Free Never to Keep (Accepting Fate #1) by Aimie Grey Page B

are stupid,” she said with disappointment. “I wonder how many school rules you broke tonight, not to mention you probably blurred the lines on a few laws.”
    “What can I do to fix this?” I pleaded for her to have the answer I desperately needed, feeling as if my entire life was on the line.
    “Let me talk to Tate. Hold on a second.” I could hear muffled voices as she relayed the story.
    “You still there?” she asked a minute later. I responded affirmatively. “We think the best thing would be to mitigate the damage. She’s probably too embarrassed to say anything to the principal, so you should be okay as long as you don’t make it worse.”
    I sighed in resignation. I’d fucked up beyond repair. “How do I keep it from getting worse?”
    “Keep your distance. Only talk to her when necessary, and keep it strictly professional. Try to keep your conversations about Peyton to email and phone calls. It’ll be good for you both to have time and space to gain perspective, and let the negativity dissipate. You’ll need to apologize eventually, but don’t force it until the time feels right.” She paused, listening to Tate speaking in the background. “Tate says to keep your dick in your pants.” I could hear a small commotion on the other end of the phone.
    Tate took the phone away from her. “Del didn’t say it right. Never take your dick out of your pants when you’re about to get laid. If you let her do it, she has another chance to make sure she wants to go through with it.” Tate made sense; I just hoped he hadn’t learned that bit of wisdom with my sister. “By the way, you did it wrong. You don’t fuck the woman you want to forget in order to get her out of your system. You need to bang a hotter chick to get over her.”
    “I doubt I’ll ever find anyone hotter.”
    “Then I’d say your screwed, and not in the good way.”
    *
    I’d always loved the first day of school. Even though they didn’t want summer to end, the kids radiated energy and excitement. A new year meant a clean slate, complete with a blank grade book, new friends, and a teacher that had never made them skip recess because they misbehaved. I had to soak up the fleeting joy while it lasted.
    Per my usual beginning of the year routine, I started the day with introductions. I asked everyone to go around the room and tell the class their name, favorite subject, what they did over the summer, and an interesting fact about themselves. I went first.
    “My name is Mr. Ramsay, and my favorite subject is math. Over the summer I moved here from Los Angeles.” I hadn’t planned what I was going to say, so I paused for a moment to think of an interesting fact. “An interesting fact about me is that my sister is a famous movie star.” The kids raised their hands to ask questions. I pointed to Carly.
    “Who is your sister?”
    “That’s a secret,” I replied, regretting my choice. Surprisingly, the kids let it go.
    “Do you have any kids?” Sarah asked.
    “Yes, I have twenty-two second-graders.” They laughed at my lame joke.
    Eager to get the focus off of me, I had Brianna start the rest of the introductions. “My name is Brianna. I like science the best. Over the summer, my dad and I went on vacation to Florida. My interesting fact is I want to be a doctor when I grow up, like my daddy.”
    I discreetly kept an eye on Peyton while the other kids spoke. She stiffened when they talked about their parents, and fidgeted more and more as her turn approached. She fought to calm herself when it was her turn to speak. “I’m Peyton, I like gym, and my interesting fact is that I’m really good at football.”
    Unfamiliar pride filled my chest at her show of bravery. Her response wasn’t complete or very creative, but she got through it without showing an ounce of fear.

CHAPTER ELEVEN
    Madison
    The paralegal who helped me fill out the guardianship petition had told me several times that I needn’t worry; he was certain I