"Oh shit," Carter says."It's Gage, isn't it?"
My eyes snap to him.
"How do you know that?"I ask.
"He's a good friend of mine.A great guy.And he just had a meltdown today because he found out that he had slept with one of his students.And she isn't answering any of his calls or messages."
"Great.I finally met a good guy, and of course, the universe would throw me the curveball of a lifetime.He wouldn't dare risk his career to date a student.He's friends with my best friend's soon-to-be husband, who owns the club, and I'm the only person whose reputation stands to be ruined if this gets out.Plus, now that I’ve lost Gemma as my roommate, I'm no longer looking forward to living alone.Not super important, but still sucks and worth throwing in there."I rant.
Gemma hasn't officially moved all her stuff out of the apartment, but she is never there, so she might as well have moved out.
"I don't know what happened.But he says you ran out of that classroom so fast when class ended, he hasn't had a chance to talk to you yet.Don't kill the messenger, but I think you should talk to him.At the very least, I think he might put your mind at ease.As far as living alone is concerned, our new house has a guesthouse, and you're welcome to it.That way, you're in your own space, and we're in our own space, but you won’t be alone," Carter says.
The offer of the guest house is so unexpected, it calms me down just enough to think.
"You don't have to twist my arm about the guesthouse.But that doesn't fix everything.I've screwed up this time."
Chapter 11
Gage
ThemomentIwalkedinto the classroom and saw her sitting there, everything inside me stilled.Skye.My Skye.Her eyes went wide, like she couldn't breathe, and for a second, I thought I was imagining it.That maybe this was some cruel trick of the universe.
But it wasn't.
It was her.
And the second her eyes met mine, panic shot through me.I tried to hold it together, to act like I hadn't just spent the last two months memorizing every inch of her body, learning every one of her tells, and listening to the way she gasped when I pushed her just right.
She looked as if she wanted to disappear.
And honestly, I wanted to follow her.
Instead, I opened my laptop and pretended everything was fine.I gave my introduction like I wasn't dying inside.I talked through the syllabus like my hands weren't trembling.I called myself Professor Owens when all I wanted to do was pull her aside and explain.To tell her I had no idea.That I would never have let this happen if I'd known.
But the damage was already done.
The second class ended, she ran.She bolted from the classroom and didn't even look back.
Now I've paced my office enough to wear a groove in the floor.The second she left that room, I knew I was screwed.My stomach is still twisted in knots, and no amount of rationalizing is untangling it.
I've been trying to get a hold of her for hours, but she has shut off her phone or blocked me.I don't know what to do, but I need to talk to someone.Since this could affect the club, I think it’s only fair Carter gets a heads-up.
So, I grab my phone and dial Carter.
"Hey," he answers."How'd the first day go?"
"You're not going to believe this."
"Try me."
"My new sub?"
"What about her?"
"She's in my damn class.My Corporate Innovation class."
Silence.
