My eyes narrow as they snap to his. “Listen, we need to set some boundaries here. For starters, you need to get off my bed. You stay on your side of the room and I’ll stay on mine.”
He arches a brow. “You’re going to be fun to live with, aren’t you?”
“Up. Now.” I yank him by his wrist, albeit a little too hard, and he stumbles toward me, his chest smacking into mine.
His scent invades my space, and for a brief moment, neither of us moves. His icy-blue eyes flick between mine, and it feels like he can see into me, see all of my truths.
I can’t have that.
This is my chance to be someone else, to have everything I’ve ever dreamed of.
Stephen licks his lips. “What’s Rule Number Two, Chance Kellerman?”
I shove him onto his side of the room. “Stay out of my way.”
“Can you help me find a book?”
I smile down at the kindergartener blinking up at me with big, brown eyes. “Of course. Which book are you looking for?”
“It’s about a lion.” He holds up both of his hands and pantomimes claws. “Rawr!”
I tap my chin while I think. “I might need some more details than that. Do you know what the story is about?”
He goes into a seemingly endless monologue about a lion and a mouse and a forest, and a bunch of other details that I’m not sure where they came from because they most-definitely are not in the book he’s talking about.
I walk around my desk and hold out my hand for him to take. “Come on. I think I know exactly where your book is.”
I lead him to the fiction section where the larger picture books are, and scan the shelf until I spot the spine I’m looking for. “Is this it?”
He gasps and bounces on his toes. “That’s it!”
“Ryan,” his teacher warns. “Lower your voice in the library.”
He covers his mouth with his tiny hand while his eyes flick up to mine. “Sorry, Ms. King.”
I give him a pat on his shoulder. “It’s okay, Ryan. Enjoy your book.”
“Thanks for helping me.”
“Anytime, kid.”
I head back to my desk just in time to see my phone lighting up with an incoming call. My heart leaps into my throat at the sight of the number on the screen.
I spin around and hold up the phone to my ear. “Hello?”
“Hi, Ms. King. This is Avery’s principal, Mr. Sturges.”
“Is everything okay?”
“Avery is healthy and safe.” He pauses, and I close my eyes waiting for him to continue. “But we caught him trying to cut class this afternoon. I have him here in my office.”
I stifle a groan and press my palm against my chest. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Sturges. Can I talk to him, please?”
“Of course.”
After a pause, Avery’s voice comes through the speaker. “Hi, Aunt Presley.”
I heave a sigh. “Are you alright?”