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By the time I park and run to his office, my clothes are plastered to my skin, my hair is stuck to my forehead and there’s a chill running down my spine.
When I knock on the door to his office, Dr. Thornton appears, eyes widening as he takes in my disheveled state.
“Sorry! Didn’t know where else to go,” I say, practically breathless. “Don’t know anyone else around here and …”
“Oh jeez, come in.” Dr. Thornton urges me into his office, taking off his jacket and wrapping it around my shoulders. “You look like a drowned cat, take some tissues.”
As I wipe my face, I struggle to resist the tears that threaten to leak out. “I’m sorry,” I say again, voice soft. “You were the only person I could think of.”
Dr. Thornton guides me to his couch. “It’s fine. Can you tell me what happened?”
Sinking onto the worn, plaid couch, I shake, feeling the tears come finally. “I was … kicked out of where I was staying. I didn’t know where to go, so I came here.”
“You poor thing.” Dr. Thornton shakes his head. “Do you have anywhere to go?”
I shake my head and he frowns. “That’s terrible. My house is nearby, if you need somewhere to go.”
My eyes widen. “I can’t put you out like that,” I tell him, waving my hands.
“Nonsense. You won’t be putting me out. I inherited a large manor home some years ago, it’s so large that it feels like I’m rattling around in there sometimes.”
“Are you sure?” I ask, twisting my fingers together, hope blooming in my chest.
“I often have visiting students or faculty stay at the manor,” he explains. “There’s six bedrooms, so there’s plenty of space. You may not even see me when you’re there,” he adds, winking.
My eyes sting. “Thank you so much. I just need a few days to sort things out, then I can find somewhere else to go.”
Besides, after what happened, things are probably over between me and the Ravenwoods anyway.
“Stay as long as you need,” Dr. Thornton insists. “You’d be doing me a favor because then I’d get quicker updates on our research.”
He chuckles and I crack a smile, the first one all day. “I have a little more paperwork to do for today, but here’s a spare key,” he says, opening a drawer. “Go ahead and go over there now. You can let yourself in and clean up and I’ll be there as soon as I’m done.”
“Thank you so much, Dr. Thornton,” I tell him. “Thank you.”
“Call me Rich,” he insists.
“Rich,” I repeat his name. “Thank you.”
“See you soon, Sienna.”
I leave, plugging his address into my GPS—surprised that he lives just a few minutes from campus.
When I arrive, I gasp, taken aback by the size of the place. It really is a manor house, complete with ivy growing on the walls and a driveway the Crawley family would be jealous of.
Heading inside, I take the stairs up to the third floor, where the guest rooms are. Selecting one near the end of the hall, I step inside, grateful the room has an en suite. I need a shower after being soaked by the rain.
It feels good to get out of my wet clothes and get warm again, though I realize I’ve got nothing to wear once I’m done. Bastian kicked me out with nothing but the clothes on my back.
I groan, sitting on the edge of the bed in my towel. Just then a text message comes in.
Hey Sienna, I just realized you may not have anything to change into. I keep spare clothes in the dresser so feel free to grab something. I’ll be heading out in the next fifteen minutes.
Once I’m dressed, and I’ve blow-dried my hair with a borrowed dryer, I head back down the grand staircase just as Dr.Thornton walks through the tall, double doors of the entryway, shaking rain off his black umbrella.
“Oh, good, you found some clothes. You can throw your stuff in the wash if you want. It’s behind the kitchen, just that way,” he says, pointing to the left. “Let me take you on a tour actually, so you know where everything is.”
I follow him as he starts showing off the well-curated manor home, then leads me back downstairs, bringing me into a cozy-looking living room with overstuffed armchairs, deep couches, and a stone fireplace.
