Page 68 of Lessons in Touch

"By abandoning me?" She buttons her coat with shaking fingers. "By ending everything without even asking what I want?"

"What you want doesn't matter if it ruins your life."

The words come out harsher than I intended. Rose flinches as if I've slapped her.

"I see." Her voice is cold now, distant. "Thank you for making that decision for me, Professor Thorn. How considerate of you."

The formal address cuts deep.

"Rose, please. Don’t be angry with me. You have to understand that I’m doing this for your own good."

"No." She picks up her purse. "You've made yourself very clear. But I do have one question. Did it ever cross your mind to talk to me about all this? So that we can find a solution together?”

“Rose, I am here to protect you and…”

“Oh, stop it! Even better—did you ever stop to think that, if you gave me the choice between you and this fucked up world, I would have chosen you?”

She walks toward the door, then pauses. "For what it's worth, I would have chosen you. Every. Single. Time."

She leaves without looking back. I know I've done the right thing. The logical thing. The thing that will protect her future and preserve her reputation. But I can't shake the feeling that I've just made the biggest mistake of my life.

The greenhouse feels empty without her. Everything feels empty without her.

But this is how it has to be. I repeat this to myself as I walk back across the snowy campus. This is how it has to be.

Even if it's killing me.

Chapter 23

Rose

I’ve spent the entire night awake, staring at the ceiling. Gabriel's words keep replaying in my head over and over.

This has to end. I'm trying to protect you.

The way he looked at me like I was something fragile that he couldn’t risk breaking.

But I'm not fragile anymore. He taught me that. How can he not see it?

By morning, I know what I have to do. I shower and dress carefully because I already know what my next move has to be. I look at myself in the mirror and see the woman Gabriel helped me become. Confident. Strong. Ready to fight.

I'm not going to lose him because of Cassandra's games. Not like this.

The students always gather in the Southern Common Room after the morning classes. It's their territory, decorated with expensive furniture and portraits of former headmasters. I find Cassandra there, holding court near the fireplace, surrounded by her usual crowd of admirers. Liam sits slightly apart from the group, looking uncomfortable.

I walk toward them, and the conversations stop. All eyes turn to me.

"Rose." Cassandra's voice is dripping with false sweetness. "How lovely to see you. You look a bit tired, darling. Did you have a rough night?"

I ignore the others and focus directly on her. "We need to talk."

"Oh, do we? I can't imagine what we'd have to discuss."

"I know about the video. And I know what you're trying to do."

The room goes completely silent. Cassandra's smile falters for just a moment before returning, wider than before.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."