Chapter 9 A Math Teacher and a Promise

Derek's POV:

I had never expected to find her at this high school, much less sitting in my class. I froze for a moment, caught by her intense green gaze, but I forced myself to pull it together and reluctantly looked away so I could write my name on the board for the class.

"I am your new math teacher," I said as I wrote on the board, my hand a little tense.

"Mr. Walsh!"

"Yes," I replied, turning toward the blonde girl two rows over who had raised her hand.

"Do you have a girlfriend?" she asked bluntly. I ran a hand through my hair before returning to my desk. I had expected that kind of question on the first day, so I smiled as I set the piece of chalk on the ledge.

"No, I am single," I answered. "But I am far too old for you, young ladies."

I turned toward her while the others laughed and whispered about my response, but unfortunately, she did not look at me. A small ache tightened in my chest, but it was better this way. She was only seventeen, and now that I was her teacher, there was no way I could allow even the slightest hint of the eye games we shared before. Even if this situation felt disastrous for both of us, I had to act as the responsible adult.

I began explaining the theme of the upcoming lessons and what I expected from them throughout the year as I walked around the classroom. The blonde girl next to her never took her eyes off me, and I gave her a warning look, which kept me from seeing what Alix was doing on her notebook, even though I had not assigned any work since we were only discussing the program for the year.

Alix's POV:

When he looked away, I realized I should not read anything into the way he had stared at me so intently. It must have been just as surprising for him to find me here as it was for me to see him standing at the front of this classroom, dressed in clothes that did not truly represent him, even if I had to admit they suited him incredibly well. But I could not let myself linger on that. He had to be uncomfortable with the situation. After all, I was the unfortunate girl who had been assaulted and ruined his evening.

I ran my hand through my hair to hide as much of my face as possible, ashamed, and pulled out my sketchpad just as a girl asked him the question to which I already knew the answer. I knew he had a girlfriend. A beautiful blonde with voluptuous curves that looked nothing like me or any of the girls in this room. Yet the answer he gave was not what I expected, and I looked up at him when he replied to her. I saw the seriousness in his eyes when he said he was too old for us.

I buried my face even deeper in my sketchbook and began to draw, trying to ignore the sound of his voice. I needed to focus on anything that would not make my chest tighten, because even hearing him speak hurt so much that I felt on the verge of collapsing onto my desk in tears.

So I spent the entire hour glued to my sketchbook while they discussed the upcoming lessons. I refused to glance in his direction for even a second. That was when I understood that I was going to suffer through a living hell this year. He knew and had seen my body in the worst condition possible. I knew that whenever he looked at me, he would think exactly what I thought: that night, when I went through hell and ruined his as well.

The bell finally rang to mark the end of class. I slipped my notebook into my bag, pulled up my hood, and quickly stood to leave through the back of the room. I did not need to make eye contact. I simply had to treat him like any other teacher. Yes, that was it! Just another teacher who would teach mathematics, which I would not understand anyway!

"Alix, wait for me!" Marina shouted behind me, but I ignored her and left the classroom without waiting.

Marina's POV:

Alix left like a whirlwind without saying a single word. I thought she would have been happy to see him again, even if he was our teacher, but as usual, she disappointed me. I quickly stuffed my things into my messenger bag so I could catch up to her, when his voice echoed from behind me.

"Miss Bowel!" he called out to me.

I looked at him, surprised that he already remembered my name.

"Yes, sir," I answered as I walked toward his desk.

"Could you tell your friend to see me during recess?" he asked. "I noticed she had some gaps in mathematics in previous years, and I would like to discuss several solutions to help her this year."

"Sure, Mr. Walsh," I replied, a bit disappointed that the conversation was about Alix.

If I had known he would give priority to the weaker students, I would have worked less last year. It would have given me the chance to enjoy a personal meeting with him too. I left the classroom and hurried down the stairs to join her for the next class.

When I arrived, Alix was already slouched over her desk with her hood up, completely absorbed in the world she had created for herself lately. I was slowly starting to worry about her condition. Still, I sat beside her without saying anything, even though I knew I had to tell her what he had asked of me.

"Alix," I said as the geography teacher arrived. "Mr. Walsh would like to see you during recess to discuss your math problems."

Alix did not answer and pulled her arms tighter beneath her head. So I did not push her.

Derek's POV:

The recess bell rang, and I let the students leave while I waited for Alix to arrive. In truth, I had asked her friend to pass on the message because I wanted a reason to talk to her about the discomfort she must have felt having me as her teacher. But after looking over her academic records, I noticed she excelled in art yet struggled in mathematics. Even though my intention to see her came from something else entirely, her math grades turned out to be a useful excuse.

What I really wanted was to speak to her about not shutting herself off in my class just because I had been there on that night. I knew very well it must have been unbearable for her since then, and seeing me now, every day, standing at the front of her classroom, had to bring back that cursed night each time she looked in my direction.

