“If Elena Hart is here, could she please meet me in my office in fifteen minutes?”
My head snaps up as Amy elbows me in the side. “Holy shit, girl. What did you do?”
The lecture theatre is emptying, and Coach Rourke doesn’t wait for confirmation that his message was received before packing his things and leaving with the rest of the crowd.
My stomach twists. Surely he doesn’t know who I am? There’s no way. I told him my name is Leni, not Elena. He has no way of connecting the two.
Amy clicks her fingers in front of my face. “Earth to Leni.”
I blink back at her.
“What’s wrong?” she asks. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
The ghost of boyfriend’s past.
“Nothing,” I say too quickly, causing her to arch a brow. “I’m just… late.”
She smirks. “Late for a one-on-one with the hottest professor on campus.”
Unease settles in the pit of my stomach, but I force a smile. “That’s subjective.”
Amy snorts. “You’d have to be the only female on campus to think that.” She grabs her bag and climbs to her feet. “I’ll see you in class later. You can fill me in on what he wanted.”
Unlikely.
“Sure thing. See you later.”
She shoots me a funny look before leaving. I pack away the notebook and pen that I didn’t even use and slowly leave the lecture theatre, trying to figure out what to do. Why did he ask to see me? He’s not my normal professor. This can’t be a coincidence.
I consider calling Willow to confide in her, but she’s with Luca, and I don’t want him to know. Maybe I should just ignore Coach Roarke’s request. It’s not like they take attendance in our lectures. He has no way of knowing I heard his request.
But my burning curiosity gets the better of me, and before I know it, I’m standing outside his office.
My heart races as I knock on the closed door, and part of me hopes he’s not there. Unfortunately, I’m not so lucky, and my stomach swoops when I hear the deep timbre of his voice calling for me to come in.
I adjust my beanie, tugging it over my hair, even though I know it’s a futile attempt to hide who I am. He’s going to take one look at me and know.
When I push open the door, his familiar scent overwhelms me, and my knees almost buckle, but I straighten my spine and walk inside. He’s sitting at his deskreading something on his computer, and I hesitate before closing the door behind me.
“Elena, I presume?” he asks in a gentle tone as I turn around. When our eyes meet, the smile on his face freezes, leaving no doubt in my mind that he knows exactly who I am.
Time stands still as we stare at each other, but he manages to compose himself first. Clearing his throat, he says my name in a reverent tone that sends a shiver coursing through my body that ends in my core. “Leni.”
“Ethan.” I hate the way my voice wobbles with that one simple word.
Fire blazes in his whiskey-coloured gaze as it trails over every inch of my body before snapping to my face. “Shit,” he mutters, running his hand through his hair.
That single word is like a bucket of ice water being tipped on me. “What’s the matter,sir?” I can’t keep the snark out of my tone. “You look a little unwell.”
His face pales. “This isn’t the time for flippancy, little devil.”
My heart stutters at the slip of his pet name for me, but I shove it down. Deep down. Shrugging, I force my expression to remain neutral. “You’re the one who called me in here.”
Ethan—Coach Rourke—releases a heavy breath. “I think you should sit down.”
I glance at the couch beside me, then at the chair in front of his desk. “I think I’ll stand.”
“Please, Leni.”
