I didn’t kill my baby sister. I loved her.
My parents are nothing but liars.
“You men sure have a lot to say.”
I clamp my hands over my mouth at the sound of my father’s voice.
A gunshot cracks through the night. Then another.
Then I don’t hear the men anymore.
I jumped, nearly coming out of my seat, when a hand slammed on the desk. My lungs burned as if I were coming up for air after being dunked in the river.
One eye opened, then the other, and I stared up at Professor Nelson standing in front of me.
“Is my lecture boring you, Miss Dupont?” he asked, brows furrowed into an intimidating stare.
“No … I’m so sorry,” I rushed out, my head still spinning. “I just …”
He cocked his head to the side. “You just what?”
“I don’t blame her, Professor.”
My chin lifted as I turned my attention to Cedric sitting at the desk beside mine.
His cold glare stayed locked on Professor Nelson. “Your lectures are boring as fuck, and your teaching style is subpar. I don’t blame her for falling asleep.”
I couldn’t stop the grateful smile from spreading over my face.
Is this what they meant when they said Fawns were protected?
“Go teach, Professor,” Cedric demanded, using his phone to motion for the professor to step away from my desk. “Let’s see if you can do a better job this time.”
Professor Nelson turned on his heel and walked back to the front of the lecture hall.
My throat felt dry, and I rummaged through my bag until I found my water bottle while he resumed his lecture. I lightly slapped my cheeks, trying to keep myself awake.
I couldn’t let myself go there again.
Why am I suddenly going back to my past?
The nightmares had come and gone over the years and always returned when I was stressed.
Thankfully, I managed to stay awake for the rest of class, but when it ended, Professor Nelson said, “Blair, a word before you leave.”
As the class cleared out, Cedric stayed at his desk, watching me approach Professor Nelson.
Professor Nelson ducked his head and kept his voice low. “Blair, you do not want to cause problems for yourself?—”
“Speak louder, Professor!” Cedric shouted. “I’d like to hearwhatever it is you need to say to Blair.” He dropped his feet from the desk.
The steps seemed to vibrate as he stomped down them and cracked his neck as he came to Nelson’s desk.
He ran his hand over the corner, sweeping everything there to the floor, including Nelson’s coffee, and sat on the now-empty space. He rested his elbow on his knee, cradling his face with the palm, and stared Nelson down.
“Do go on,” he told him. “Tell her whatever was so necessary that you made her stay after class.”
Professor Nelson turned his back to us, circling his desk, and grabbed his bag from the back of his desk chair.