Minutes passed, and Alix still did not come to find me. It was exactly what I had expected, but I refused to let it end like that. They had gymnastics with Ayden, which might have made things easier for me.

I headed to the gym where I found Ayden setting up equipment for the next lesson.

"So, are we not saying hello to friends?!" I called out as I stepped in.

Ayden turned around, surprised.

"Damn. I knew there was a new math teacher, but I never thought it would be you!" He said as he gave me a fist bump.

"I told you you'd be surprised by my new job."

"And even down to the outfit," he added, eyeing my suit.

"Yeah, well, it's the first day." I laughed.

"Say, do you have a student named Alix Stevens who has class with you in five minutes?" I asked, running a hand through my hair. "Could you send her to my classroom? I need to talk to her about her math problems."

"No problem. Besides, I think she's unable to attend the class at the moment," he informed me. "She submitted a medical certificate."

Was she ill? That would explain why she had been lying on her bench when I entered the classroom. When the bell rang to mark the end of recess, I said goodbye to Ayden and headed back to my room, leaving the students to file into the locker rooms.

Alix's POV:

When I entered the gymnasium, I was just as surprised as Marina to see the gym teacher. Had they all gathered in this high school or what? A quick look at Marina told me she was completely charmed; she was practically drooling. I walked toward the bench, determined to draw quietly, when the teacher approached me.

"Alix, right?" He asked as he came closer.

I lifted my head halfway. Surely he did not know who I was, so I should not worry.

"I had a visit from your math teacher. He needs to discuss math support with you, and since you did not attend the class today, I gave my approval."

I took back everything I had just thought. He had to know who I was and what had happened to me if he was asking to send me to his class. But why was he insisting?

I put my sketchbook away, even though I had just taken it out, and stood up to leave the gym, dragging my feet.

Why was he so intent on seeing me? Yes, I was terrible at math, but I was not the only one, and he should have understood that if I had not gone during break, it was because I did not want to see him.

I crossed the courtyard without rushing, when I heard a whistle above my head. I looked up toward the source of the sound and saw Derek leaning at the window, watching me with a teasing smile. That was when I realized I had no choice but to go to his classroom, even if I wanted to turn around and run. Yet, at the same time, a small part of me could not help wanting to know what he really wanted from me.

Since I had not hurried upstairs, he was still waiting for me, leaning against the wall beside the math classroom door with his arms crossed, staring at the bricks in front of him.

Even from the side, his presence was striking. He was genuinely handsome, but I forced myself to shake my head. He was my math teacher now, and more than that, he was the man who had found me on the worst day of my life. I tugged at the sleeves of my sweater and walked toward him slowly, keeping my head low.

Derek's POV:

She finally arrived in front of me, and just as I expected, she dragged her feet. But I could not blame her. More than being her new teacher, I was the man who had discovered her on that cursed night, and even for me, standing here with her felt complicated.

I stepped into the classroom without saying anything and leaned against my desk while she stopped two meters from the doorway.

"I'm not going to hurt you. You can come closer," I told her gently as I opened her file.

She stepped forward but kept a safe distance, and I understood why. I did not push her. I ran a hand through my hair, realizing how deeply she did not want to be here with me.

"I know the situation must be hard for you, but you need to focus on your studies above all," I said firmly but calmly. "I'm here to help you, but for that, you need to give me the chance."

Alix's POV:

I did not answer and stayed there in front of the first row, staring at the floor and wondering what he was truly trying to do. I could not understand why he did not see that I wanted to stay in my corner, follow the classes, and avoid interacting with anyone. I already had no desire to be at school, and this situation made everything even worse.

I pulled my arms in tighter, clenching my hands at the very thought of being so close to him. He had been the one who saved my life twice in the same night. If he had not been there, I would not be standing here, listening to him talk about my studies and that math class I cared nothing about.

I was so lost in my dark thoughts that I did not notice him moving until his polished shoes appeared in my field of vision. I jolted, realizing he was right in front of me.

"I want you to trust me and let me help you move forward," he told me as he gently placed his fingers on my hood and lowered it. I clenched my fists inside my sleeves, unsure how to react to what he had just said.

"How about we start by reviewing math together during gym class since you're not paying attention to the lesson?" he continued, stepping back by a meter. I kept my head lowered, unable to understand what was happening with him. Why was he insisting like this?

"Now if you think you don't need it, I won't insist," he said in a soft voice. "It's up to you to decide."

I did not understand where he was trying to go with this. Did he really think I could focus on math exercises with him when I was barely managing to survive at all? Since that night, my entire life had turned into a survival stage, facing each minute and each breath with effort. Even the air I had been breathing since that day felt like acid in my lungs, so I saw no reason to accept any help from him that would not make it easier for me to breathe and keep surviving this miserable life.

"It's my way of keeping the promise we made to each other in the park that night," he confessed softly. I lifted my gaze to him, completely stunned by what he had just revealed. His intense green eyes looked at me with tenderness instead of the disgust I had expected.