12. Vincent
Chapter 12
Vincent
“ I don’t see a ring on your finger, Professor Stonebridge,” Helene said. “Don’t tell me an attractive man like you is still single.”
I pried her hand off my arm. Seeing Elle humiliated like that in front of the school made my blood boil. Meanwhile, her sister was breezily flirting without a care in the world as if nothing had happened.
“Actually, I am seeing someone,” I replied.
Elle was still inside the dining hall. It killed me that I couldn’t go back inside and take her away from all this.
Helene switched tactics at lightning speed.
“Well, she’s a very lucky woman. I hope she won’t mind if I borrow you for an hour or two for our tour. I promise to be on my best behavior.”
My phone buzzed in my pocket. I hurried to retrieve it, eager for an interruption that would put distance between Helene and me.
A text appeared on my screen from Elle.
I quit .
My heart lurched. I reread the text over and over, endeavoring to make those two little words sink in. There had to be some mistake or a misunderstanding. Not after everything Elle had been through. She was doing so much better and now this?
“I’m surprised at you, Professor,” Helene said with a hint of frostiness edging her tone. “Getting distracted by your phone is something the younger generation does all the time. I thought an educated man like you would prioritize his guest.”
“My apologies, Helene,” I replied. “Something has come up. You’ll have to tour the campus on your own.”
She sputtered. I turned and headed away from the dining hall as I dialed Elle’s number. Her phone rang, again and again, but she didn’t pick up. I swore under my breath and punched out a text instead.
Where are you?
When I was out of Helene’s line of sight, I stopped and stared at my phone’s screen, willing a response from Elle into existence.
“Come on, baby,” I muttered. “Talk to me.”
Finally, a text showed up.
Chadwick hall courtyard.
It was a quiet little place, secluded, surrounded by autumn foliage and statues tinged green with moss and lichen. A fountain bubbled pleasantly in a grove of old oak trees. The roses were faded, petals withering after a recent cold snap.
I found Elle on a bench, shielded by a swath of ferns, shoulders slumped, scrubbing at her cheek with the sleeve of her hoodie. As soon as she saw me, I held out my arms. She practically ran to me. I rocked back on my heels at the force of her collision.
“What happened?” I demanded.
“I quit school,” Elle mumbled into my chest. “I had to.”
I tightened my grip on her, fighting the urge to track down her father and give him a piece of my mind.
“You can’t quit,” I said. “You’ve worked too hard for that.”
Elle sniffed and pulled back. Her cheeks were wet with tears.
“I don’t know what else I can do. Dad found out I was studying English. He changed my major back.”
I squeezed Elle’s shoulders. A muscle twitched in my jaw. It was a good thing Daniel Roche was nowhere near me right now. I wasn’t a violent man, but I was more than ready to knock his teeth out.
“When I told him that I quit,” Elle continued. “He said I’m on my own. Don’t come home. Don’t call him for anything because I won’t get a single red cent from him until I apologize for my behavior. I have a little money saved up that he doesn’t know about, so I’m not completely broke, but there’s no way I can pay for college now.”
I frowned. Elle’s father did everything in his power to prevent her from earning her own money, and then abandoned her like this. What an asshole.
“It’s going to be fine, love,” I said. “You can stay with me.”
Elle nodded, looking a little less shaky than she did when I first arrived. I brushed a lock of hair away from her cheek, tucking it behind her ear.
“Let me see what I can do to fix this.”
“Don’t,” she said. “If you get involved—”
“Dean Wilcox shouldn’t have allowed this to happen in the first place,” I pointed out. “A student is being manipulated under his watch. It’s not right. I’ll put a stop to it, I promise.”
Elle fiddled with her sleeves. A small, tentative spark of hope came into her eyes.
“Do you really think that will work?”
“It’s worth a shot.”
She inhaled a trembling breath and managed a weak smile. My heart ached for her. She was trying to put on a brave face. Fighting for a future that she’d barely tasted before it had been stripped away.
“Your sister flirted with me,” I said in a flat voice.
Elle wrinkled her nose.
“Yes, I know.”
Taking her hand, I kissed her knuckles.
“I’m heading home to take the hottest shower bearable, and scrub every inch of my skin. Care to join me?”
Elle beamed.
“I’d love to.”
My breath caught in my throat as I gazed down at her. A surge of protectiveness washed over me. How could anyone bear to break this woman’s heart? I hooked a finger under her chin, wishing I could rip into her father the way I wanted to for making her upset.
