And the Greatest of These Is Love: A Contemporary Christian Romance Novel (24 page)

She yanked the boxes out of the tiny hall closet. It would be nice to have a day to herself. She’d wanted to get this closet cleaned for a year now. Today she would clean the closet, top to bottom, and somehow tomorrow would take care of itself.

On Sunday night at his apartment, Andrew watched Antonio kick the soccer ball in the air and almost hit his shelf of awards, but it didn’t even register. It had been almost 36 hours since he had talked to her, and his life was already screeching to a halt. She couldn’t be that offended by one little, innocent kiss, could she? Nobody got that upset over a simple kiss, he reasoned, trying to make himself believe it.

But it wasn’t a simple kiss, and he knew it. It was his fault she’d run. He’d pushed too hard and had inadvertently scared her out of her wits. Somehow he had to make it up to her, to show her that she was being silly. Surely she could see that. Surely by tomorrow she would come to her senses. Surely . . .

The entire apartment was spit-shined. Gabi had even dusted the cabinet fronts with furniture polish. There wasn’t a half-inch anywhere that wasn’t clean. However, it hadn’t taken quite as long as she had hoped, and somehow she was left with another six hours of emptiness to fill. She briefly considered cleaning out her car, but the temperature had dropped almost to the freezing point so that was out.

There had to be something she could do though. Something that would take her mind off the accusations and the guilt running through her head. She turned on the television and didn’t even bother to turn the channel to something other than football.

Maybe she could work on the Christmas play. With the center’s future secure, thanks to…  She chopped that thought in half as she grabbed a notebook and sat on the raggedy couch. “Reindeer. We need lots of reindeer.”

By the time he arrived at the center with Antonio the following morning, Andrew was a wreck. He’d wanted to get there early so he could talk to her, but luck wasn’t on his side this morning. First it was the hunt for Antonio’s right shoe (which they found in the refrigerator), then it was the search for his left shoe (which they found in the laundry piled on the bathroom floor), then it was the search for the car keys (which they finally found in Antonio’s lunch box only after a very lengthy, very frantic search).

He couldn’t remember a time when his life had been so completely frazzled — even on the most frantic days at The Herald, he was always the one who was calm, cool, and collected — always rising above whatever the current crisis happened to be. But this was different. Very different. This was uncharted territory for him, and he had no idea how to even start making a map.

She didn’t even look up when they walked in, and Andrew noticed instantly that her back looked more rigid today — like a scarecrow on a post.

“Morning,” he said as cheerfully as possible to the room full of children.

“Hi, Mr. Clark,” Shaniquille said, greeting him with a happy smile.

“Hi, Shaniquille,” he replied, forcing himself to act like nothing in the world was bothering him. He kept watching her out of the corner of his eye, but there was nothing — no reaction whatsoever.

Okay. Two can play this game.

The shaking in her core radiated throughout her body and quickly found its way to her fingers. So, he did have the guts to show up after all. Somehow during the course of the last two hours Gabi had convinced herself that he wouldn’t, but here he was.

“See, Devon,” she said, willing her voice and hands to stay steady, “you hold the pencil like this, so it’s steady when you write. Here, you try it. Yeah, that’s good. Here, make a ‘y.’ Very good.”

She could feel his eyes on her, and it was all she could do to maintain her composure. She just had to make it to lunch, she reasoned, then she would convince Jerry to move him out of her classroom. She didn’t need him anymore. Antonio would be fine without him, and she would definitely be better off without him.

“Like this, Miss T?” Devon asked at her elbow.

“Yes, just like that, Devon. Very good,” she said, but she barely saw the paper in front of her. All of her senses were following him around the room behind her. Step. Step. Stop. Step. Step. Step. Step. Step. Stop. Her nerves went on high alert. He was coming toward her, closing the distance. She jumped to her feet and quickly announced a little too loudly, “Okay. That’s enough writing for today. Why don’t you all gather around up here at the big table? I have an announcement.”

So far she had succeeded in keeping her back to him, but when she looked up from the table, there was nowhere for her eyes to hide. The children clamoring between them disappeared as his eyes searched hers for an answer — an answer to a question that seared her very soul.

She tore her gaze from his, looking quickly down at the papers in her hands that she couldn’t see.

