Page 126 of Silk Sheets

There was a man in uniform—a cop—to her right and my heart started racing.Am I being framed for a crime I didn’t commit?

“Dakota,” Mrs. Greene got to her feet. “Have a seat, please,” she motioned to the chair in front of her, but my heart dropped, looking at the person on the chair next to it.

He got to his feet, turning around to face me with apologetic eyes.

My eyes grew wide in uncertainty. “Daddy?”

“My baby girl,” he sorrowfully said.

Daddy’s bail was set at $150K as though he couldn’t easily cough up that amount. Of course, he wasn’t able to come anywhere near my mother.

While he was out he called me every day, but I didn’t answer until I eventually blocked his number. So, I’m guessing this was another stunt of his to see me.

“What’s going on?” I asked, and the dean motioned for me to have a seat, so I did. My heart raced as I caught their pitiful gazes.

My stomach flipped. “Is it my mom?” I fearfully asked, feeling my heart rate pick up.

“No, no, no,” Mrs Greene suddenly said. “It’s not that,” she shook her head. “Dakota, I have to ask you a few questions.”

I nodded, secretly fiddling with my fingers on my lap.

She glanced over at my father, and I could see the rage behind his eyes. “We have reason to believe that you and one of your professors have a rather…intimaterelationship. Is that true?”

My heart dropped.No. No, no, please—no.

I had been so wrapped up in my family drama that I hadn’t realised…oh my God hadn’t I been careful enough? Was I too distracted?

Instantly, I shook my head in denial. “No, of course not,” I looked between the two of them. “Who told you that—it’s not true.”

“Princess, you can tell us,” my father calmly said, reaching over to grab my hand, but I jolted away.

“That’s crazy. What are you even talking about?”

“Dakota,” Mrs Greene slightly tilted her head to the side. “If it’s true, you need to tell us. You did nothing wrong, okay? If he came onto you and forced—”

“Jesus Christ,” I half laughed. “You think that I’m being taken advantage of?”

“That’s what we’ve been told, yes,” Mrs Greene confirmed, keeping her voice tiny. “So, if you could just tell us his name—”

“I’m not being taken advantage of,” I assured her, getting to my feet. “That’s absurd. Who told you that?”

“We can’t reveal their identity,” she explained. “But if it’s the truth, then Dakota, we need to know. We need to hear it from you.”

“Please, Dakota,” my father insisted, his unmissable anger slipping through. “Just tell me his name, princess.”

I opened my mouth to speak but got cut off as the office door slammed open.

“Oh, baby,” my mother cooed, rushing over to me. “What happened? What’s going on?”

“Someone is spreading gossip, and now they think it’s true,” I explained as my mother stopped at my side.

“Dakota,” my father seethed. “We have proof. Now, all we need is for you to give us his name,” he got to his feet as well.

“There’s no name to give!” I snapped.

“Tell me that bastard’s name so that I can put him in prison myself,” he seethed, stepping forward but the cop intervened and I breathlessly glanced between the three of them.

“What is going on?” my mom darted her worried eyes to Mrs Greene.