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“I agree with you,” he said, nudging the page with Ramsey and me forward. “Both in principle and in practice; however, this isn’t so much about what they wrote as what is depicted in this photograph.”
Glancing at the photo briefly, I kept my business face locked on. Neutral and don’t commit to anything without verification. So many people thought pushing us around ‘cause we were kids when we got started was the way to go, except Mom actually gave me the best advice.
Never walk in like you owe anyone anything. They want you there, so make them earn it.
Right now, the dean wanted answers from me. He’d have to earn them. “All right.”
He sighed, then leaned back as he adopted a more sympathetic look. “Miss Crosse, I’m aware that this is probably not the most comfortable of topics, but Mr. Malone is a TA on this campus. He’s actually the TA in two of your classes, and he was for one class last year.”
The urge to snark at him was right there, but I resisted it…narrowly, ‘causeno shit.
“You are a student on this campus and, until a few days ago, underage. It would be highly inappropriate for Mr. Malone to pursueanyrelationship with you beyond that of being a teacher’s assistant and, I believe, your tutor for some time.”
“He was an excellent tutor.” Even when he was a fucking dick about it. “He really came through for me last year, pushed me to be better, and challenged what I knew. I didn’t really care for it too much in the beginning, however, I think I genuinely benefitted from his help.”
A sentiment, I had, in fact,triedto tell Captain Douchebag, except he didn’t listen.Or maybe he did, but whatever, I forgot what an entitled little bitch I can be.
“I’m very glad to hear this…the concern about this involvement…” He tapped the photograph. “I need to know if he’s kissed you before and what happened around this kiss.”
Captain Douchebag was in trouble. The too-serious looks on the pair standing here made that clear. “Can you offer me some assurances that nothing I say here will be repeated?”
Surprise stamped its way across his features. “We would never…”
I raised a hand. “Forgive me, but the number of people who have assured me they would never say anything to the press then promptly reported my grades when I was in elementary school have taught me to be wary. You are both bound by a nondisclosure agreement with the school.”
He sat back abruptly. “Of course.”
“Then let’s discuss language with you and the lawyer over there.” Because now I knew who he was. Of course, an attorney would be sitting in on this. “Whether or not it covers anything regarding incidents such as this and questioning.”
“It does,” the lawyer said as he straightened. “It is why I’m here, to ascertain that everything is followed to the letter. Your statement, in full, will not be presented to anyone beyond myself and the dean. We will in turn answer any questions the board asks, but without any details. Your privacy will remain intact.”
“And if it doesn’t, I can sue you?” Going straight for legal remedies wasn’t always smart, but I wanted the lawyer and I to be on the same page. I had my own lawyers, and it would be wise for them to remember that.
My cramps were increasing, and it was definitely souring my mood further. No matter what else happened today, I needed tacos, a heating pad, and some serious chocolate and caffeine.
“While I would prefer that it doesn’t come down to that, I can assure you, I will say nothing. If you prefer, I can step out then it will only be you and Dean Mayfair. That said, I would prefer to be present because it allows us to provide a united front to the board.”
“Fine,” I said, crossing one leg over the other before I sighed. “Question number one, is that the only time he kissed me?”
“Yes.” The dean actually looked nervous.
“Not quite, because he didn’t kiss me. I kissed him.”
The dean blinked.
“He saved my life and my guitars the night of the fire. He got me out when I collapsed. He saved my grades last year…he’s not horrible on the eyes. I may have developed… an inappropriate attachment and expressed it.” I didn’t have to worry about manufacturing a blush, because my face heated just thinking about how truly accurate the crush had been.
Could still be, save for so many factors, including Mr. Ninja Kiss and Hot Shot.
Clearing my throat, I shifted in the chair. “The point is, I kissed him, he pushed me away. Said I needed to be more focused on school and not on dating.” Not quite a lie, definitely not the truth. “He told me that I might be a rock star out there, but here, I was nothing. A student and absolutely nothing more.”
The dean frowned. “He called you nothing?”
“I suppose when it comes to letting someone down, there aren’t gentle ways. He may not have phrased it as that specifically…” He so fucking did. “But the message was clear.”
“If you kissed him and haven’t before…how did someone snap a picture of it?”
“I don’t know. Ask the Tattler or whoever published it. There have been a number of videos and photographs of me published since I’ve been on campus. Everyone has a cell phone.” It was the cost of doing business.
