Arriving at school, I grabbed my phone from the back seat. There were missed calls from Annabelle, Liam, Sandra, and Kristen.
I returned Annabelle's call first, stepping forward to head to my classroom but my hand was gripped from behind. Before I could react, he spun me around and yanked me into a tight embrace.
My eyes widened and I tried to push him away, but he pleaded.
"Stay still, please."
My fists clenched. It was wrong of me, as a married woman, to allow such body contact, but I didn't move away. Maybe because I was down and also needed a hug, or because I felt sorry for him. I couldn't tell which one it was exactly.
'Hello, Jessica?'
Annabelle's voice rang from the phone, which was still clutched in my hand, now pressed against my ear.
"Ah, hello?" I stammered, trying to extricate myself from Max's grasp. But he held tight.