It was risky to be standing here together, out in the open. Even though the courtyard was tucked away among the trees, a student could walk by at any moment and see us.
Just one kiss, I thought. Make it quick.
I dipped my head and kissed her, warm and firm. Elle sighed and slid her arms around my neck. I tugged her tight against me, hoping she got the message that no matter what happened, this would never change.
After some food and a shower, Elle looked more stable, although I could still see the worry that lingered in her eyes. Everything had been turned upside down for her in the blink of an eye. She knew something was coming, but I don’t think she had any idea her father would pull the rug out from under her like this.
I found Elle in the living room, borrowing my laptop to research scholarships, grants, and job listings.
“Did you hear anything about your application at the library?” I asked, settling on the couch beside her.
Elle chewed her lower lip, her gaze locked on the computer screen. She shook her head.
“Not yet. I need to find something that pays better though.”
I curved my hand around the nape of her neck, threading my fingers up into her hair as I scratched lightly at her scalp. She hummed and closed her eyes, leaning into me. I couldn’t believe how resilient she was. Despite how rattled she looked this morning, she’d already rallied, searching for solutions. Her father had knocked her down, but she was fighting to get back on her feet.
Before I could tell her just how proud I was of her, a knock came at my front door.
I kissed Elle’s temple.
“Stay here. I’ll get that.”
When I answered the door, I was greeted by Dean Wilcox with his mouth set in a disapproving line. My grip on the door handle tightened until I was sure it would break off in my grip. A personal visit from the Dean to my private home. That meant nothing good.
“Franklin,” I said, loud enough for Elle to hear in the living room. The faint whisper of her footsteps indicated she had tiptoed out of sight to the bedroom. “I was just about to stop by your office.”
“We need to chat, Vincent,” he replied.
A pit of dread sat like a stone in my stomach. I stepped aside, gesturing for Wilcox to come in.
“Can I get you something to drink?” I offered, heading for the kitchen.
Wilcox held up his hand and moved no further than the entryway.
“Unfortunately, this isn’t a social call. I’ll get right to the point.”
He reached inside his coat and retrieved a brown folder, pulling out half a dozen pictures. When he passed them to me, I fought to take a breath, but no air could reach my tight lungs.
Elle and I were in the courtyard, half hidden by autumn foliage. That kiss was damning, our bodies flush together, Elle’s arms draped around my shoulders indicating just how casual we were with each other.
“Courtesy of Helene Roche,” Wilcox said. “She’s furious, Vincent, and I can’t say that I blame her. No words can express how disappointed I am with you. Having a sexual relationship with a student is wildly inappropriate and breaks university rules.”
I shoved the pictures into his chest.
“Taking bribes is also against university rules.”
Wilcox’s face turned tomato red as he blustered.
“I beg your pardon. I did no such thing.”
Now that I had nothing to lose, I felt reckless and I plowed on.
“You’re allowing Giselle’s father to have complete access to her classes and her grades. Did she consent to that?”
Wilcox jammed the pictures back into the folder.
“Well, no, but Mr. Roche has provided considerable financial support to this school since his daughter enrolled.”
“He’s controlling that girl, Franklin. She can’t do a goddamn thing without her father sabotaging it, so she does his bidding, and you’re making excuses for him.”
Wilcox waved me off with irritation.
“That is a personal family matter which is none of our business.”
I stepped closer, jabbing a finger in his chest.
“You are the Dean of this school. It’s your responsibility to ensure the students are protected.”
His eyes flashed.
“Exactly. That’s why you’re fired.”
Hearing those fateful words felt like a splash of cold water in my face. I rocked back on my heels and gritted my teeth. I knew there was a danger of this the moment I got involved with Elle.
Several agonizing seconds of silence filled the entryway.
“Helene Roche would like you to know,” Wilcox added. “That she will make sure you never work in another school again.”
My eyes slipped closed. That was the killing blow, right to the jugular. If I had been up against Wilcox alone, it would have been a fair fight. We both broke rules and we needed to step down.
With the Roche wealth on his side, Wilcox was protected while I was left to hang.
“Get out,” I said, my voice low and rough.
“Vincent,” Wilcox said. “Just to be clear, this means I’m rescinding my offer of support for the Dean position—”
“I said get out ,” I barked.
He hurried out, closing the door behind him. I bowed my head, scrubbing a hand over my mouth.
How did everything go to shit so fast?