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I stare at the notice from three days ago. And then my eyes shift to the notice of her transferring out of my class.
She used Dorian’s medical conditions as the reason, and from what I’ve gathered, it also looks like she opted to finish the semester online.
It’s all my fault.
Guilt swims around in my chest, but it’s more than that. It’s the fact that Imissher. I miss her walking into my office every morning. I miss the way she hums to herself while she grades papers. I miss the way we chatted throughout the entire day.
Now my office is quiet, and while I was able to distance myself from everything while I cared for Connor, it was temporary relief.
And now I have to deal with it all.
The thought makes me feel like I’m drowning, and this is the first heartbreak I’ve felt in a really long time. It’s not that I didn’tgrieve my marriage with Madeline, either. But honestly, by the time it was over, my feelings for her were dead and gone.
But with Melody, it’s completely different.
I’m fairly certain it was just bad timing.
Iknowhad we met at any other time in our lives, she would’ve been the right person for me. It sounds insane to say such a thing, but it’s the truth.
I just wish it had worked out.
Maybe I should apologize to her.
The thought has been hanging over my head, but I know that the apology will do nothing if I don’t have a solution to the problems at hand.
I fully intend to cover Dorian’s procedure that he needs done, and I hope that maybe she’ll still let me help her out.
But that’s not enough.
I don’t want to just help her out. I want to give her a home and smother her with love. I want her to follow her dreams of opening a bakery and ensure that she never has to wonder if she can afford the next bill. And because of that, I wish I hadn’t fucked all this up. If I could’ve just waited until she graduated before engaging with her, things would’ve been different.
A knock on my office door draws me out of my head, and I glance up to see Dr. Lewis stepping in. He closes the door behind himself, and I know that move, in and of itself, says a lot. I know what he’s here to do.
He’s here to talk about Melody, about why she’s resigned and basically running.
And I intend to tell him the truth. About everything.
I spent my time with Connor over the last few days, and it provided a lot of clarity. I might love this job, but I’ll never risk my relationship with him for this.
“Aiden,” he greets me, his voice less than pleasant. “Are you busy for the next hour or so?”
I shake my head. “Not at all. Have a seat.” I gesture to the chair, and he obliges, letting out a sharp sigh as he crosses his leg over the other.
“So, Shelly told me that Connor has been sick.”
Oh boy. This is going to be rough.
I nod, doing my best to ignore the cryptic expression on Dr. Lewis’s face. “He’s had the stomach flu. He ran a fever for about forty-eight hours and then was sick off and on. I kept him home one extra day just to ensure that he was better.”
“Smart thing to do,” he muses. “I know that when my youngest caught the stomach flu, she was down for about that same amount of time.”
“It can be rough on them. I’m just lucky I didn’t catch it. I spent most of the time in his room with him.”
“Might have to keep my distance from you, then.” He chuckles, though there’s not much humor in it.
I know he’s angry with me, or at least frustrated. It’s hard to know which it is or if that even matters. He clears his throat. “So... I have to know. Why did your TA jet off all of the sudden?”
I grimace, my fears confirmed.
