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“How long are they planning on suspending you? I assume they will wipe this all off your record once they find out it’s not true.”
“It’s partly not true, remember. I knew Connor was cheating, but I didn’t say anything.”
“Exactly.Connorwas cheating. Why are you the one getting in trouble?”
“Because he’s the son of the hockey coach here. They can’t have that coming out because that would be a scandal. It’s much easier to blame me.”
“No. No. That’s not going to happen. You aren’t going to take the fall for an idiot athlete who could pull strings. I’m going to speak to your father and we’re going to come down and discuss this with the Dean ourselves.”
Crushing my eyes shut, I groaned. “No, you’re not mom. Your surgery is in a week, and I’ve already got tickets to come to see you in three days. I wanted it to be a surprise, but I guess this is a little more surprising than I’d hoped.”
She looked down, thinking for a second. “When you get here, we’ll figure out what to do.”
“When I get there, I’ll take care of you. I’ll figure something out, even if I have to transfer schools and start again. I’ll get a job, so you won’t have to pay for any more of my education. I should be able to carry over my credits since I didn’t technically cheat, but I won’t get the extra credit for all those tutoring hours, which was a lot.”
“Don’t think like that. Let’s see the outcome before we make any rash decisions.”
I wanted to laugh because it was so typical of my mom to focus on me instead of what’s going on in her life. I hated that I needed her when this was the first time, she ever needed me.
“Honey, don’t cry.”
I didn’t even realize I was. I swiped away the tears, sniffling to make it sound like I wasn’t halfway to breaking point. Was this what having friends and being social got me? “I should pack, mom.”
“Please call Tanner or Thea. I don’t want you to be alone tonight.”
I nodded, already knowing I wasn’t going to take her advice, because if I confronted them, it would just be another set of people to disappoint.
I felt broken, and usually, I could pull myself together and fix any of my issues. This was the first time that wasn’t even a possibility because the outcome depended entirely on external circumstances.
“I love you, mom.”
“I love you, too.”
Chapter 21
Tanner:Why are you ignoring my calls, Teach? Can we talk?
I stared at my phone in confusion. Where was she? It had been over an hour and Aster had never been this late for a tutoring session. The blue read ticks were coming up like clockwork, but Aster had yet to reply to any of the ten messages I'd sent her. She'd been ignoring me all morning, and I had no idea why.
Placing the phone next to me on the table, I threw open one of my textbooks because if Aster wasn't here; I was going to impress her by reciting the next topic for my economics class. She wouldn’t have expected me to get that far. A small smile brushed across my lips as I thought about the last time I got all the questions right, and how good she tasted.
It wasn’t just about the sex with her. Something we solidified by both admitting how much we loved each other the other night. I’d never said that to another girl, but with Aster, it felt right. It always feels right with her. It was because she was perfect, and I was able to freely admit that to myself now. Everything about her fit what I wanted. Her self-deprecating sense of humor, her laugh, her smarts. The fact that she could bust my balls at any moment, and I was here for it. All day. Every day.
My concentration was a little lax today because something about the library felt different. The place was quieter than usual, with only the occasional sharp whisper breaking through.
“I know. I can’t believe it.” It was the loudest voice I’d heard all day, and when I looked up to see Alex and Hazel, two of Aster’s other students, my ears pricked in interest.
“What are we supposed to do?” Alex looked down at her despondently, his voice gritty with annoyance. I wasn’t usually one for gossip, having seen how firsthand it could ruin someone’s life with Adam’s girlfriend Hayden, but they were talking so loudly in a quiet setting that it was hard to ignore.
“I don’t know.” Hazel raised her hands, exasperated.
“Will people even believe us if we tell them our side of the story?” And just like that, I had to stop, because now it was sounding personal.
Dropping my head, I put my airbuds in and drowned out the noise with some concentration music that Aster recommended for me.
I got through the chapter and another couple of theories, only occasionally getting distracted by my phone, hoping Aster had finally responded. I wasn't normally this desperate, but apparently, when it came to Aster, I was like a long-lost puppy.
I quickly pulled my airbuds out when I felt someone tapping on my shoulder, fully expecting to see Aster’s apologetic face when I looked up. Too bad it was the gruff face of a hockey player instead.
