Chapter Six #2
Carrie’s expression is soft and understanding. “He was a champ.”
“What happened?” I ask, leaning against the wall outside the classroom.
“He didn’t listen and ran to give Samuel the pair of scissors. I’m sorry, honey. I feel terrible and responsible.”
I shake my head. “No! It could have happened while I was there, too. I know he’s in good hands. Can I talk to him?”
“Samuel took him to the ice cream shop across the street from where we’re staying Uptown. I really felt like we were intruding on Landon’s privacy after so long.”
I smile in understanding. “Would you have L.J. FaceTime me as soon as he gets back?”
“Of course. Are you ready for your exams?” Carrie asks.
“One down, a paper turned in, and one more to go.” I don’t mention that it is the hardest one. I don’t want anyone to know how much I’ve struggled.
“Well, good luck and we’ll talk soon. And don’t worry.”
Easier said than done, but I don’t want Carrie to feel worse than she already does. We disconnect the call just as the class ends, and the students stream out of the lecture hall.
Realizing I took my backpack but left my small purse on the floor by my chair, I wait for everyone to leave and head back inside. I see my little bag on the floor and bend down to grab it.
When I rise, Shane is by my side. “Is everything okay? You bolted out of your seat and scared the shit out of me.”
I manage a smile though I still feel shaky and am beyond upset. “I’d left my phone on by mistake. Carrie texted me. L.J. fell and needed stitches. She said he was fine but I needed to talk to her.”
His gaze is one of complete understanding. “And? He’s okay?”
I bite down on my lower lip, which has begun trembling. “He is. He was running with a pair of scissors.” I shake my head and mutter, “Boys.”
Shane raises a hand and slides his palm behind my neck. “Did you speak to him?”
“No. He went for ice cream with his grandfather.”
Shane’s low chuckle reassures me somewhat. “If he’s up for ice cream, he must not be in too much pain. I’m sure they numbed the area first.”
Tears begin to fall from my eyes unexpectedly, and Shane swears, then pulls me into his arms. “Shhh. He’s fine. You’re just upset because you weren’t there for him.”
“How did you know that?” I ask.
“Because I know you.” He slides his fingers through my hair, and I let my emotions free, sniffling into his white dress shirt beneath his jacket. I like that he always dresses for class, taking even summer session oh so seriously. My professor, I muse, my thought taking me off guard.
Mine.
I want him to be mine, because in the short time I’ve known him, I’ve fallen in love with everything that is Shane Warden. But I’m not ready to tell him. Not while we are still in professor-student limbo.
“You okay now?” he asks.
I nod, wanting another minute in his safe, secure arms.
That is my mistake.
“I knew it.” Dan stands by the last row of seats, his phone in his hand, aimed at us. “I knew you didn’t raise your grades on your own.”
“What the hell?” Shane, who has already separated himself from me, strides up the aisle toward the smug punk. “What are you doing?” he asks him.
“Proving what I suspected. That she fucked her way to a passing grade.”
“But… No. I didn’t! I had a tutor. I—”
Shane holds up a hand, cutting her off. “Don’t bother arguing with him,” he says in that authoritative voice I remember from the first day of class. “I’ll deal with this. Amber, you can leave.”
I blink but the tears fall anyway, the entire emotion of the last few minutes catching up with me … along with the fear that Dan’s accusation could cost me everything.
* * *
Amber
I pace back and forth in my house. It is the not knowing how Shane is handling Dan that both concerns and frightens me. I came home from the incident shaken, but L.J. FaceTimed me almost as soon as I walked in the door, so I had no choice but to put on a bright smile and talk to my son.
Instead of expressing pain or being upset, L.J.
was eager to show me his stitches. He had ice cream stains on his face, and he was chatty as ever, allowing me to breathe, at least about him.
I duly lecture him about the dangers of running with scissors and not listening to his grandparents but figure he’s been punished enough by the hospital experience.
I have no doubt the stitches and numbing hurt him badly.
I wince at the thought but force deep breaths into my lungs. He is fine.
Is Shane?
This is his worst nightmare, the one thing he went out of his way to avoid happening … and I caused it. I remained in his arms despite the risk. I let us get caught by someone who clearly has issues either with me or anyone he feels threatened by, though why he targeted me makes no sense.
I rub my hands over my arms and try to concentrate on studying for tomorrow’s test while I wait to hear from Shane. It isn’t easy … and he never calls.
He does return my text with a generic answer.
Don’t worry. I have it handled. Will talk to you after the test. Good luck.
Handled how? Don’t worry why? What is going on? The not knowing is killing me, but I understand he wants me to focus on the exam, and I need to do just that. Unfortunately I toss and turn all night.
The next morning, I drag myself to the test, tired, cranky, and concerned about how I’ll handle the exam on little sleep and the worry clawing inside me.
Did he get in trouble and does he blame me? Is that why he is waiting to talk to me until after the test? I walk into the lecture hall expecting to see Shane. Although I know he wants the teaching assistant to proctor the exam, I thought he’d at least speak to the class first or wish us luck.
His absence makes it even more difficult to concentrate, but I know how much rides on my passing.
Every higher-level class in business requires this entry-level course first. I want to set a positive example for L.J.
, want to prove to Landon, Jason, and Tanner that their faith in me is well placed.
That lending me money for school wasn’t a mistake.
