AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Part of my deal with Mason U had been to negotiate housing since I didn’t intend to stay here long, and I really didn’t want to pay rent on top of a mortgage.
I’d expected some cheap apartment near campus.
Instead, they’d put me in temporary faculty housing, which was a rather posh two-bedroom space near the top floor of a residential building a few blocks away from the university.
Jax’s reaction to it had been priceless, the asshole poking fun at my success. He’d meant well. It’d been just a natural ribbing that I’d returned when he’d told me about his promotion at work.
We’d certainly come a long way in the last decade.
I missed hanging out with him on the regular, something living here these last few weeks had proved. I’d made numerous friends in New York City, but none of them were Jax.
And none of the women are Jenica, either, I thought, tossing the drink into the back of my throat again. It burned, but I swallowed it, my mood souring at the thought of her one-word reply.
Yeah, that’s not going to work for me.
I’d spent too much time on her critique for her to just ignore me.
I returned to my computer—which I’d left on my dining room table—and shot her another note. Come see me after class on Monday.
Then I drummed my fingers, waiting for her reply.
She didn’t send one.
I checked again the next day.
Nothing.
And the day after that.
Also nothing.
She didn’t reply all damn week.
Jax distracted me from it over the weekend, demanding that I head out to a new club with him. But I wasn’t feeling the company, my skin itching the whole damn time. Mostly because women kept touching me and I wanted my space. So I left early, giving him the opportunity to entertain on his own.
If he’d found it weird, he hadn’t said anything.
By Monday, she still hadn’t acknowledged my request—which had quickly morphed into a demand. I shot her another message before class.
Miss Roberts,
I’ll be waiting for you in my office at eight.
Best,
Pierce
I knew the email would arrive on her phone. Yet she still didn’t reply.
Then she showed up to class with Carver again, and I nearly lost my shit. Because he had his arm around her like he owned her.
She laughed at whatever he said, the sound genuine.
What do you even see in this guy? I wanted to ask her.
But a better question followed: Why do I care?
Because it was my job to protect her.
