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She props herself up on one arm and looks at me. “You’re always pushing me away for whatever stupid reason you come up with. You shouldn’t get to make that decision for me, especially when I apparently have no choice when the situation is reversed. What’s your excuse for yesterday when you didn’t text me until you wanted me to come over? Apology not accepted, Trace.”
I cup her face in my hands, feeling more guilt than I did before. “I told you this was an adjustment for me,” I start, but she interrupts me.
“It’s been nearly four months!” Tears well in her eyes again. Her voice is softer as she says, “I need you too much for you to make dumb decisions that affect us both.”
“I know it was; that’s why I texted you yesterday and came to find you today. I won’t do it again, I promise.”
She nods just as my phone rings from its place on the nightstand. I pick it up and frown when I see it’s coming from the university.
“Hello?” I answer.
“Mr. Lexington, it’s Mr. Hanifin. We’ve had an important, urgent issue arise, and I need you to come back in.”
My blood runs cold. What the hell? “Uh, okay. Could you tell me what’s happened?”
“I think it’s best if we wait to discuss it until you’re here.”
“Okay. I can be there shortly.”
“Great. Come straight to my office.”
“Yes, sir.”
He hangs up, and I stare at my phone for a moment. This can’t be good. What boss calls you after hours to tell you that you must return to work?
“I gotta go,” I mutter as I get out of bed.
“Why? Who was that?”
“My boss; he said something important and urgent has come up and I have to go see him.”
Brittany pales, watching me change into the clothes I wore to work today. “Do you think,” she starts, struggling to say what’s on both of our minds. Is it because I was sneaking into her dorm?
“I don’t know. He wouldn’t say.”
“Do you want me to stay here and wait for you?”
“Yeah. Stay. I might need you when I get back.”
She nods. I walk to where she is, lean over, and give her a quick kiss. “It’ll be okay,” she tells me.
“We’ll see.”
With that, I leave for campus. My stomach is in knots, my leg is bouncing, and I force myself to grip the steering wheel with two hands to keep from using one to grip my neck. If this is about sneaking into Britt’s dorm, what are they going to do to me? Fire me? Suspend me? What? This could ruin my career.
The door to Mr. Hanifin’s office is open when I arrive. I knock on the door frame, and he waves me in, a grim look on his face. I shut the door behind me.
“Have a seat, Trace.” I do. “Prior to us hiring you, you informed us of your relationship with one of our students. We appreciated your up-front honesty, hired you, and instructed you to keep the relationship off-campus. Tonight, we had a student report that you were seen in one of the residence halls, entering the dorm with a student, who isn’t your girlfriend. Before this goes further, we want to know what happened.”
Fucking hell. I clear my throat. “My girlfriend is that student’s roommate. She had been ignoring me and her roommate informed me that she skipped classes today. With her mental health issues, I wanted to check on her. That’s why she took me to their room. That’s it. I’m sorry for breaking the rules, but I was concerned about her.” Who would have reported me, though? “Could you tell me who the student was who saw me?”
“For the student’s sake, we can not. We need to handle the matter swiftly and carefully because the student was really upset.”
That’s when it hits me. “I’ve been careful to avoid hanging out with Brittany when her roommate’s boyfriend is around because her boyfriend has come in here to see me before. Brittany and her roommate don’t know that, though. If he was the one who saw me, then I know he would be furious because of what he talks about when he sees me. This is all one misunderstanding. I don’t have a relationship with another student.”
“Regardless, you still broke the rules.”
I grip my neck. “So, what’s going to happen?”
