The Teacher's Pet

Chapter Nineteen.

In case anyone hasn't seen it yet, I'm including the trailer in this chapter!!

FRIDAY..........................

Alex walked into the school early, drinking his coffee and carrying his briefcase. After Belle had went home last night he'd spent the rest of his night drinking heavier than he had in months and kicking himself for being so stupid.

He wasn't just putting his future at risk but hers as well and for what? He wasn't willing to concede yet that he was falling in love with her and they currently weren't having sex, so he was ruining two lives for nothing.

He stepped into his class room, glancing at all the empty seats. Soon it would be full of loud chatty students refusing to learn, he wasn't in the mood for it. Not today, today he was hung over and despite getting so drunk he could barely remember his name last night, he still remembered Belle and her offer to stay.

He didn't like where his thoughts went from there, to dark stormy days that he could spend in bed, discovering every single inch of her and holding her naked body against his. The more he drank, the worse it got.

He set down his briefcase and took a drink of coffee, finishing his third cup since he woke up that morning. Deciding a refill was definitely needed to get him through the day he turned and moved down the hall to the teachers lounge.

He opened the door and saw Miss Burke and Mr. Green sitting at the small table drinking coffee, he didn't like Mr. Green something about the older man made him uneasy and Miss Burke was the ice queen of the school. None of the teachers liked her and the students hated her existence.

He debated leaving but needed the coffee, he walked passed the pair at the small table to the coffee machine. Pouring some creamer into his thermos he then reached for the coffee pot.

"Where did you sneak off to yesterday?" Miss Burke asked.

"I didn't feel well," Alex said not turning around.

"What do you mean? What happened?" Mr. Green asked.

"I had to finish teaching his class yesterday, none of the art students got to take their class because I was filling in for Mr. Reynolds who skipped out."

"Really?" Mr. Green asked.

"It's none of your business, I was sick and it won't happen again." Alex said.

"Little Miss Whitley wasn't in school all day either, was she sick too?" Mr. Green asked.

Alex clenched his fist and replaced the coffee pot a little rougher than he intended to splashing hot coffee all over the counter.

"You and Miss Whitley did seem awfully close at the dance," Miss Burke said.

"She's a student, I try to help all of my students," Alex said.

"Yes but....still....there is something in the way you speak to her that's not quite like the other students." Mr Green said.

Alex ground his teeth, the man was begging for a busted lip. He turned with a tight breath and started for the door.

"Of course she does have good grades, one must assume she's earning them somehow." Mr. Green said.

"Do you have something to say Green!?" Alex demanded turning to look at the older man.

"What are you talking about?" Green asked, feigning innocent.

"If you have something to say about me or one of my students you say it to my face, right now!"

"I'm not saying anything about you, merely that Miss Whitley is a very...dedicated student."

Before he knew what was happening Alex overturned the table in front of the other two teachers, Miss Burke rocketed to her feet with a scream as he lifted Mr. green by the front of his shirt and slammed him into the nearby wall.

"You don't look at her, you don't touch her and you don't ever let me hear you say anything about her again!" Alex threatened.

"What the hell is wrong with you!?"

"Do you understand!?" Alex asked.

"Yes, yes!"

Looking at Miss Burke and then leaning close enough she couldn't hear Alex whispered in the other mans ear.

"I know about Missy and I have no problem coming clean if you don't."

Alex knew he was bluffing, even if he hadn't touched Belle there was no way he could come clean now. If he confessed he'd lose her, but Mr. Green didn't know that and he paled.

"Okay, okay." He agreed.

Alex shoved him away then stormed out of the teachers lounge, he walked into his class room slamming the door a little harder than necessary. His head was pounding from his hang over and when he glanced down he saw his hands were shaking.

"Mr. Reynolds?" The one voice he didn't want to hear called out.

Trying to take a deep breath he turned to face her, his chest burned and he wondered briefly if he was too young for a heart attack.

"Are you okay?" Belle asked, dropping her bag and stepping further into the room.

"Close the door, Belle."

She turned to close the door, glancing briefly into the empty hallway. No other students had shown up yet but Belle was almost always early. She used to come early to get away from her father and to study, now she came only for him.

"Are you okay?" She asked again, crossing the room.

When she was with in arms distance he grabbed her, pulling her into his chest and ducking to bury his face in her neck. His arms tightened around her, holding as close as possible.

"You're shaking," She said, her hands gripping his upper arms.

"Yeah, I know." He said with a shaky sigh.

"What's wrong?"

"They won't take you from me, I promise I'm not going to lose you. I don't care what they say."

"What? Who?"

"It doesn't matter, all that matters is that you know that I......I care about you, very much."

"I care about you too," She said softly.

He pulled back from her just slightly and leaned down to kiss her, not caring in anyone saw. They were going to talk and he thought to himself let them talk, I'll show them something to talk about. She kissed him back, just like he knew she would. Her tiny hands gripping his wrists where his hands funneled into her thick, sable hair.

He tipped her head back, deepening the kiss, needing the connection just for a minute. She let out a small whimper of a protest and he slowly pulled away. He licked his lips and took a deep breath, staring down into her dark brown eyes. He would do anything for her, anything but give her up.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?" She asked.

"No, I'll deal with it. You shouldn't have too."

She opened her mouth to protest but before she could he backed away from her moving to his desk just as one of the football players opened the door and stepped into the room.

"Take your seat Miss Whitley," He said gently.

"Yes, sir."

She turned and walked towards the door, picking up her backpack and walking back to her seat. She settled into the small wooden chair, resting her backpack on the table in front of her while he turned his attention to the blackboard.

Whatever happened before school obviously had him shook up and she wished he would let her help, let her shoulder some of the burden. She may be younger than him and he might be her teacher but they were after all in this mess together. Or so she thought.