Her Last Wish Read Online Free PDF Page A

have
gotten her the number to a reputable cab. In fact, I had a few programmed into
my phone for those days when I’d had enough of the daily suffering of life
without Elizabeth and decided to try and drink some of it away. It never
worked, of course, but the bars and taxi services certainly loved me on those
days.
    I probably shouldn’t
have offered to take her home. I was pretty sure I’d overstepped some
teacher-student boundaries somewhere. But I couldn’t resist that tiny glimpse
into her life. I knew I shouldn’t care, but I felt drawn to her, as if I needed
to know her beyond her ability to make great coffee and write engaging papers
with extraordinary insight into the subject matter. Why? Well, I didn’t know
that, either. I’d add it to my list of mysteries for the day.
    I smiled at her, as I
drove down the highway toward her home. She had said it was a ways away. I just
hadn’t been aware that she didn’t even live in town. But in my opinion, it was
all the better. I could feel her peaceful warmth radiating off of her and
soothing my darkened soul from the other side of the car. Just her presence
comforted me when I had been so sure that nothing could. I wondered what it was
about her that could possibly hold that kind of power over me. She seemed nice
enough, sure. But she also seemed to be … more.
    “So,” I began
nervously. “How do you like my class so far? I think this is your second time
in any of my classes?”
    “I like it just fine.
Though I’ve always enjoyed literature.” Her smile lit up the inside of my car.
    “Me, too.”
    She giggled in the most
adorable way. “Clearly.”
    “Yeah.” I felt stupid.
Of course, I enjoyed it. I taught it. “So do you need any more lit or
composition classes to graduate?”
    “No.”
    My spirits immediately
plummeted. For whatever reason, just the thought of not having her in any of my
classes after the semester ended cut me deeply. I felt as if I needed her near.
Sure, I wouldn’t be guaranteed that she’d pick any of mine out of all the other
teachers in my department, but that hadn’t entered my thought process.
    “Though, I technically
didn’t need this class. I just took it because I enjoy the subject matter. I’ll
probably do the same next term. It’s added some onto my time here and
definitely onto my tuition, but I think it’s worth it.”
    I tried to hide my
relief. “I suppose it would be. I also teach other literature classes if you’re
interested in any of those.”
    “I hope it doesn’t seem
weird for me to say so, but you look awfully young to be teaching college
courses, let alone head the department.”
    I couldn’t stop my
grin. I got that a lot. Lately, it bothered me. Perhaps it was because people
usually said it in a condescending way and I was usually in a piss poor mood.
But for Charlie to say so, I was oddly flattered. In my messed up mind, it was
one step away from her telling me that she thought I was attractive. Besides,
she seemed more curious about me than anything. The others were just spiteful.
    “I’m only thirty,” I
said. “Plenty old enough to teach, I assure you. As far as department head
goes, I got very, very lucky.”
    “I’m sorry. I didn’t
mean anything by it.”
    “I’m not insulted, if
that’s what you’re thinking. I graduated early. I worked my ass off. When I was
offered department head, I was thrilled. I think at the time, I enjoyed that
some of the other teachers were jealous. I was more or less a kid, after all.”
    “Jealousy is a pretty
negative emotion. It seems a silly thing to enjoy.”
    I nodded. “Perhaps it
was. I was a very different person back then. I was young and stupid, despite
my obvious intelligence.”
    “So what changed?”
    My jaw clenched tightly.
Elizabeth happened. But I didn’t want to talk about her. I couldn’t ruin what
little time with Charlie that I had with sob stories and haunting memories. We
were already getting far too close to her city for