Nothing Lasts Forever

Chapter Twenty-Six

K A S H M E R E

A few days after lunch with Mace and he texted a few times but he didn't randomly pop up on me since that day he took me out to lunch. No matter how many times August claimed he was cool I noticed him tense up and watched his jaw clench every time I told him that Mace texted me.

Hopefully soon all of this could be over and done with, tomorrow I was supposed to be informing Mace that me and August were officially done. I was anxious and not in a good way to see how Mace was going to react to that news.

It was after seven and we were closed for the day but I was sitting in the lobby waiting on one of the parents to come. To my left sat Kaliyah color in her coloring book and humming along to some random song in her head. To my right sat Jayson, Crystal's son glance up every so often at the door but for the most part he kept his head down.

From what the teachers told me he was quiet, he didn't participate in any group activities and he didn't talk much. Even when I asked him if he wanted to color with Kaliyah he just shook his head no. I knew that some kids were just quiet but I sensed that something else was going on. I knew it wasn't my business but I wanted him to open up to me but it was hard because when you asked him questions all he would do was nod his head yes or no and shrug.

"So how do you like school," I asked him, "Your going to first grade now aren't you?"

I already knew the answer to my question but I just wanted to get him to talk and open up a little bit. Like I figured he would he just nodded his head yes at my question.

"Kaliyah is going to be in kindergarten next year," I told him and I watched him up and at Kaliyah for a while before putting his head back down.

"Did you like kindergarten?"

He shrugged his shoulders never looking up at me.

"How was your teacher, was she nice?"

He nodded his head yes.

"That's good, what was her name, can you tell me her name?"

I thought he wasn't going to say anything until I heard him mumble, "Ms. Pickett."

"That may be Kaliyah's teacher to. You two are going to be going to the same school."

I tried to get him to talk to Kaliyah but the most he ever did was just stare at her. I was about to ask him again if he needed something but then the lobby doors opened and Crystal came rushing in.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, "My car broke down and I called earlier to tell you but I couldn't get through."

"It's fine," I assured her standing to my feet. She walked over to Jayson and bent down and kissed his cheek before standing up and apologizing again.

"Is your car okay," I asked her.

"I had to get it towed to a repair shop and it won't be ready until Friday."

"How did you get here?"

"No one I called was picking up so I had to call a cab."

I looked at her and I could tell when people were trying to get over on me or get sympathy but from the looks of her she looked stressed.

"Tell them thank you Jayson so we can go home and get some dinner," Crystal told him but before he could I cut in.

"Actually me and Kaliyah were going out to get some dinner to. If you want to we can all go out together and I can give you a ride home afterwords."

"No, I mean you've done enough and I don't want you to go out of your way."

"I don't mind."