Hot For Teacher (gxg)

chapter twenty-two: the truth?

AMELIA'S POINT OF VIEW:

"Your house is a little..."

Quietly closing the front door, I muttered, "I know." A nervous laugh escaped me as I did so. "I haven't been cleaning much. I've been a little busy these days."

She grinned at me and strode over to the balcony. It was not much of a room, but I did scatter some plants around it (I, not Charles, was the one who planted them outside). He treated these plants as if they were nothing. I felt a sense of relief as she said, "I am sorry if I sound too serious over text; I was in a hurry."

"That is alright," On my way to the balcony, I picked up two glasses of orange juice and gave her the other one. As she sipped it, a small smile spread across her face, which warmed my heart. "You're off to college soon."

She laughed. "I'm not really excited about that."

"How come? You should be, college is fun."

"College is more of an experience," Elaine explained. "I mean, you are largely responsible for my good academic performance this year."

I held her upper arm and gently squeezed it while giving her a wink. Her tenderness was irresistible; I could not help but touch her. Instead, in case she felt uncomfortable around me, I withdrew my hand. My gaze remained fixed on the sky as I took in the scenery stretching out before us. Because I knew her questions could go either way, I was not prepared for any of them.

"I am actually here for a reason," Elaine whispers with an air of secrecy. "There's something I need to know from you."

"Yeah?" My throat tightened as I felt the glass grow colder in my hand, and I stutter-talked as I tried to speak. "What is it?"

Elaine looks over at me, her gaze locking with mine, and she takes a deep breath. I thought I could see her developing romantic feelings for me, but it was all in my head. We have never even had that kind of conversation before, about how we feel about each other—the kind that ends in love.

Maybe her feelings for me were genuine, and I would have no problem repeating them if she confessed. Because I am aware that my emotions toward her are genuine; they are akin to a raging river coursing through my veins. She lights a fire under me, and I nearly collapse to my knees in a desperate plea for her to stay with me.

It could end badly, I remind myself. You don't know what can happen, Yeong.

"I saw a photo of you and my mom in my basement."

Oh shit.

I was unprepared for this conversation to happen, and my breath caught again as I gulped down my drink. Will I tell her the story about her mother and I? Maybe it was pointless; I have no idea what I am going to say to her; she will probably think I am crazy, perceive me as something else entirely, and then we could never meet again. The fear of losing her was palpable, and I believe it shows.

Elaine continued, "And she told me that she was your professor back in your college days. I just want to know—what's your relationship with my mother?"

As soon as I heard her sigh, I averted my gaze from her. There was no way this could end well; I will have to lie now. She can't find out—she shouldn't. I thought my glass was going to shatter from the force with which I clutched it. I felt a weight lifted off my shoulders as she called out my name. "Amelia?"

"Your mother is Monica Adams?" I could not help but smile as she nodded. "I didn't know that."

"Well, you were never really interested in talking about my family."