Pushing to my feet, I lean my palms on his desk, looming over him. He tilts his face up, a tremor working through him as if he thinks I’ll turn a violent leaf and make him a victim.
It’s not impossible, but at the moment, there are far more pressing matters to attend to.
“Just keep in mind that the rumors about what you did to those two girls when I was a student still run rampant among Avernia’s back channels. Some even say there’s video evidence.” I rap my knuckles against his desk, winking. “In case you think I won’t drag you down along with me.”
I’d do it for the simple fact that he enabled Beckett and the Curators’ bad behavior all last semester, but this would be the cherry on top.
In Acting for Beginners,I loiter around the auditorium, delaying the start of class, hoping that maybe Elle will show before the weekend. When she doesn’t, I feel a flare of panic inside my chest, thinking I really fucked this up.
I don’t even have her number to text and plead for her to come over or meet me in my office. She’s ignored the multiple messages I’ve sent to her student email, and I’m afraid that if I don’t scale back on those, the ethics investigation will be over before it’s even begun.
Lexington sidles close to the stage after class, watching me silently as the students disperse.
“Mr. Abbott,” I say in a deadpan voice, not in the mood. “Is there something I can assist you with?”
“You seem distracted today is all. Was just wondering if there was something going on?” He shrugs, slipping his hands into the pockets of his navy chinos. He really has an effortless charm, and the fact that he spends so much time with Elle just further irritates me.
“My personal issues are none of your concern,” I tell him. “Your focus should be on the production and finals.”
“Sure, sure, they are. Definitely.” He glances at the floor, scuffing his shoe against it. “Class was pretty quiet this week, don’t you think?”
My gaze cuts to his.
“Didn’t realize how much effort Elle Anderson puts into participating, but you sure can tell when she’s missing, can’t you?”
The blood in my veins feels like it’s boiling. “Rest is important when sick. As is not spreading germs. I appreciate her choosing not to come to class.”
“Sick? Oh, then I guess when she said she’d be hanging out in the quarry this morning, she wasn’t being serious.”
My expression flattens. He’s fully transparent, but now I have to wonder if he’s the one feeding Pythia information or if he’s just fishing for it now. I school my features, keeping them neutral, and close my briefcase, grabbing the handle tightly.
“Mr. Abbott,” I say, heading to the back of the building so he doesn’t assume I’m going to her. “I’ll see you on Monday.”
Lexington just hums, and though I’ve turned my back toward him, the smug look on his face burns into my retinas all the same.
Perhaps I’m not as discreet as I believed.
Certainly not when I drop my things off and head to the quarry, unable to spend even a second longer just thinking about Elle.
Having her in my thoughts isn’t enough. It never will be.
I find her exactly where he said she’d be, alone with her legs dangling off the edge of the quarry. Her palms are flattened, arms outstretched behind her, as she soaks up bits and pieces of the sunshine peeking through the Fury Hill clouds.
It takes me a moment to gather the nerve to approach, sticking to the rock walls long enough to ensure she’s out here by herself.
This is dangerous, considering the dean’s questioning just hours ago, but resistance is fucking futile when it comes to this woman. My feet press harder into the rocky ground than necessary, but they carry me toward her anyway until I’m risking everything by being here like this.
She’s wearing a red velvet skirt over tights and a thick black sweater beneath an overcoat. Her hair’s pulled into a ponytail, a few stray pieces framing her delicate face; they rustle alongside the leaves with the wind, carrying the scent of honey and vanilla over to me.
“Stars aren’t out yet,” I say, pushing myself in her direction.
The slope of her shoulders straightens when she hears my voice, and she casts a pinched look over one of them, giving me a pointed once-over.
“Careful there, Professor,” she replies, turning her nose up. “You being here during the day with a student might beunseemly.”
God, that smart mouth. It strikes me standing here that I really fucking missed hearing it this week. Having it on my couch next to me. In my bed.
“I don’t mind.” Bending down, I take a seat next to her, hanging my own legs over the quarry’s edge. The water below is as dark and still as ever, making me dizzy to think what it contains. “You haven’t been in class this week.”
