I look up at her from under my lashes.
“Teagan.” She sighs. “You can’t possibly still think you have real feelings for that man.”
That’s the thing, my feelings for him have never faded. I’ve never dated any guy who I haven’t compared to him and who doesn’t pale in comparison. It’s always been Derek in my heart.
“If he’s here with Meghan, I really won’t be able to handle it,” I tell her. “I’ll have to move.”
It’s been one thing to lose him to her. I’ve sort of come to grips with that and I think it’s because I don’t ever have to see them. There’s no running into each other at the store or having to watch them walk down the street like the perfect couple.
“Yes, you will be able to handle it,” she says with conviction. “You’re not the same girl you were back then.”
The phone rings and I groan. “I swear, someone has to explain what an antique store is to Mrs. Dickman.”
I grab the receiver and brace myself for the same conversation that happens every single day.
“Island Antiques, this is Teagan.”
“Hello, Teagan, this is Mr. Beeson from the middle school.”
“Oh, yes. Hi, Mr. Beeson, is everything okay?”
He takes a small pause. “I’m going to need you to come down to the school and pick up Chastity.”
“Okay? What happened?”
“There was an incident with another student and I’m afraid the school has very strict policies regarding bullying.”
My poor daughter. This kid doesn’t deserve to be picked on by anyone. She has never gotten in any trouble, and I can only imagine how much this upsets her since she prides herself on having a perfect record.
“Did she come to you about it?” And then it dawns on me that they want me to pick her up. “Why would I have to get her? Is she hurt?”
“No, she’s okay, just come down here and we can sort everything out.”
“Okay, I’ll be right there.”
I hang up the phone and tell Nina what he said.
She clutches her chest. “Poor thing, I’ll stay here until you get back.”
“Thank you! I’m sure my mother will stop by. Let her know I had to get Chas.”
“Just go!” She shoos me out the door.
On the ride to the school, I go over a million scenarios. Did someone make her cry? Did they hurt her? I wish I could go back in time and slap myself for the way I treated others or stood by and watched when my so-called friends bullied anyone they didn’t deem worthy. I was as culpable as they were. Now my daughter is on the receiving end of other people’s cruelty and I can’t help but feel this is some sort of karma.
I park the car and go inside to find her sitting in the office.
“Chastity,” I say her name and she leaps up, running toward me. Her arms wrap around my middle and I hold her close. “Don’t let them see you cry.”
She looks at me, nodding her head in understanding.
There’s nothing that vile people thrive on more than the pain of others.
“Ms. Berkeley,” Mr. Beeson calls my name. “Please, come in. We’ll ask you to join us in a few moments, Chastity.”
I touch her cheek, leaving her in the front office as I walk down the long hall with Mr. Beeson.
“As I said on the phone, we take bullying very seriously here.”
“Yes, I hope that whoever was harassing my daughter will be punished,” I say as we move toward his office.
“I think you’re misunderstanding.” Mr. Beeson touches my arm, stopping me from going forward.
“I’m sorry?”
“It wasn’t Chastity who was being bullied, Teagan.”
No. That makes no sense.
“You’re confused,” I say with a short laugh. “My daughter is the farthest thing from a bully. She’s kind even when people have been horrible to her. She’s dealt with constant ridicule her entire life thanks to this town and now you’re trying to tell me that she was the one bullying someone?”
Of all the ridiculous things I’ve ever heard, this tops the cake.
“I wish I could say it wasn’t the case. Chastity has always been a model student, but I saw this with my own eyes.”
“Mr. Beeson, you’ve known me my whole life. You’ve known Chastity since she was an infant. Do you really mean to tell me that you saw her being cruel? Isn’t there a chance that maybe you saw something else?”
I babysat Mr. Beeson’s youngest daughter. I’ve sat next to him at church every week since I was eight. Probably because my mother thought maybe I would behave if I thought my principal was watching. He knows us. He knows the hell I’ve been through and he has seen my sweet girl never hurt a fly.
“Chastity has admitted to it all.”
My jaw falls slack as I clutch my throat. This can’t be. I truly don’t believe it. “Well…”
“Let’s go in my office, we can talk about it further there.”
I’m in shock. That’s the only way to describe it. I’ve fought so hard to teach her how to be nothing like me and now she’s bullying someone. My heart is breaking and I feel even more like a failure.
Mr. Beeson opens the door and someone gets to their feet. Nothing could’ve prepared me for this.
No number of pep talks or knowing this was possible would’ve been enough.
Time stops. My heart races and everything inside of me is tight.
There, standing, looking out of the window in a pair of dress pants, a crisp white button-down, and an opened tie is a man I haven’t seen in forever. A man who I can still feel beneath my fingertips if I try hard enough. A man who knew me better than I knew myself and the only man I’ve ever truly loved.
My lips part as the name I’ve tried to keep off my tongue slides out. “Derek.”
Chapter Five
Derek
Present
I should’ve known it would be her daughter.
This was the moment I was dreading when I decided to move back here. I knew that we’d have to see each other eventually. In this town, avoidance is damn near impossible and it’s part of why I didn’t come back here sooner. I fought as hard as I could to stay in South Carolina. This place holds too many memories for me. Too much pain and now I have to come face-to-face with it.
Teagan stands there, unable to mask her emotions, and even though so much time has passed, I can still read her. She’s confused, happy, angry, sad, and there’s a hint of disappointment under it all.
I cut ties with her years ago because it was the only option. Now, I’m face-to-face with her all over again.
Time has done nothing to dull how beautiful Teagan is. She stands there, her eyes full of confusion and apprehension, and yet, she’s breathtaking.
Teagan.
God help me to keep my distance from her.
“I really hoped it wouldn’t be you,” I say as she stays quiet. The hurt flashes in her eyes and I realize how what I said might sound to her. “I mean that it wouldn’t be you as the parent of the child who was harassing Everly.”
“Right. Not that Everly didn’t possibly start it, right? Because I was a shitty kid, I must’ve given birth to a shitty kid.”