.
She paused, glanced back. “The school’s got limited facilities. If you want a shower, you’ll have to use the bathhouse.”
He frowned. “No other way?”
Without a wash, he’d never fall asleep.
There was, but she wasn’t about to tell him.
“No,” she said flatly.
And with that, she left.
Letting him have the room was already more than generous.
Alone, Charles sat on pins and needles. The place was spotless, but he just couldn’t lie down.
He called Liam. “Find a driver in town. We’re heading back to the city. Now.”
He’d rather spend the night jostling in the back of the Rolls than try to breathe in here.
Qut in the school’s parking lot, Teresa got into her own car. She folded down the back seats, spread a sheet, and lay down.
It wasn’t cold in October, a light quilt was enough.
2/3
11:28 AM P
Chapter 13
She’d barely been there ten minutes when she heard Liam’s voice outside, speaking to Charles.
“Mr. Logan, Ms. Yates is here with Miss Yolanda. Should be here any moment.”
Headlights flared. A small voice piped up as the car stopped, “Daddy…”
Yolanda leapt into Charles’s arms, latching onto him like an octopus.
“What are you doing here?” he asked, glancing at Naomi Yates as she got out of the car.
Before Naomi could answer, Yolanda poked his cheek. “Yolanda missed Daddy. Miss Naomi missed Daddy too. She kept saying you’d never stand the lodging here and had to come get you.”
Charles smiled faintly. “You’re not afraid you’ll be late for school tomorrow?”
“I’m more afraid you won’t sleep well.”
That brought Teresa to mind. She’d never think that far
him.
“Let’s not stand around,” Naomi suggested. “Get in.”
Charles helped Yolanda into the car, closed the door, then straightened and looked at Naomi. “Thanks for coming.”
Under the streetlamp, her bright face was split clean down the middle–half in gold light, half in shadow. Her eyes held a depth that made it hard to look away.
Two silhouettes stood beside the car, enough to make the stars and moon hold their breath.
From where Teresa sat, it looked like they were about to kiss.
Maybe they remembered Yolanda was there–so they didn’t.
It wasn’t until the car rolled away that Teresa’s eyes brimmed with sudden tears.
Letting go was real. But so was the ache it left behind.