No. Mother. Fucking. Way.
There was no way I was going to agree to that.
I felt tears fill my eyes at just the mere thought of being away from Jesse.
“No,” Jesse said adamantly. “No, we won’t do that. We didn’t have sex at school. Check the videos. There are cameras outside the counseling office and outside Veronica’s classroom. There’s your proof. These allegations are fucking ludicrous and I’m not going to give up the love of my life because someone’s trying to fuck with us.”
The love of my life.
Jesse had just called me the love of his life.
He used the word “love” to refer to me.
Despite the hell we suddenly found ourselves in, my heart skipped a beat at that word dropping from those lips.
“These are serious allegations against you that could cost both of you your careers. I need to set up a meeting with each of you, but for now, one of you has to move out. No contact with one another.”
“Starting when?”
“You’ve got tonight.”
We wrapped up the call. Jesse set his appointment for the next morning, and I set mine for the next afternoon. Jesse tossed his phone when he ended the call, and it ended up on the floor somewhere. He wrapped his arms around me as I cried desperately into him.
John was right.
We didn’t have a choice.
And we both knew that as a truth as we clung to one another, not sure how long this separation was going to last, dreading it even though we both knew that there was nothing we could do about it for now.
We had one more night together, and then in the morning, we’d have to go our separate ways.
I sobbed into his chest, my ugly cry back with a vengeance, and Jesse soothed me by rubbing his hands in a slow rhythm up and down my back, touching me like he was trying to memorize what I felt like beneath his fingertips.
“Let’s not waste tonight with tears,” he said quietly, his voice breaking with emotion that only caused my pain to sharpen as he ran his fingers through my hair.
I sniffled as I nodded into him, knowing he was right.
Maroon 5’s song “Daylight” started playing on repeat in my head, especially the refrain: “And when the daylight comes, I’ll have to go, but tonight I’m gonna hold you so close, cause in the daylight we’ll be on our own…”
I didn’t want to be on my own. I’d come to rely on Jesse for his protection, his care, and his love in the short time we’d been together. We truly enjoyed spending time together. With us, there was no drama, no competition. Just hardcore attraction and strong feelings that only deepened the more time we spent together.
He kissed my forehead and then kissed my cheeks where my tears still fell. His lips found mine and he kissed me softly, and then he leaned his forehead to mine.
“We’ll figure this out, V. Crying is letting them win.”
He was right, of course, and I knew that. I didn’t want Richard to win, and I was certain that it was him. I wouldn’t let him win.
“Where am I going to go?” I asked on a shaky breath.
“Stay with Quinn until we get it worked out.”
“Okay,” I agreed glumly.
He hugged me hard and then went to the kitchen to get us each some water while I called Quinn.
I sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed my forehead, trying to get rid of the headache that was already forming as I pulled up her contact.
She answered immediately. “Where the fuck have you been?”
“We went off the grid for a few days.”
“Are you fucking Jesse? At work?”
“No. And no.”
“Jesus, Veronica. There’s this huge investigation. HR called me in to talk to me about what I know.”
“What did you say?” I asked, suddenly alarmed.
“I told them what I knew. I said that you were staying with him, but as far as I knew, the two of you have been living as friends since you’re still married.”
“Thanks, Quinn.”
“Don’t thank me for telling the truth.”
“Can I stay with you?”
“Of course. When are you coming over?”
“Tomorrow.”
“Are you going to work?”
“I can’t. I’m suspended.”
“Paid vacation,” she said, always looking at the bright side.
“Ruined reputation,” I countered. Usually I wasn’t one for cynicism, but this was a pretty dark situation I’d suddenly found myself in.
“It’ll pass,” she said, and deep down I knew she was right. The problem was that I’d worked hard to earn the respect of my colleagues and students and to build a good reputation as a teacher, and it hurt to know how easily it could all be ripped away. Even if our names were cleared, we’d always have that cloud hanging over us. People would believe what they wanted to believe regardless of the truth, and most people tended to believe the gossip anyway. The juicier the story, the better.