Free Mr. Rush: An Island Rush Bonus Chapter by Marien Dore Page A

this trip was coming, and it will be over soon.  I’ll call you anytime I can when I am there. Okay, honey?  I am going to miss you so much,” I said, smiling gently. “I’ll miss everything about the woman I am going to marry,” I said on autopilot.
    Jill gave me a small smile, and my words were all it took.  She nodded and clasped my hand. “I cannot wait until you get back. We are going to do so much to make up for the days lost!  Then I’ll be able to tell you about all the things you missed while you were gone,” she said in a completely different mood now, thankfully. 
    “I won’t be gone that long,” I reminded her.
    “It’s going to feel like it.”
    Peering into those pretty blue eyes, I nodded in agreement. “I know. Even worse is that I need to get going right now.”  I was pushing it as it was.  It took a while getting ready, and I packed up the last few things I would need for the trip.  Now, I should probably be on my way.
    “Oh my god, I’m going to miss you,” she said, leaning up and cupping my cheeks.  Giving me one of her famous gorgeous smiles, she then gave me a big parting kiss.  A long and deep one, which I forced myself to go along with.  Returning it, knowing I won’t be seeing her for several days, I moved my lips with hers sweetly.  By now, I knew the right amount of affection to give her to make her happy.
    After I waited for her to move away first, I then gave her a hug.  “I will be talking with you very soon,” I whispered in her ear, noticing my digital clock. I needed to leave immediately. 
    “I love you,” she said, her voice muffled against my shoulder. When she let go, I repeated what she said back to her and stood up.  Staring down at the disheveled and still sleepy woman, I smiled gently at her. This was an early hour for her, and I appreciated that she got up to say goodbye. 
    Not long after we exchanged a few more words, I flicked the light off and allowed her to go back to sleep. A few minutes later, I had my bags in hand and left my house in peace. I was looking forward to a little break, but I had a feeling with everything on my mind, this trip wouldn’t do anything to help my thoughts.
    From the moment I left the house until I joined the majority of the junior class at the airport, it had become increasingly evident that my worries wouldn’t be going anywhere. I couldn’t stop thinking about Janice and the things I learned about her recently. It would be hard for any teacher to ignore learning about how a student is being threatened, how that student is being forced to try to get her brother out of jail for murder, and how that student’s father will possibly kill her if she does not comply with his wants. 
    This wasn’t just any student, though. The circumstances weren’t only extreme in this girl’s case.  It was driving me crazy on a personal level, as well.  Hell, the months before this, she has driven me crazy.  To finally learn the truth about what happened to her, I just wanted to go to the cops. I felt like I was failing as a teacher, as a human being and citizen. It wasn’t just my job to report this as a teacher. I should go to the police because it was the ‘right thing’ to do.  One of the many internal struggles of this entire issue though was that doing the right thing, in this case, could kill Janice.  I wouldn’t be able to live with that.
    Sighing from my stern lips, I forced my mindset away from my current stressors. I would have to try my hardest to not worry like Janice requested. She told me that if I didn’t go to the cops, everything would be okay.  I had to believe her because she was such a strong soul.  I had to remind myself of that as I tried putting my focus elsewhere like getting through this long and dragging line of people.
    I should have known going through security wouldn’t be that easy. When it was my turn to pass through the detectors, a loud alarm went off. The sound was instantly