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My grip on her chin loosens until I can cup the side of her face. A soft sigh escapes from her as she closes her eyes and presses her cheek into the tender touch.
“Tell me everything that happened. I want all the details.”
It takes a handful of minutes for her to get the full story out.
The only thing capable of making me smile is when she tells me about nailing the bastard in the nuts. “Your brother would be proud. You know that?”
Just a hint of a smile plays around the edges of her lips. “Yeah, although I dread telling him about this. He’s going to totally lose it.”
She’s right about that. Brayden will fly off the handle when he finds out about this incident. Thankfully, the dean of the department took Elle seriously and had her fill out an incident report before speaking with someone from the chancellor’s office along with campus police. He told her that Dr. Holloway would be put on immediate administrative leave and, pending the outcome of an investigation, would be fired if any misconduct on his behalf was found. Since another professor will be taking over for the remainder of the semester, she won’t need to transfer out of the section.
“I’m really proud of you,” I say, gently stroking her face.
“For what?” Confusion fills her eyes as she frowns. “Not listening to you when you tried to warn me that the guy had ulterior motives?” She shakes her head. “I feel stupid for believing he was nothing more than a nice guy concerned about my grade.”
“Nope,” I murmur. “I’m proud that you stood up for yourself and didn’t allow that asshole to intimidate you. Instead, you went straight to the dean and told him what was going on.”
Some of the regret and embarrassment swirling in her eyes fades as her expression lightens. “I didn’t want him to take advantage of anyone else.”
I nod. “You’re smarter and braver than you’re giving yourself credit for. Not everyone could have handled the situation the way you did.”
She releases a puff of air before holding up one hand. “It’s been more than two hours and I’m still shaking. It’s all churning in the pit of my belly.”
I tug her closer until she can rest the side of her head against my chest before wrapping my arms around her body. “I’m sorry this happened to you. I wish there were something I could have done to stop it.”
“You did try,” she murmurs, “but I wouldn’t listen.”
I press a kiss against the crown of her head. “You’re not to blame for taking him at face value and wanting to believe his intentions were pure.”
“I feel like an idiot.”
When I pull away, she lifts her head to meet my gaze. “You’re the furthest thing from that. Do you hear me? He’s the one in the wrong, not you. That asshole was given a position of power, and he abused it. That’s unforgivable. My guess is that if the university digs back far enough, they’ll discover this isn’t the first time he’s pulled this crap with a student.”
A mixture of guilt and remorse continue to swirl through her dark depths. I have no idea how long we sit in the cold with her encased in my arms. For the first time since the cabin, I feel whole again. And that has everything to do with this girl.
“I wish it could be different between us,” she whispers against my chest.
“I know.” My grip tightens when I realize that I’ll have to let her go.
She’s no longer mine to hold.
Chapter Forty-Four
Elle
As soon as I step foot over the threshold, Mom tugs me into her arms and holds me close. “I’ve been thinking about you so much, sweetie. I’m glad you decided to come home for dinner. Although, you didn’t have to borrow Madison’s car, I would have been more than happy to pick you up.”
“It’s fine,” I say with a shrug. “Maddie doesn’t mind.”
Honestly, it’s a relief to escape from campus. I need the break, even if it’s just for a few precious hours. The weight of what happened has settled heavily on my shoulders and now feels as if it’s pressing me into the ground. Walking through the front door of my childhood home has the most crushing part of it falling away, giving me the smallest of reprieves.
It’s only been a handful of days since the incident with Dr. Holloway and rumors continue to sweep through campus as to why one of Western’s most beloved professors has disappeared without a word. I’ve heard a bunch of crazy stories but none of them come close to touching the truth. Other than Carson, my brother, Sydney, and Mike, I haven’t told anyone else at school what transpired in his office.
Mike has stopped by my suite several times to make sure I was all right. Honestly, I don’t know what I would do without him. To say he was shocked about what happened with our professor is an understatement. Even though I’m not ready to open up about the situation, he’s been a strong shoulder to lean on. And right now, that’s exactly what I need.
