Lesson Learned

Chapter Twenty Four

“He said he needed some time alone. He feels like this is all his fault because he didn’t keep things professional between us.”

Robby shrugged. “Well, in all honesty, he’s not wrong. None of it would’ve happened if the two of you weren’t falling for each other.”

I jerked up to look at him. “How can you say that?”

“Okay, hear me out, Ken,” he started, and I nodded. “If the two of you were just working side by side without the attraction, then that deranged woman wouldn’t have seen you as a threat. And you’d be in the classroom right now.”

“But—”

He put a finger up to my mouth. “Shhhh.” I sighed but nodded again. “I can’t say I wouldn’t feel like Kyle does right now. He’s feeling like he let you down. And you can’t get mad at him for caring that much. He’s a damn good man.” Robby wiped my falling tear with his thumb. “He only wants to protect you, and he’s feeling like he everything that’s happening is out of his hands, and if they don’t let you come back, well, that’s the ultimate failure in his eyes.”

I closed my eyes and let out another huge sigh. “But he didn’t do anything.”

“But he feels like he did. I mean, I can’t speak for him, but I totally get why he’s pissed at himself. You gotta look at it from his angle, Ken.”

I nodded. “I know, but it sucks. It kind of feels like he gave up on us without a fight.”

“But he hasn’t given up on anything. He’s just pissed right now and probably needs time to realize what an idiot he’s being by thinking it’s his fault. Because you and I both know the only one at fault is that messed up wench.”

I closed my eyes and wished that this was over already, and the truth was out.

“For now, let’s just concentrate on getting you in that apartment.” He pulled out a black wig from my costume for Halloween last year.

“Robby, that’s not gonna fool anyone. They’re used to people trying to hide their identities.”

“Well at least this way, if they get a picture, it’ll be a shitty one.”

He tossed the wig in my lap and I shook my head as I straightened it out. “This is ridiculous,” I said, letting out a much-needed laugh.

“Oh, just put it on already,” Robby whined.

“Fine…fine,” I conceded.

Once it was in place and I had his black leather jacket on, we walked slowly toward the complex, but just as we were coming close to the cameras, Robby jerked me around to the back of the building.

“What’re you doing?” I asked, looking around. “We live on the second floor if you remember. There’s no door back here. Did you learn to fly or something?”

“Damn it, now why didn’t I think of that?” he quipped, pulling me over to the neighbor’s window. “There’s no way in hell that wig was gonna fool anyone.”

“Then why did you make me wear it?”

“In case there was a straggling cameraman wandering around.”

Our neighbor pulled her window up and Robby helped me jump inside. He and I thanked her profusely for letting us use her apartment to get to ours.

Once inside the safety of our apartment, I plopped back on the couch.

Robby joined me on the couch and turned to look at me. “Tell me what you’re gonna do.”

“What do you mean, what am I gonna do?” I said, unsure of what he was really asking. “There’s not much I can do about any of this.”