Oxygen (Romance, Completed)

Chapter 12

Left alone with Jansen, the anger rolling off him flecked my skin like sparks spitting from a fire. I shrank back as he advanced, his mouth set in a hard line.

"Sit." He pointed at the piano stool.

The easy option would have been to do as he said, but when I thought back to Lincoln's words of the night before, I knew if I let Jansen keep me there again, I'd always be under his thumb. "I-I-I need to go as well."

"Later. We have to play first. The last section still needs work."

"But I have things to do at home."

"No, you don't understand. I refuse to fail this class, and Jude's already doing his best to sabotage the recital." Jansen advanced, and I stepped backwards until the cool wood of the piano blocked my way. "Now, take your seat."

"Let her leave." A soft voice came from my right, and I looked up to see Lincoln in the doorway.

Jansen's lip curled up in a sneer as he turned his fury on Lincoln. "Get lost. This is none of your business."

Lincoln's stance stayed easy, relaxed, but a slight hardening of his body told me he wasn't impressed by Jansen's words. He walked towards us, hands loose at his sides, eyes fixed on Jansen.

"You made it my business when you tried to keep a woman here against her will."

Jansen's harsh laugh bit through the air. "Don't be ridiculous. Akari's happy to stay." He turned to me. "Right?"

What should I say? I was far from happy, but if I said so, Jansen would get even more upset, and I still had to work with him. Unfortunately, he assumed my silence meant agreement and took a step towards Lincoln.

"See? Just remember what you're here to do—you clean, you don't talk to the students. Show some respect."

How dare he? "Jansen, you're the one who needs to show some respect. Lincoln's a human being. How dare you speak to him like that?"

"He's a janitor. You and I, we're different. We have the ability to make something of our lives." Jansen turned his back on Lincoln. "Now, ignore this idiot and let's carry on."

"Didn't you hear me? I said I need to go home."

"No, you need to practise. This school is the most competitive in the world, and if you want to succeed here, you have to put the hours in." He gave me a shove towards the stool, catching me by surprise, and I tripped over my foot before grabbing the edge of the piano to save myself.

I glanced in Lincoln's direction, but he hadn't moved. How did he stay so calm? Only his balled-up fists hinted that he might be a little irritated. Was he getting annoyed? Hisashi's father used to adopt the same manner in front of his own father and his brother, but he'd once confided that it took all his effort to maintain his relaxed facade when what he dreamed of doing was snapping their necks. What was going through Lincoln's mind?

"Don't touch her," he growled, taking a step forward.

"Or what? You'll stop me? I'll have you fired."

Please, Lincoln, don't lay a finger on Jansen. Although I felt like punching the pig myself, I had no desire for Lincoln to lose his job over me.

"It's okay," I whispered. "I can stay a bit longer."

Lincoln's hand reached out, eclipsing Jansen's triumphant grin. "You don't need to. You can come with me."

I stared at his fingers, holding steady a foot away from me, and then looked at his eyes. They said what his mouth didn't: "I'll take care of you."