Lesson Learned {Student Teacher Romance}

Chapter 43

Keri's face warps in angry confusion as she hops off her stool. I'm taller than her by two inches, but when my bestie is fired up, it can be like facing down a two-hundred-pound gorilla. 

"Did you tell them?" Keri yells and jabs a finger at me. 

"No!" I hold up my palms in defense. "Tell them what?" 

"That Rory is Joey's father!" Keri shouts in my face then promptly slaps both her hands over her mouth as if she'd meant to stop those words before they came tumbling out. 

"And I, oop!" Tag fans himself with a paper napkin from our table. "Moira didn't tell me anything, honey. I thought I was pointing out the obvious and I clearly struck a nerve."

"They don't look that much alike, do they?" Keri drops her arms as her face crumbles. 

Tag and I step in and fold Keri into a supportive hug while she takes a minute to cry and collect herself. 

When I peek up at Will, I can't read his expression but he might still be processing the shock of the news (I know I am). 

Even though I had my suspicions, it's a whole new level of jaw-dropper to have it confirmed. 

Rory was Joey's dad. And yes, they really did look eerily similar. As soon as Tag pointed it out, I couldn't unsee it.

"Do you want to go have a drink?" Tag coos at Keri. "I think you need an impartial third party to talk to at this point." 

"OK," Keri sniffles, but it comes out sounding like a goose honk. 

'Water for her,' I mouth and point at her head for Tag's benefit, who winks and nods. 

They walk away with their arms linked and her head resting on his shoulder while I give Will a tentative smile.  

"Do you want to talk?" Will pulls my empty stool closer to his and pats the cracked vinyl seat. 

Dejectedly, I climb up as he hangs an arm around my shoulders to pull me in for a supportive kiss to the head. 

All around the cast and their friends are singing show tunes and drinking while they celebrate their fantastic show. I wish I could join in with all the meriment, but it seems like my life is a revolving door of dizzy-making drama.

"So I take it you and Keri have never discussed her son's parternity?" Will rubs my back in concentric circles. 

"Nope," I shrug glumly. "I've tried in the past, but Keri always shut me down and I didn't want to force her to talk about it. Or maybe I'm just a big chicken."

"You were being a good friend," he says. "Keri obviously wasn't ready to talk about the identity of Joey's father. You can't help it if Tag pointed out something that a lot of people have probably noticed."

"You saw it too?" I gasp.

Will reaches up and tucks a lock of hair behind my ear.

"I did," he nods. "Actually, I saw it the day that I ran into the three of you in the supermarket shopping for cake mixes. I remember thinking that Joey looked an awful lot like my cousin Rory at that age."

My mind flashed back to that awkward day and Will's confounded expression at the three of us in the baking aisle of the grocery store. 

"Ugh, this is bad." I sigh into my hands. "I think Keri's scared that if Rory actually is Joey's father, it means she'll have to deal with him for the next eighteen-plus years. And spoiler alert, Keri and Rory do not get along. She's hated him since we were in high school. In hindsight, it all makes sense."