"You can't tell Hunter." The words tumbled out of my mouth before I even thought them through. "You can't tell him."
"I don't plan to. Grayson looked ready to kill me when I mentioned it. I'm not quite ready to cross him."
I was thankful that Gareth believed so heavily in the Gods that he had the sense to fear them.
"Scott," he said gently.
I didn't feel comfortable with what was coming.
"Are you going to stop seeing him?" Gareth asked.
I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. I couldn't. I couldn't keep away from Gray because it hurt too much.
"I wish you had handled this better." Gareth sighed.
"Same."
"What's done is done now."
I looked at Gareth and bit my bottom lip, waiting for him to continue. Something in me was hardwired to seek approval from those higher up in the pecking order. But Gareth wouldn’t approve of this. I’d broken one of the cardinal rules.
"But I have to put you through the disciplinary, Scott. Holden will let all hell break loose if I don't go through protocol."
My mouth soured with nausea, and the room swayed.
"I'm suspending you from the project for two weeks. James can take over the lab. You can analyse data at home. I need you to clear your head, Scott. I recruited you for a reason. Whatever happens in your personal life shouldn't affect your work, but it does."
There was a faint ringing in my ears as my mouth went numb.
"When you come back, whatever is happening between you and Grayson — it doesn't affect your work or the rest of my staff. Understood?"
I nodded slowly.
"You can leave."
I got up from my seat and left the office, feeling like the worst person in the world. There was no denying it. The title was mine.
Walking back to the lab, I was completely out of it. I'd been suspended. This would be a mark on my record. They'd question this when I applied for another job and what was I meant to tell them? That I was fucking the subject of the study when it was explicitly forbidden, and my boyfriend at the time walked in on us?
I reached the lab and hesitated before opening the door. The team was there, getting on with work. All of them were completely unaware of how I’d betrayed their trust and put the project at risk.
Gray rose from a bench, but I didn't look at him. Instead, I made a beeline for James. I explained I was taking some extended leave for two weeks and what needed to be done. He was capable, but it was a knife through my heart to hand over my lab to someone, even if it was only temporary.
"I'll be at the end of an email. Send me the data and I'll work through the analysis. It frees you guys up to keep working in the lab."
He asked if I was okay, and all I could do was nod.
"Do a good job. I don't want to be cleaning up a mess when I get back," I told him.
Then I turned and left the lab, blinking back tears. Gray strode after me as I walked through the institute.
"Scott!" he called. "Scott! Quentin!"
He caught up with me and grabbed my arm, forcing me to stop and look at him.
"Don't!" I pulled my arm away from him.
"What did Gareth say?"
