Melanie pouted and muttered under her breath, “I guess we’re being the third wheel today.”
Her words were light, but Shermaine could sense the underlying truth in them. She had clearly seen the flash of jealousy and disdain in Melanie’s eyes just moments before.
Melanie turned to her with a playful wink. “Ms. Stout, it’s just a hike. You don’t mind, right? There’s a group of us here,” she said, signaling her friends to chime in.
“Yeah, come on, Ms. Stout. Let us join you!” one of them said.
“We promise not to disturb you and Mr. Yarbrough. We’ll just be hiking together. You’re the nicest person in the world, Ms. Stout!”
Ezra barely suppressed a scoff. They were piling on the compliments, making it impossible for her to say no.
It was clear to Shermaine why Melanie had shown up today. There was no such thing as coincidence, not when she was involved.
Even Ezra, who usually kept his cool, spoke up in a tone that sounded almost too considerate. “Since we’ve run into each other, let’s just go together. They’re your students, after all. It wouldn’t be right to ignore them. I’ll cover everything, and I promise they won’t be a bother.”
Shermaine felt a sharp pang in her heart, but her face remained calm. She smiled lightly, her eyes carrying a depth of meaning. “Alright, then.”
Out of sight from the others, her fingers curled into a tight fist, the pressure causing her fingertips to turn white.
The group made their way up the mountain, chatting and laughing along the way. Shermaine, however, kept her attention fixed on Melanie and Ezra.
All throughout the hike, Melanie did everything she could to get closer to Ezra. Every time she did, Ezra put on an act of annoyance, his lips tight as though he might snap at any moment. He was avoiding her like the plague.
