He nodded finally. “It’s something I should handle on my own anyway. Something I should have handled a long time ago.”
“Thank you.”
He pressed a kiss to my forehead. “I’m sorry. It isn’t worth shit, but I am sorry.”
“Me too. We’ll talk later.”
I got into the car and drove home, my mind too tangled to touch whatwewere. That would have to wait. I had to gather every bit of strength I had, because this wasn’t just for me. From the start,something about Langford had felt wrong. Now I knew why. I wasn’t the first he’d tried this with—not by a long shot. Other girls had come before, and even if I failed, I had to stop him, so no one else would come after.
At home, my mother was asleep on the couch. Good. I didn’t have any energy to deal with her. I bundled my dress and coat in a garbage bag and threw them away. Then I showered and got dressed in black pants, a black sweater, and my motorcycle boots, and headed back to school, to the administrative offices.
At President Sterling’s office, his secretary looked up from her desk. “Can I help you, dear?”
“I need to speak with Dr. Sterling.”
“Do you have an appointment?”
“No, but it’s extremely urgent.”
“You can’t see him without—”
“Professor Langford sexually assaulted me last night.”
The secretary’s face went white. Without taking her eyes off me, she pressed a button on her phone. “There’s a student to see you, Dr. Sterling.”
***
“These are quite serious accusations, young lady,” Dr. Sterling said ten minutes later, after I’d told him everything. “Professor Langford is a popular teacher with a stellar reputation. You’re quite certain this is what occurred?”
“Yes,” I said through gritted teeth, cheeks burning with humiliation. “I’mquite certain.”
Dr. Sterling rubbed his angular jaw. “The NoSci award ceremony is tomorrow afternoon. Press is here. Parents. University representatives. The timing is…unfortunate.”
“My apologies for the inconvenience.”
He frowned. “The appropriate thing to do is allow Professor Langford the opportunity to tell his side of the story tomorrowmorning, prior to the ceremony. I would like to see both of you here at nine a.m.”
What was left of the blood in my face drained out. “You’re going to make me sit in the same room with him?”
“Young lady—”
“My name is Harper Bennett.”
“Miss Bennett. This is a very serious accusation. I must hear his side of things. And if what you say is true, then your story should be able to stand up to scrutiny.”
“Or I could just go to the police. I came to you first because I thought…” I swallowed hard. “I thought you’d do that for me.”
Sterling’s expression softened, and he leaned forward. “What you’ve described is serious, Harper. I want you to know I know that. It took great courage for you to come here.”
My throat burned. I nodded.
“But if we involve law enforcement right now,” he continued, “this matter leaves the school’s hands immediately. It becomes public. Parents, press, lawyers. Things like this tend to move fast, and not always carefully. Orquietly.”
Parents. He meant Orion’s parents. It was all over his face.
He sat back in his chair. “We’ll open a formal inquiry and document in writing everything you’ve told me.”
“And then?”