“How would you all like to put on a Christmas play?” she asked through the fog in her brain.

“Yay!” the kids yelled, jumping up and down.

“Over the weekend I wrote out a few little skits I think we can do as a class, and maybe we’ll ask some of the older kids to do skits, too. If they want to,” she stammered, trying to force her thoughts to stay on track. “Today, I think we’ll just practice a few of the songs so you all will know how they go.”

Her hands shook and almost lost control of the papers.

“Why don’t you sit down over here, and we’ll learn the first song?” she said, straining for a tone that didn’t sound frazzled. “I think we’ll start with ‘We Wish You a Merry Christmas.’”

Andrew watched her, and besides the fact that she wouldn’t look at him, she looked totally in control of everything. But it was obvious that she wanted absolutely nothing to do with him, and that realization felt like a knife in his heart.

Look at me,
his heart willed her, but she never so much as glanced his direction.

He had thought that not being with her would be the worst thing in the world, but he was so, so wrong. The worst thing in the world was being here, in the same room with her, and yet knowing she was ten million miles away.

“Here you go, Leslie.” She handed the child the tattered blanket. “Here’s yours, Bobby.”

One-by-one each child retrieved a blanket from her and found an empty spot on the floor. In no time, they were scattered around the room quietly squeezing their tiny eyelids closed.

She closed the cabinet softly and walked over to her desk, knowing full well the children could no longer be her shield.

“Gabi,” Andrew said softly, approaching her desk as though it might jump out and bite him.

“You know, if you don’t mind, I really need to get some practice in for the play,” she said, without really looking up. “I thought maybe you could watch the kids while I go practice.”

“Gabi,” he said, pleading with her. “I was hoping we could talk.”

“Talk?” She looked at him and then busied herself with the papers again. “I don’t think we have anything to talk about, but I really do need to start practicing for the play, so if you’ll excuse me.”

Purposefully she took the long way out of the room, avoiding the direct route that led right past him. On the other side of the door, she closed it without a sound behind her and fled down the hallway, knowing eventually she wouldn’t be able to escape anymore.

Andrew stood in disbelief, shaking his head. They didn’t have anything to talk about? Was she kidding? She wasn’t even going to give him a chance to explain? It was obvious from his vantage point that Gabi had made up her mind about their chances of being together, and they consisted of a big, fat zero.

He sat down heavily in her chair and laid his head on the desk. Right now a nap sounded like a very, very good idea.

Her fingers pounded the keys as Gabi let her frustration with herself pour into them. What had she done? Why had she let herself fall for him? Talking was a bad idea. Even being in the same room with him was a bad idea. He made her body threaten a mutiny against her sanity, and her heart was cheering it on. But her mind. No. Her mind knew better. She had to focus on the advice of her mind and keep the other treacherous parts of herself in check.

But why did he have to look at her like that? Why did his voice have to melt her soul like butter on a hot muffin? The questions flooded out into the music as the notes blurred before her. Ten years ago falling for Andrew Clark would have been simple, and that was exactly the problem. Falling for anyone was never simple, and she pounded the keys even harder in an attempt to solidify that belief in her head.

He thought she would come back for them, but after waiting a full five minutes past the start of music time, he decided she wasn’t coming. So, he opened the door for the paired up children, and they made their way down the hall.

A major feeling of deja vu hit him, and its force almost physically knocked him backward. Music filled the hallway, and there was no question who was making it. His very soul knew. Heaven awaited him at the end of that corridor, and he quickened his steps to get to it before it stopped.

The music flowed through her with no hesitation. In the music she was free, released from the bonds that held her heart and body in check. In the music she could dream, she could make believe that everything in her life had been perfect forever. It was her very essence, and she clung to it for dear life.

The children marched two-by-two into the lobby and found their seats around the piano as she continued to play. They didn’t seem to think it was strange that she didn’t stop. They were just enjoying the beautiful music of a teacher they loved.

Gabi felt the song under her fingers come to an end, and she was saddened by its departure. As the song faded, she became aware of strange sounds around her, and her mind snapped back to reality. The children. They were here, but where had they come from? She looked around in disbelief at them, and then her gaze met his and held.

She gulped, trying to think straight, trying to make herself rejoin reality, but looking at him smiling at her was making that impossible.

