Amidst Chaos

Rebecca

“Nate, I swear I’m going to kill you when you come out. I’m going to be late on my first day,” I muttered, pacing outside the bathroom door. Nate was taking an eternity to finish his shower.

“Relax, baby girl. I’m the one who’s driving you,” he called out, his voice echoing off the bathroom tiles. I rolled my eyes at his new pet name for me.

“Hurry up, or I’ll break this door down,” I threatened, my patience wearing thin.

“You know I’ll open the door if you don’t mind seeing me naked,” he retorted, his words making my eyes go wide. Naked? I shook my head, trying to banish the image.

“Eww, just come out already!” I pleaded. The door swung open suddenly, revealing Nate’s wet torso. He was clad only in a towel, his hair still dripping from the shower. Oh, fuck me.

He had a smug grin on his face as he sauntered towards me.

“From the way you’re looking at me, I don’t think you meant to say ‘Eww’, Becca,” he said, his voice deep and raspy. He brushed past me, his shoulder grazing mine. I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.

This was new. Nate never acted like this around me. Was he just teasing? I decided not to overthink it and hurried into the bathroom. I was running late.

I quickly slipped into a blue dress that fell to my knees and brushed out my hair. I applied a touch of makeup, keeping it natural, and gave myself a once-over in the mirror.

Satisfied with my appearance, I grabbed my things and headed out to find Nate, now fully dressed and looking surprisingly formal.

“Don’t,” he muttered, spooning cereal into his mouth as I tried to suppress a smile. I’d never seen him in formal attire before.

“You clean up well, Wilson,” I teased, pouring myself a bowl of cereal.

“I wish I could say the same,” he shot back, sticking out his tongue playfully. I rolled my eyes as he returned his attention to his phone. We ate in silence, stealing glances at each other.

Soon, we were on our way.

“Good luck, Becca. Go get ‘em,” he said, pulling me into a hug. I returned the embrace, savoring the warmth of his arms. The hug lasted a bit longer than usual, and when he finally let go, I felt a pang of disappointment.

“Bye, Nate,” I said, flashing him a smile. I was about to step out of the car when he caught my hand, stopping me. His touch sent a thrill through me. I turned to find him looking at me.

“Uhh...I was kidding earlier. You look great,” he said, giving me a small smile. My heart fluttered, and I fought to keep my blush in check.

“Tell me something I don’t know,” I retorted, flipping my hair in an attempt to play it cool. He chuckled, ruffling my hair.

“You know how much I hate when you do that, Nate,” I complained, trying to smooth my hair back into place.

“And you know how much I love annoying you,” he replied, winking at me. I shook my head, smiling despite myself, and stepped out of the car.

As I watched him drive away, I felt a surge of optimism. Maybe I should make the first move.

Yeah, right. If only I were that brave.

I walked into the school building, a wide smile on my face. I was excited to start teaching the little kids. After the principal explained the basics and the system, I made my way to my classroom.

“Hello everyone, I’m your new teacher. You can call me Ms. Thompson or Becca,” I said, giving them a friendly smile. They stared at me as if I were an alien.

Not the worst reaction.

I tried to make my tone more friendly, less intimidating. After an hour or so, I saw a few smiles.

These kids were so darn cute.

“So our first lesson today is going to be drawing,” I announced, turning to write on the board. I heard a few murmurs behind me and turned to find everyone looking at the door. A little girl stood there, looking scared.

“Hello,” I said, bending down to her level.

“Hi,” she replied in a tiny voice. She was adorable.

“I’m so sorry she’s late on her first day. We were searching for her favorite socks and ran out of time,” a deep voice said from above me. I looked up to find a man around my age with messy brown hair and striking blue eyes. He was wearing a fitted white t-shirt and cargo pants.

I realized I’d been staring and quickly turned my attention back to the little girl.

“It’s okay. Are you her brother?” I asked, trying to keep my voice casual.

“Oh no, I’m her dad,” he replied, chuckling. My eyes widened in surprise.

“Wow,” I blurted out. He looked amused. “Umm...I mean...I’ll take care of her. She’ll be fine,” I stammered, giving him an awkward smile.

“Thank you so much. She won’t be late again, Ms...”

“Thompson. Rebecca Thompson.”

“Xavier Philips,” he said, extending his hand. I shook it, feeling a jolt from his firm grip. I quickly pulled my hand back, my heart pounding in my chest.

“Nice to meet you,” I said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear, my nerves on edge as his gaze lingered on me. I extended my hand to the little girl, who glanced up at her father.

He bent down, whispering something to her in a hushed tone. “Be a good girl, Hannah,” he said, pulling her into a warm hug and planting a kiss on her chubby cheeks. The sight warmed my heart, and he finally straightened up.

“See you around, Ms. Thompson,” he said, a sexy smirk playing on his lips before he turned to leave. I let out a sigh, my heart pounding in my chest.

Well, he was one hot dad!

Fuck, I really needed to get laid. I pushed the inappropriate thoughts aside and crouched down to meet the little girl’s wide, doe-like eyes.

“So, Hannah, that’s a beautiful name. Why don’t you find a seat and we can start drawing?” I suggested, grinning at her. Her face lit up in response.

She nodded eagerly and scampered off to find a seat. I couldn’t help but smile at her adorable enthusiasm as I continued with the class. The rest of the day flew by, filled with laughter and creativity.

Not bad for a first day!

Once the classes were over, I decided to hail a cab since Nate wouldn’t be off work until six. As I waited, a truck pulled up and Xavier climbed out.

Hannah rushed towards him, and he scooped her up into a bear hug. I watched them, a smile tugging at my lips at their obvious happiness. A pang of sadness hit me. I’d never known what it was like to have a father.

Xavier seemed to be a wonderful dad, and I was glad Hannah had him in her life. Blinking back tears, I turned away before they could see me. Just then, a cab pulled up and I climbed in.

On the ride home, I found myself wondering if I would ever have a relationship with Nate, and maybe even have kids with him one day. I knew it was a far-fetched thought, but I wanted those things with him.

I know it may sound stupid, but I wanted the fairytale romance. Fuck, I was a twenty-three-year-old virgin who hadn’t been in a single relationship because I was waiting for my best friend to notice me.

I realized how pathetic I sounded and angrily wiped away the tears that had slipped down my cheeks.

God, when would I get my “happily ever after”?