Across the room, Dan glares at me, and I don’t know what to make of his attitude. He has the upper hand, after all. He could report Shane to the dean and… no. I can’t think about that now. Later. Later I’ll see what happened.
Pushing every thought aside but economics, I draw a deep breath and settle in to work.
* * *
Shane
I pace the hall outside the dean’s office, waiting to be called in.
Yesterday, after being caught by Dan, instead of letting the kid go and having yet another student make a mess of my life, I took control of the situation.
I marched Dan and his damned cell phone and the recording of me holding Amber in my arms straight to the dean’s office.
“Show him,” I said to a shocked Dan. “Show Dean Frost what you have on your phone.”
Sputtering and unsure what my end game was, Dan hit the play button and the video of Shane and Amber came up.
Dean Frost watched, an unhappy expression on his face, and my gut twisted hard.
“I see,” the man said, then turned his gaze on Dan. “And why did you film this?”
“Because she obviously slept her way to a good grade! It’s not fair. The rest of us have to work for what we get,” Dan said, his cheeks red with anger and frustration.
The dean stared at him. “You do realize this isn’t the first time you’ve come to me with accusations about a student cheating.”
That was news to me. I had issues with Dan’s unhappiness with bad grades, but I hadn’t known others did, too.
“But … this time I have proof.” Dan gestured to the phone on the dean’s desk.
“That remains to be seen.” The older man folded his hands across his chest as he stared Dan down.
“You, however, have issues with everyone but yourself. After the last time you accused Jeanne Clark of cheating, which she hadn’t done—there were cameras in the classroom—I kept an eye on grades.
You’re struggling, young man. And you blame everyone but yourself.
One more incident and I’ll have no choice but to expel you.
You can’t go on accusing others with no consequences. ”
Fury lit Dan’s features, and he stormed out of the room.
The dean then turned his gaze to me. “I know the boy’s father. I suppose it’s time we have a talk,” he said on a sigh. “As for you, would you care to explain?” He gestured to the phone, which remained on his desk.
I blew out a long breath, gathering my thoughts. The dean knew my history and he understood this video looked bad. But I hadn’t broken any school rules. And I covered myself regarding the test and grades.
I went on to explain that Amber had a frightening situation with her son and I’d merely been comforting her.
However, I admitted to having a relationship with her.
One that I put on hold until class was over.
I gave the dean the name of Amber’s tutor and asked the man to talk to the woman and find out how long she’d been working with Amber.
Then I listed everything I did to keep the final exam fair and impartial.
“I can understand why you’d be careful, given your history,” the man said. “What exactly is going on with you and this student?”
“Woman,” I corrected him. “She’s a full-grown adult who decided to go back to school.”
“Aah. I hadn’t realized.”
I nodded. “But you need to know I intend to pursue a serious relationship with her now that class is over. And if you have a problem with that, if I need to choose between my job and Amber…” My heart nearly beat out of my chest as I drew a deep breath.
I’d been up most of the night contemplating this conversation and what was more important to me. And no matter how much I want tenure, no matter that I knew if I blew it at another school, my fault or not, I wouldn’t get a third chance, I came to the same conclusion.
“I choose Amber.”
The man’s expression was bland, his eyes not giving away a damned thing as he said, “I’d like the night to consider the situation.”
So I went home alone. Not wanting Amber to worry about the fact that a decision would be made about my career, I didn’t call her.
If I spoke to her, I don’t trust myself not to tell her everything, and she needs to focus on passing the test. So I texted her back, told her everything would be okay, and left the details until today.
Right now she is taking the exam.
And I am awaiting my fate.
“I was up much of the night,” Dean Frost says.
Join the club, I think.
“As you know, you haven’t broken school rules, but I do have to look at the ethical considerations of you dating a student.”
“A former student of mine as of yesterday,” I feel compelled to remind the older man.
Dean Frost nods. “Yes. And she is an adult, as you said. Although there is the argument to be made that any of our students over eighteen are adults. I’d be setting precedent.”
I think I’m going to throw up. My career, everything I’ve worked for, is about to disappear before my eyes.
“However, the fact that she is not a young woman but an adult with experience behind her does help your cause. As does the fact that you stepped aside while class was going on. You covered the exams, made them impartial, and handled things with impartiality.”
His hard stare doesn’t allow me to read his final thoughts at all. I stand, hands clenched, shoulders tense, and wait.
With a frown, the dean says, “I can’t say I like it or that it’s going to make things easy on us going forward …
but you would also have a case against us for unlawful termination if I fired you.
Which I don’t want to do. You’re a good professor.
A solid addition to the faculty. And you got a raw deal twice, first at your last school and now again here.
I knew Dan was a loose cannon, and I did nothing to prevent him from causing trouble again. ”
“So where does this leave us?” I ask.
Dean Frost extends his hand. “It leaves you with your position intact, Professor Warden.”
“Thank you, sir.” Relief filling me, I clasp the other man’s hand. “I appreciate your understanding.”
To my surprise, Dean Frost smiles, dropping the stern formality he held on to throughout our meeting. “I met my wife when I was eighteen. It was love at first sight. I’m not going to deny you what’s obviously true love.”
I grin. Although I didn’t say the words to myself, I know it’s true. Why else would I be willing to give up my job for Amber?
“So what are you waiting for?” Dean Frost asks. “Go get your girl.”