Lesson Learned {Student Teacher Romance}

Chapter 43

"Rory has a lot of growing up to do," Will says carefully. "And I can understand Keri's retisence, but that shouldn't bar her from seeking a paternity test. Unfortunately, he might not be ready to accept the results of his actions, but Rory's parents would certainly want to contribute to Joey's upbringing. And if Joey turns out to be a Smithe, he may be owed an inheritance."

"I don't want to speak for Keri," I pick at my jeans. "but I'll be sure to relay that information when she's not super-duper upset at me." 

"Keri will get over it," Will whispers in my ear to tickle a shiver down my spine. "You mean too much to each other, and she really needs your support. She just needs the space to process her emotions and everything she's facing, which I do not want to minimize. These are life-changing decisions we're talking about." 

And life was already changing so much. 

"Hey lovebirds!" Keri shouts to break us apart. "I gotta go home because I'm pretty drunk!"

"Let's go," I smile at my best friend as Will and I get up from the table. 

Tag is nowhere to be found so we help Keri into her coat and we leave the theater. 

She's almost asleep on my shoulder by the time we pour her into the back seat of Will's car and buckle her in.  

As soon as the door is shut, Will kisses me with an urgency I can feel in my core. 

His hands move from my jaw to my hair, pulling me closer as our mouths explore.  

After a few shaky steps, my back is pressed up against his Volvo as Will tilts his head to heighten our bewitching passion.

A series of dull thuds pound on my back from inside the car to stop us mid-makeout. 

"Get a room!" Keri hollers through the window at us to make Will chuckle against my lips. 

Will pulls away and opens the passenger side door of his car for me with an apologetic smile. 

"I can't help myself when I'm with you," he says while I climb inside. 

"You guys are gonna get married," Keri sings from the backseat where she's laid out like rag doll.

"I hope," I sigh happily.

"Yeah!" Keri cheers, which is interrupted by a wet burp. "Moira and Will, sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S-"

Keir makes another dicey sound that makes me cringe.

"Do you need to puke?" I turn aorund to look her in the face.

"Yes, please," She squeaks. 

I hop out again, much to Will's confusion, and open the back door just in time. 

A blur of red hair and makeup spills out as Keri projectile vomits the contents of her stomach all over the parking lot. Carefully I gather up the strands of her envious strawberry blonde mane and wait for her to finish before tucking her back inside the car.

"I have some water in my trunk if you think that'll help," Will suggests when I slide back into my seat. 

"Maybe we should wait," I whisper, nodding to where Keri's head is lolling off the side of his seat. "More liquids could mean more puking."

"Good thinking," Will nods and starts up the car. 

On the drive to the Gotlieb's house, Keri snores while Will and I chatted about politics, our favorite movies, the books we can't live without, and so much more. I don't think we'll ever run out of things to talk about, honestly. 

An hour and a half later, Will helped me unstrap Keri from the backseat of his car so we can walk her inside. 

She's giggling and hiccuping like we're in the middle of a tickle fight while I'm struggling to hold Keri upright. 

As we're stumbling toward the Gotlieb's front door with Keri's arms over both our shoulders, she somehow pitches forward. 

Miraculously, Will caught her before Keri could faceplant on the pavement (and wake up with one hell of a scab on her cheek). 

Then, he hoisted her into a fireman's lift and escorted me to the Gotlieb's front door. 

I hunted up the spare keys that Keri's mom gave me while Will sets my best friend down on her front stoop. Keri stumbles into me as I'm trying to engage the keys in the door, but I eventually mangaed to get it open. 

"Alright," I whisper while Keri hangs off me like a boozy sloth. "Time to get this one to bed. Thank you for the ride tonight, Will. I had a lot of fun."  

"Do you need help getting her upsatirs?" Will looks at us with uncertainty. 

"No, I think I've got this," I clutch Keri's arm to balance her weight on my back. 

Will leans in to give me one last kiss, this one soft and sweet and so darn cute it makes me blush. 

"I love you guys!" Keri cries out from behind me. "Fitzwilliam, you're good and Moira deserves a good man. Moira, if you want to marry Will, I say just go for it! You should just do it you guys!"

My face is melting off my skull by the end of her impromptu speech, but Will's shoulders are bouncing with barely contained laughter. 

"Just don't fuck it up Fitzwilliam!" Keri keeps going, much to my horror. "Because if you do, imma find you. I will hunt you down Fitzwilliam. And one more thing-"

"OK!" I cut her off. "We're going to bed. Say goodnight Keri!"

"Goodnight Keri!" She hoots and hiccups like she might vomit again. "HA!"

"Goodnight, girls," Will chuckles at us.