Page 65 of Safe Place

Sophie’s tough. She’s had to be. She’s survived things most people couldn’t handle, all on her own, without the resources I’ve had handed to me at birth.

She doesn’t have to anymore, though. Not if I can help it. I just wish she’d trust that I’m here to stay.

I run a hand over my face and lean back against the sofa, staring at nothing. It doesn’t help that my dad’s been on my ass lately, circling like a damn hawk. He hasn’t asked me directly about Sophie—yet—but I know it’s coming.

He’s been hovering more than usual, pulling me up to Boston every other day, adding mandatory interviews and meetings to my schedule, testing me—or keeping me too busy to have a personal life. Boston’s only about an hour drive from school, but spending entire days at headquarters makes it harder to see my girl as much as I want to.

I’ve been playing it cool—acting oblivious, not complaining, just following the schedule. No slip-ups, nothing for him to latch onto. No reason to dig. Because I know my dad—Leonard Vale always gets what he wants, and once he decides to pry, there’s no stopping him.

I can’t let him be yet another problem for Sophie.

And to make matters worse, I got a text from Nico this morning. Three words: Release date confirmed.

I haven't told Sophie. I don't know how to tell her—or whether I'm supposed to, given that she doesn't know that I know any of it. But the date is sitting in my chest like a stone, and I've been carrying it through every hour of this day, smiling at her at dinner like everything’s fine.

But it’s not fine. It’s far from it.

EIGHTEEN

It’s tearing me apart

SOPHIE

The TA has barely started handing back our midterm papers, and I already feel like I’m going to crawl out of my skin. My palms are damp. This is my worst class—my average is barely clinging to a low B, and I need to keep it there to hold onto my scholarship.

He stops at my desk and slides my paper over. His sympathetic look is all the warning I need before my stomach sinks.

Seventy two—a C minus.

My heart drops. This grade will absolutely tank my average.

God, what was I thinking? Maybe I shouldn’t have dropped Carter. Shit. My mind spirals faster. I’ve been working too much. Distracted. Spending time with new friends. Having fun for the first time in my life—and it gets me a C minus.

Tears sting my eyes. I blink rapidly, willing them to stay put. Losing this scholarship isn’t an option. I don’t have anything to fall back on.

As soon as class ends, I make myself walk to the front, clutching the paper like my life depends on it.

“Uhm…Professor Walsh?” My voice wavers. “Could I talk to you about my midterm grade?”

He glances up, then takes the paper from me. “Sophie, right? Is there a problem?”

“I just—” I swallow hard. “I was hoping to talk to you about my grade on the paper. I read your comments, and I get it, but…is there anything I can do to bring the grade up?”

He scans the paper, his brow furrowing.

“It looks like you didn’t understand the core concepts,” he says bluntly. “You pieced together sentences, but there’s no depth. Honestly, Sophie, when I read this, I wondered if you’re a good fit for my class.”

My stomach twists. “I am. I promise. I’ll study harder.”

He exhales, crossing his arms. “I’ve been teaching this for a long time. I can tell the difference between someone who has the potential for this stuff versus someone who is just pushing through. You’re going to need to study a lot harder. Memorize harder. It’s only going to get more demanding from here.”

I force myself to meet his eyes. “So…there’s no way to make this grade up?”

“Not for this midterm, no,” he says, his tone matter-of-fact. “But if you’re serious about improving, I might consider some extra credit toward the end of the semester. It won’t erase this, but it could help.”

My eyes drop to the floor. Maybe he’s right. I’m not cut out for this. But I can do this. I have what it takes. I know I do.

“Listen, I’m not saying you’ll fail,” he adds, a little softer. “A C minus is hardly failing. But you need to step it up. Schedule a tutor session with the TA if you need to.”