He takes a seat at the bar and stares at me with a myriad of emotions on his face. I can’t place them because I don’t know why they’re there. But I’ve felt a few. Sadness isn’t simply one emotion. It’s too many all at once.

“I’m sorry about that. You just got a front row seat to the end of my relationship and you shouldn’t have.”

I peek at him. “Is she your girlfriend?”

“Since freshman year of college.” He looks at the worn bar top for an uncomfortable second, and then the words seem to fall out of him in one heartbroken whisper. “I don’t know what to do.”

I look down too, not knowing what to say. Having no relationship to speak of, I don’t know what he’s going through.

He exhales deeply and stands. “I’d better get back.” He smiles weakly, leaving me at the bar.

“Who is that?” Tamryn asks, joining me as I watch him leave.

“Mr. Ean. He’s a teacher at my school.”

Her eyes widen. “He’s so young.”

“He’s twenty-four.”

“Huh. He’s so hot,” she murmurs, dumbfounded.

I smile. “He is kind of good-looking.”

“Kind of?” she scoffs. “Who’s he with?”

“His girlfriend.”

“Oh. Of course, he’s taken. Too old for you and taken for me. We can’t catch a break, can we?” She bumps my shoulder. “Get back to work, slacker.”

He wasn’t that much older than me. I do the math, shocked to find maybe six years is a stretch. Coupled with the fact that he’s a teacher, and the man is completely off-limits.