Page 26 of My Downfall

“Maybe.”

I definitely said ‘yes’ to Bella’s question, but apparently the girls aren’t fully on board with it.

“He’s my professor, he’s the Dean of the college, he’s twenty-four years older than me. Yes, it would be bad. We said one night, we’ve had that, and I need to move on.”

“Yeah, but what a night. The things he said? The things he did? Phew.” Harper fans her hand in front of her face.

“And that’s exactly why I need you to keep my cell. I won’t be able to stop myself from messaging him, otherwise.”

“I still think you should,” Bella mumbles as she takes another swig of her coffee.

Chapter Fifteen

Hudson

She’s not answering a single one of my messages or calls. She’s even gone so far as to turn her cell phone off.

I’m now beyond pissed. I am fucking fuming.

She doesn’t get to just walk away from me without a word. Without the decency of even saying goodbye.

I needed to hold her, to kiss her, to know it was going to be the last time and make the most of it.

I needed to try and talk her into givingme more.

***

It’s Monday morning, and thankfully I’m teaching her class this morning.

I need to see her, to know she’s okay.

I need to tan her fucking ass.

She’s the last one to walk through the door, and she doesn’t even look at me as she stalks past my desk. She must feel my eyes burning a hole through the back of her head, but she doesn’t so much as hesitate.

I don’t know what I say during class; I can’t focus on anything other than the woman sitting in the middle row, the woman who hasn’t once looked at me, who hasn’t once engaged in this lesson.

I don’t think so, baby girl.

It’s the end of class and I’m about to make sure she talks to me. “Miss Whitlock, a minute please.” Her feet stumble as she heads past my desk.

“I can’t today, Dean Davenport. I have an appointment I can’t be late for. Sorry,” she adds as she practically runs away from me.

Fucking runs.

***

Have I crossed a line looking up her address on the college system? Yes, I have. Am I crossing it even further by currently sitting impatiently outside said address? You’re damn right I am. It still doesn’t stop me from straddling my bike across the street as I wait for her to return from her final class of the day; a class I know she has because I also looked up her schedule.

I’m so far over the line I can’t even see it anymore.

She’s later than I thought she’d be, late enough for me to start to worry. Just as I start debating whether I should go looking for her, a silhouette crests the hill at the top of her street. Jogging toward me is a figure I know all too well.

She ran from college? That’s miles.

She doesn’t see me as she runs toward the gates of her house. I pull my helmet off my head and call her name as she finally comes to a stop. She spins to face me, her face a mask of surprise. Crossing the street, she approaches me on my bike.

“Hudson what are you doing here?”