Chapter 11
Anna
“Alright, folks. Let’s wrap this lab up. Ten more minutes. And remember to complete all of the questions before submitting the full report,” Professor Sullivan says.
Once I finish, I put away my safety goggles and finish taking notes on my laptop.
I close it and slide it into my backpack.
“And one more thing,” Professor Sullivan says. “While I’m gone for the next three weeks, I’ll have an extra TA to help cover lab for me.”
A second later, the door opens, and in walks Colin. I freeze.
He smiles at the class. “Hey, guys. Excited to be here and help out for a few days.”
Everyone in the class packs up to leave. I can’t move, though. I’m too stunned.
I have to see Colin during lab?
A sick feeling lands at the pit of my stomach.
Professor Sullivan walks over to Colin and pats his shoulder. “You’re in good hands with Colin. He’s an excellent TA.”
Colin glances over, catching eyes with me. His smile instantly drops.
I quickly look away and finish packing up. I walk toward the door to leave, but there’s a bottleneck now that everyone in class is trying to head out at the same time.
I’m standing just a few feet from him now.
I stare ahead, refusing to look at him. I can feel his eyes on me.
When I’m finally out the door, I let out a breath. Everyone is headed to the right, so I go left, just to get away.
A second later, someone grabs my arm. I look over and see Colin as he pulls me to a quiet corner.
I yank out of his hold. “What are you doing?”
“We need to talk.”
“I don’t want to talk to you.”
I try to step away, but Colin plants his hand against the wall, blocking my way out.
Anger surges through me. This jerk. He thinks he can grab me and make me talk to him?
“Get out of my way,” I say, my voice low and hard.
He glares at me. “We need to set a few things straight.”
“Like what? The fact that you’re a cheating liar? I already knew that.”
He smacks his other hand against the wall right by my head, making me flinch. I tense up, scared. Is he going to hit me?
He leans down, lowering his face to mine. “I need to make sure you’re going to keep your mouth shut about us, Anna.”
I cross my arms and straighten up to my full height, which is only five-foot-six. Still though. I don’t want him to know just how much he’s intimidating me right now.
I swallow back my nerves and glare at him. “You scared I’m going to tell everyone how disappointing you were in bed?”
His mouth turns down in disgust. “You’d better never tell anyone about us. I could lose my standing at the university.”
I roll my eyes. “That’s not my problem. Now get out of my way.”
I shove his arm, but he doesn’t move. Colin’s not a muscular guy, but he’s taller and bigger than me. And he’s not going to let me leave…
My mind races. I think about yelling to get someone’s attention, but his gaze sharpens, turning cruel.
“Don’t think I’m going to make this easy on you, Anna.
If you breathe a word about us, I’ll ruin your fucking life,” he says.
“I’m the golden boy of the biology department.
I’ve got solid relationships with all of the professors.
All I’d have to do is say that you came onto me first, and you’re toast. No professor will want to work with you on research projects.
No professor will write you a recommendation for med school. Your med school dreams will be over.”
Panic shoots through me, paralyzing my nervous system. Colin is threatening me. He’s telling me how exactly he’s going to destroy me.
Everything I’ve worked for will be over if he suddenly changes his mood and decides to turn on me.
None of this is even my fault. He’s the one who pursued me. He’s the one who was unfaithful to his fiancée.
“Get away from her.”
A low, angry voice jolts me.
I look over and see Travis standing a dozen feet away. He’s glaring at Colin like he’s going to murder him.
I swallow hard, shocked and relieved to see him.
“We’re just talking, dude. Mind your own business,” Colin says.
Travis walks up to him, grabs him, and then throws him into the wall. Colin groans as he lands against the concrete, then slides to the ground.
Travis steps up to him, hovering over him. “You’re done talking to her. Leave. Now.”
Colin’s eyes widen as he stands back up, looking Travis up and down.
I lean against the wall and look between the two of them. Colin is twenty-six, but with his slight build, he looks so much less imposing than Travis. Almost like a teenager.
I look at Travis, taking in his stance. How he clears six feet by a few inches. How he’s built like a brick wall. How he could rip Colin apart with his bare hands.
I swallow hard, feeling hot all of a sudden.
