Forever Could Be Ours

Chapter 20. | Good Enough

In an instant, everything freezes like a momentary pause. All external sounds tune out, drowned out by the rhythmic pounding of my own heart and the deafening roar of my alarming thoughts.

I don't even know how I've found my voice to speak. "William?"

"Yes, but you can call me Will, sir," William reaches over to give me a firm handshake. "I'm so pleased to hear you're Mrs. Harris's replacement. I'm looking forward to your class."

My hand reaches up to pull at the tie I realise I'm not even wearing.

I don't understand how I didn't recognise him in the first place. He hasn't aged much in the two years from the picture I saw. If anything, he looks older and more handsome. It's not helping that he's fucking polite and interested in my class. I want to be angry at this guy for breaking Hayleigh's heart but I  feel torn by his friendly first impression interactions.

"Shouldn't I walk you to class?" Frederick offers rhetorically because he's already passing through the hallway in his navy blue suit.

All the extra credit I have been working for fits perfectly in one of the bins we pass by. Screw this. I don't need this degree after all. Every alarming nerve in my system screams to do a 180-degree turn and leave.

In stark contrast to my usual expectations, my body twitches with the hope of Hayleigh having one of those days where she has slept through her alarm.

She hasn't.

As we enter the classroom, I'm met with a smile from her that makes my heart swell. Knowing what's about to happen slowly kills me. When I move aside to let William in, I feel the crack in my heart as Hayleigh's happiness dissipates like smoke.

I can literally see the walls clash around her.

"Yes!" Jake nearly knocks over his chair as he stands, excitedly wrapping his arms around William. Several other students stand excitedly, engulfing the blond boy like he's back from war. I assume most of them are from his old soccer team from the weird handshake they're making.

I fade into the background as Frederick gives a short introduction, talking about William's return and the upcoming midterms. I stand composed and nod occasionally but my mind is somewhere else.

I can't tear my gaze away from Hayleigh. All the colour has been drained from her face and she chews the inside of her cheek intensely while looking down at the ground. It takes all my willpower not to strike through the room and wrap my arms around her.

"There's an available spot next to Timothy." I don't even recognise my own voice as I look at William, pointing towards the seat next to the windows.

"Sure," William smiles, walking past the rows of tables like he never left in the first place. As he passes by Hayleigh, who still focuses on the floor, he brushes his hand on her shoulder.

There's a silence in the class that matches the thick tension between them. Everyone is watching the interaction, even Frederick seems to have noticed. As he exits the classroom, the sound of the door closing brings me back to reality.

"Okay," I brush my lips together in a tight line. "The mathematics midterm is up soon. I've prepared the mathematic equations you might stumble upon in the test..." 

For the next thirty minutes, my gaze shifts between explaining the questions and watching Hayleigh with her face buried in her hands like she wants to disappear. As I announce a small break, she is out of the classroom before I even get the chance to finish my sentence. 

William is right in her heels.

Don't do it.

I drop the papers to the desk, combing my fingers through my hair in mild exasperation. I know I shouldn't be interfering, whatever happened between them is something they need to solve together.