“That was pretty, Miss T,” Leslie said. “What was it called?”

Gabi looked at the girl and blinked twice.

“Uh, ‘Wind Beneath My Wings.’” With shaking fingers Gabi ran her fingers under her eyes, forcing herself to regain control. “Well, since you all are here, why don’t we run through ‘We Wish You a Merry Christmas?’”

And just like that the control and distance from herself returned.

The bouncing of the basketballs and the noise of the games around Andrew couldn’t shake the unbelievable music from his head. Somehow he had to find a way to talk to her — whether she wanted to or not. He couldn’t live without her. It was no longer a possibility.

“Hey, Mr. C, think fast.” Irvin threw him the ball, and Andrew barely caught it before it nailed him in the chest. “Hey, what do you say? We need another man over here. How about you come join us?”

Basketball. It was just what he needed.

“You know, Mr. C,” Irvin said seriously as one of the other players chased a pass Andrew never saw coming across the court, “it would really help if you could keep your mind on the court for more than like two seconds. Unless, of course, you’re a plant from the other side.”

Andrew bristled at the taunt. “Just shut up and play ball, Thompson.”

Irvin obeyed, but not before he checked Andrew with an odd look. The game resumed, and this time Andrew forced himself to push everything, including her out of his mind, so he could concentrate on the game at hand.

Andrew noticed with some concern that Irvin didn’t follow his buddies out of the gym when they left just before six. He tried to stay nonchalant as he took practice shots from the key. His hand was better now, and the physical exertion was doing him some good.

“Andrew,” Becky called from the stands, “you going to lock up tonight?”

“Yeah, I’ll get it,” Andrew said, firing another shot at the backboard. It looked more like oversized pinball rather than basketball.

“Goodnight, Irvin,” Becky said as she made her way out of the gym.

“Goodnight, Mrs. Jones,” Irvin said. “Tell Mr. Jones I said hello.”

She laughed at that and left.

Andrew continued firing shots at the basket although most of them bounced right off the backboard so that he had to race to catch up to them.

“What’s up, Mr. C?” Irvin asked, crossing the court to Andrew’s goal.

“Not much, how ‘bout you, Irvin?” Andrew said as nonchalantly as possible, and he fired another one, which actually went in.

Irvin took up position under Andrew’s goal and fixed him with a hard stare.

“You and Miss T have a fight?” Irvin asked, leaning against the pole of Andrew’s target, arms crossed.

That stunned Andrew into stopping in mid-shot. “Me and Miss T?” He rested the ball on his hip. “Why would you say that?”

“’Cause from what I can see you are like way zoned out today. I thought it might have something to do with Miss T. Does it?”

Andrew exhaled, pulled the ball from his side, and fired it at the basket. It bounced clear of the font of the goal with a clang. “I don’t think that’s any of your business.”

“Miss T’s always my business,” Irvin said, retrieving the ball and firing it back at Andrew. “So, what’s up with you two?”

“Nothing’s up.” Andrew dribbled the ball hard on the court. He was quickly becoming annoyed with this conversation. Taking the dribble he went up and under the basket for a lay-up.

“Is Antonio making it tough for you guys to — you know — hook up?” Irvin interlaced his fingers as if in explanation.

Andrew caught the intended meaning and picked up the dribble. “Irvin.”

“Well, is he?” Irvin asked innocently. “Because if he is, I wouldn’t, you know, mind babysitting sometime or something.”

Despite his annoyance, Andrew couldn’t help but be touched. He resumed his dribbling although his mind was no longer on basketball. “What makes you think we’re hooking up?”

Irvin shrugged. “You like her, she likes you. What’s to think?”

“Just because we happen to like each other doesn’t mean we’re sleeping together,” Andrew said as off-handedly as possible as he took another shot; however, this time it was with much less force.

“Sure it does.” Irvin watched Andrew with a decided frown. “It’s not like you’re in kindergarten.”

“Gee, thanks.” He took another shot.

“No, come on, man. I mean Tonika and I do it, and we’re only in high school. I just figured, you know, you guys are older, so…”

However, Andrew hadn’t made it past the Tonika comment. “Are you saying you and your girlfriend are sleeping together?” Andrew asked, trying not to sound like he was going to start lecturing. Something told him now would be a very bad time for a lecture.