Burnout - Coralee June Page 0,63

his eyes avoided the expanse of my skin and the annoyance in my expression. It was like I didn’t even exist.

“What are the different types of living organisms?” Decker asked before cracking his neck. There were only five minutes left in the class period, and I was determined to answer at least one question.

I raised my hand and blurted out the answer without waiting on him to call on me. “Eukaryotes and prokaryotes. Or multicellular organisms and unicellular organisms. Eukaryotic cells have a nucleus, while prokaryotic cells do not.” It was a reasonably straightforward question that I’d known the answer to since middle school, but I was proud to get the chance to answer all the same.

Decker finally, finally took a look at me. It was a glower that felt both disinterested and furious. He didn’t acknowledge my words. Didn’t say whether I was right or wrong. “Class dismissed,” he growled. Everyone collected their belongings just as the bell rang, but I kept rooted to my seat.

Maximillian stopped at my desk. “Ready for lunch?” he asked before glancing over his shoulder. Decker’s bad mood didn’t go unnoticed in the slightest, and he seemed eager to get the hell out of Mr. Harris’s domain.

“Yep. I’ll be right there,” I replied with a bright smile, hoping the annoyance I felt didn’t show through my clenched teeth.

Maximillian squeezed my hand, which was clutching the wooden desk with a vice-like grip, before heading out, his leather backpack slung over his shoulder. “If you want to discuss something school-related, you’ll need to schedule an appointment during my office hours, Miss Stewart,” Decker said before flipping through a stack of papers with white knuckles and a sour expression.

“You need to chill,” I whispered before getting up and walking over to his desk. “I get you’re freaked out about what happened but—”

“I suggest you keep your mouth shut, Miss Stewart. I’m freaked out about nothing, I assure you.”

“So your piss-poor attitude is just your natural disposition? Hmm. Makes sense.” My words were like a slap, and his face flamed with anger the moment the insult left my lips.

“I’m sorry, did you just insult your teacher, Miss Stewart? That’s highly inappropriate behavior.”

“What’s inappropriate is you punishing me for something we both did. Stop ignoring me. Stop avoiding me. Can we please just go back to being awkward friends that love Lance? Last night was…” Decker winced as my voice trailed off.

“If you say nothing, I might lose my goddamn mind,” he grunted.

“I was going to say great. Let’s move forward cordially.”

Decker stood up and rounded his desk, heading over to me with a frown. “That’s the thing, Blakely,” he whispered, his hot breath feathering over my skin as he sunk closer to me. Oh so, so close. He was just an exhale away. It was wrong, but my skin tingled, my breath hitched. He was so close yet felt worlds away. “You feel this?” he asked.

I swallowed before answering. “Yes,” I replied.

“This is why I can’t just move forward. I’ve always been an all or nothing kind of guy. I can’t entertain a cordial existence with you because I’m not strong enough to hold back. I promised Lance space, so that’s what I’m going to give you. Please respect my restraint by not testing it further. Leave.”

Like a rubber band pulled so tight it was on the brink of snapping, Decker took a step backward and let out an exhale of relief once we were out of one another’s orbits. “Okay,” I offered. This was what I wanted, wasn’t it? I didn’t want a man with half-hearted intentions that got off on a woman’s attention. He set the boundary, and I decided then to respect it.

“Go to lunch, Miss Stewart,” he ordered.

“Yes, Mr. Harris.”

17

Decker

Lance was calling. I stared at my phone, willing his name to disappear. I’d never ignored his calls. I’d usually been overly eager to speak with him my entire life. He’d always been a lifeline—a brother. But now I was hiding from his calls like a pussy.

I answered it just before it went to voicemail. “Hello?” my voice lacked the usual warmth I generally reserved for my best friend.

“Hey man, you okay?” Lance asked. I could hear the whirling echo of his car as it sliced through the wind and traveled down the highway. It annoyed me how easily he picked up on my turmoil with one single greeting.

“Yeah. Just a rough day at work. Teaching isn’t easy, you know?” I played it off, hoping