Unease blossomed from within and I squirmed in the seat. “Only one day?”
“I have subs already for you both. I will keep both of you updated with this process.”
After a few minutes of discussing the court date and time, he dismissed us. I had a few more papers to grade before we could head home, so Asher came to my classroom with me. He sat backward on one of my student’s chairs as he watched me grade.
His eyes were trained on me. “I can help you if you want.”
“I like to grade by myself. It’s one of my things.” I grinned. I marked a few wrong answers and jotted down some notes.
“How’re the kiddos doing?”
I sighed. “Still asking about where Rosie went.”
He clicked his tongue. “Damn.”
We fell silent. The buzz of the fluorescent lights overhead were persistent as Asher tapped away on his phone game.
I was on my last paper when Linda barged into the room like she was hell on wheels.
“I demand to know what the hell is going on around here!” Her manicured hands rested on her hips as she glowered at us. “Higgins won’t tell me a thing.”
Asher locked his phone and looked up at her. “Don’t you think that means you’re not meant to know?”
She shrugged. “I’m staff here, and I think I deserve to know.”
“Just get out of here with your sense of entitlement.” I groaned and pointed toward the door. “Don’t let it hit you on the way out.” I was growing tired of her constant need to know everything.
The muscles in her face tensed. “How dare you.”
“Linda, leave Faith alone. This literally has nothing to do with you and we aren’t telling you shit.” Asher swung his legs out of the chair and strode over to the door, holding it open for her.
She glanced back at me before she dragged her eyes to meet his. “What do you see in her?”
His shoulders slumped and he leaned against the open door. “Everything.”
Her eyes flared with anger as she stomped out of the door, not looking back.
I rolled my eyes as Asher let the door shut behind her.
“We may want to bring up her behavior to Higgins,” he said.
I dropped my head into my hands. “She’s always like this. I have no doubt he knows how she is.”
“And he keeps her around why?”
“RTI teachers are like rare gems. For some reason, nobody wants the job anymore.”
He rubbed the scruff on his cheek. “Well, that’s stupid.”
I agreed with him. After writing the grade on top of my last paper, I threw the graded papers into my pass back tray and we headed home. I loved having a home with him. Deep down, I always knew it’d be Asher.
I was thankful he was with me through this case. Being a teacher meant caring deeply for our students. Rosie’s situation was a teacher’s worst fear. I loved Rosie and would do anything to help her, that much I knew.
I’d never been the romantic type. Okay, maybe that was a damn lie. I’d never had the chance to do romantic gestures because the right woman just wasn’t in my reach until now. That’s why I was rubbing my hands together and pacing the bathroom floor while the bathtub was filled to the brim with bubbles and hot water, chocolates and white wine on the counter next to the tub, and classical music that softly played from my phone.
“Asher,” Faith called from behind the bathroom door. “Can I come in now?”
I exhaled a shaky breath. “Come on in.”
The door opened and revealed the woman I was utterly in love with. Her long brown hair was pulled into a knot on the top of her head as a pale-pink silk robe covered her. Her mouth made a perfect o-shape as she glanced around the room. She squealed in delight as she shuffled over to the wine and chocolates.
“My favorites!” She poured a glass and offered me one before pouring herself one.
My cheeks were hurting from smiling so much. I loved her reactions and I loved her. “Glad you like it.”
She moaned as she sipped from the glass. “Thank you. This is amazing.”
“Tomorrow is going to be a rough day.” A rough day is an understatement. This past week leading up to tomorrow has gone painfully slow. Faith has been a bundle of nerves and she needed a chance to relax.
“I know it will be.” She sat her glass down as she popped a piece of chocolate in her mouth. She turned toward the bath and let her robe drop.
I’d never tire of seeing her naked. As she walked to the tub, her bare ass was on display for me to admire. She sunk into the tub and her breasts were slowly consumed by the bubbles. I ripped my clothes off and hopped in the tub with her.
She giggled. “I love you, Asher.”
“I love you, always.” I maneuvered around her, placed my hands on her shoulders and kneaded them.
She leaned into my touch. “Tomorrow is going to be awful.”
I placed a kiss on the back of her neck. “Justice will be served. Her case is too solid.”
She nodded.
“Do you want kids?” I asked.
She tensed before turning to me. “Yes. I want five.”
My eyes popped out of my head. “Five? You want five kids?”
She smiled. “Of course, I love kids.”
I chuckled. “Of course you do.”
“What about you?” Her gaze was intense.
“I want kids. I always thought maybe two or three but I’d make an exception for you.” I kissed her nose.
She smiled and sank back down into the tub. “You’d be a good dad.”
“You’d be a good mom.”
She hummed in reply.
At first, I said that as a compliment back to her. But really, Faith would be an amazing mother. I wanted to be the one to make her a mom. I’d do it whenever she’d want to. The love I had for her was deep and I drowned in it.
My heart clogged
