Page 180 of The Professor's Wife

No more imagining an escape. There was nothing out there for me. Oliver was right. I was nothing.

But to him, I could be perfect.

I just needed to follow the rules.

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

The sound of pounding broke through the morning air. I groaned and cracked my eyes open. “Tristan?”

He was already stirring. He ran a hand down my arm and grunted. “Someone’s at the door.”

“What do they want?”

He sighed and slid out of bed. I watched him through tired eyes as he went to the window and moved the curtain aside to look out. “It’s a cop.”

Now my eyes widened and I sat up quickly. “What?”

“Maybe we’re not supposed to be parked here.” He quickly grabbed a pair of jeans and slid into them. He didn’t bother to grab a shirt as he went to the door. I quickly grabbed Tristan’s top and threw it on. My heart hammered as I stared anxiously at Tristan as he opened the door. I wanted to tell him to stop. That everything between us would be over if that cop was here for me.

Please don’t be here for me.

Please.

“Yeah?” Tristan said as he stepped out.

I didn’t move, and I didn’t need to. I could hear everything from where I sat.

“I’m looking for Daisy Black.”

My eyes squeezed shut and I let out a deflated breath. There was a long pause. “No Daisy Black.”

The officer sighed, already sounding annoyed. “You got a Daisy in there of any kind?”

Another long pause. “I got Daisy Sumner in my camper,” Tristan finally replied, cautiously.

“Yeah, Sumner is her maiden name.”

Tristan was quiet for a beat, absorbing that information. Then, he retorted, “Well, what do you want with her?”

“I’d like to talk to her.”

“About what?”

“That’s between her and me.”

“She doesn’t have to talk to you if she doesn’t want to—”

“I’d like to hear that from her.”

Tristan might cause a scene. I slid into shorts. My legs were shaky when I hurried out of the camper. Tristan was standing in front of an old officer, and he looked way too aggressive. I quickly moved to him and gripped his arm. “Tristan,” I whispered.

He didn’t look at me, but he rubbed at his face. “Daze.”

“It’s okay. I’ll talk to him.”

He finally looked at me, his eyes raw and wide. “Is he going to take you away?”

I blinked back tears and quietly said, “I don’t know.”