15. Anna
CHAPTER 15
Anna
I ’d never been more grateful for the weekend. Work was awful. Dade was such a huge university; its finances were phenomenal, which meant we were constantly overextended. And I didn’t even want to think about class. I’d been avoiding Dr. Hart. The shame that wracked my nerves every time I was in his presence left me unable to meet his smoldering gaze every time.
Emma and I were stressed to the max, so after much begging, Chase agreed to let us have a girls’ night out…if he tagged along. He was the designated driver and self-appointed guard. We didn’t plan anything too crazy, just drinks and dancing. Chase stood with his arms crossed, brooding in the corner, his eyes never leaving Emma.
“So, how has class been?” Emma chewed the straw to her drink. “Don’t let my soon-to-be husband hear,” she grinned, her cheeks reddened as the alcohol set in, “but your professor is kinda cute.”
I nodded slowly, the taste of the alcohol burned down my throat. My mind fogged in a dizzy haze. “Jeez, this is strong,” I gasped as the liquid landed hard in my stomach, “and yeah, he’s…” I thought carefully before speaking, “Something.”
She narrowed her eyes at me. “Anna,” her voice stern as she took tiny sips. “Spill it. What’s going on?”
I wanted to tell her. I wanted to ask her how she’d managed to spark things up with Chase, but I couldn’t. Their relationship might have been sorta off limits, but I was Dr. Hart’s student . And I worked there. We were technically coworkers. The titles blurred until none of it made any sense in my head.
“It’s nothing,” I lied. “I really suck at chemistry. I thought about dropping out.”
“Of the class?”
“No,” I admitted, taking another searing sip. “In general. I might’ve been too ambitious. I’ve never been that great in school. I don’t know why I thought this would be any different.”
She frowned at me, her gaze understanding. Emma opened her mouth to speak when a man bumped into her. I whipped my head around at the same time she did. “Sorry,” she muttered, even though he ran into us. “Excuse us.”
The random guy smirked, turning to leave when he met Chase’s fists. The cracking sound made my stomach churn as Chase’s knuckles collided with the guy’s nose. The bartender erupted in laughter. Doubling over.
“We’re going.” Chase hauled Emma up by her arm. “This is exactly why I couldn’t let you out by yourself.”
I glanced at my unfinished drink. The pink liquid sloshing, thickening in the cup. I must have bumped it with the commotion. I didn’t bother trying to down it before I hopped off the stool to catch up to Emma and Chase.
“It was an accident.” Emma whined as Chase led us out the door and back to the BMW. “We didn’t even get to finish our drinks. ”
He glared down at her, Chase was tall and aloof most days, but his fists balled at his sides, and his words came out in a snarl, “There are dangerous men crawling this fucking earth.” His gaze softened. His bloody hand came up to cup her face, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips. “You should know.” He whispered.
I felt heat pooling in my belly. I loved their relationship. For her, of course, but it would be nice to have the exact same thing as Chase and her one day. I buckled my seatbelt silently in the backseat as we headed towards our homes, ending the outting on a sour note.
I suppose I wouldn’t mind having someone as domineering as Chase. I let my mind wander as we drove through the night.
Another silent car ride to top off a crappy week.
He stopped in front of my apartment. Emma and I said our goodbyes and I made my way inside, the sadness landing like a thousand pound weight in my chest.
I changed into leggings and a baggy t-shirt, not ready for bed, but needing to turn my mind off to the world. I picked up one of my favorite romance novels. I loved the kind where the hero got the girl.
I’d read it so often, the once beautiful spine was cracked and wilting. A testimony to my love for the story. I flipped to my favorite chapter and dove into the world. A world where I was a beautiful girl who ended up with the love of a lifetime.