“Fuck off,” Colin mutters before walking off and disappearing down the hall.
Travis turns to me. The second his eyes are on me, the angry glare is gone. Instead, there’s something soft and watchful in his gaze.
He steps toward me. “Are you okay?”
I don’t answer him. My body is too hot. And my brain is too overwhelmed processing what just happened.
Travis protected me. He doesn’t even like me, and he protected me.
My chest is tight. Something inside of me aches.
I turn around and scurry into a nearby empty classroom. I stumble toward one of the tables and grab the edge, steadying myself as I catch my breath.
A second later, the door opens.
I turn around and see him walk in and close the door behind him. I almost gasp at the look in his eyes. Pleading and pained as he gazes at me.
“Will you please tell me if you’re okay or not?”
His voice is soft and just as pleading as his stare. My head spins as I finally realize that I was wrong.
He really does care about me.
“I’m okay.”
He blinks, his chest heaving with the big breath that he takes.
“Who was that guy?”
I hesitate for a second. Normally, I’d be embarrassed to reveal something this personal to Travis. I’d be worried that he’d make fun of me.
But I can tell that he genuinely wants to know. Because he cares.
“I went out with him a couple of months ago. He was my TA.”
I cross my arms over my chest, feeling vulnerable for admitting this. I’ve never felt like this before around him.
The wrinkle in his brow deepens. He looks pissed. “That’s not okay. He’s in a position of power over you.”
Heat climbs up my cheeks. “It was fine. I was interested in him too.” I swallow. “It felt good to be wanted and pursued by him. He was older. More mature. At least, I thought he was.”
I’m quiet for a moment. “After he slept with me, he ghosted me. I didn’t see him for a while. And then, that day at the fitness center when I saw you, I ran into him. And his fiancée.”
Travis’s stare turns angry.
“He cheated on her with me.” My voice is weak when I speak. I feel so ashamed.
“That’s why you were upset?” Travis asks. I nod.
“It’s not your fault, Anna. He lied to you. And his fiancée. He’s a piece of shit.”
My nose tingles with the urge to cry. I feel so stupid admitting all this.
“I’m so naive.” I sniffle. “I thought he was a good guy. But he’s not. He threatened me if I ever told anyone about us.”
That angry look in Travis’s eyes turns murderous. Something about it is comforting to see.
He doesn’t even like me, but he’s mad on my behalf.
Travis steps closer to me. “Did he put his hands on you?”
I nod. He blinks, and his gaze is homicidal again.
“It didn’t hurt,” I say.
“Doesn’t matter. You don’t put your hands on a woman. Ever.”
His tone is low and lethal. Something about it makes me feel warm all over.
He steps closer, until we’re just a few feet away from each other.
“What did he say to you?”
“That I’d better never report him for sleeping with me. If I do, he threatened to lie and tell everyone in the biology department that I came onto him. He said he’d ruin me.”
Travis’s jaw bulges as he bites down. He glances off to the side. He looks like he wants to punch a hole in the wall.
When he turns back to me, his gaze is softer. “I’m sorry, Anna.”
“Why are you sorry? You saved me.”
“Because it’s fucked up that you’re dealing with this.”
Emotion wells up inside of me. I can’t speak. I just nod in appreciation.
A second later, he steps forward, closing the space between us. Gently, he wraps his arms around me, pulling me close.
The warmth from his body surrounds me. My nervous system, which was going haywire just minutes ago, calms down.
I tilt my head up to look at him. “Why are you holding me?”
“Because you’re shaking.”
“Oh.” I didn’t even notice.
“You’re not anymore, though.”
I look him in the eyes. Those eyes that are a mesmerizing mix of blue and gray. Eyes that I used to think were so piercing that they were jarring, but now all I see is warmth.
My gaze falls to his mouth. I swallow hard, my heart pounding in my chest. My skin is hot, and I’m aching.
“What are we doing?” My voice is barely above a whisper.
He looks at my mouth. “I don’t know.”
We’re both quiet again.
“What do you need from me right now, Anna?” Travis asks in that low, gentle tone.
Something flickers in my chest. Something bold.
“I need you to kiss me.”
My heart skids in my chest, nervous that he might reject me. But he doesn’t hesitate.
A half-second later, his mouth is on mine.