Page 75 of Loved

I laughed. "I guess you're rubbing off on me."

My phone started buzzing in my pocket.God, what now?I kissed Penny’s forehead before pulling my phone out of my pocket. "It's Rob,” I said. “He's here early." When was he ever early? I figured he’d come on Sunday even though he said he was coming tonight. This couldn’t be worse timing.

"We should probably go then,” Penny said.

"Are you sure you're okay? Are you surewe'reokay? I thought you might be mad at me.”

She just stared at me.

“I can't believe I gave them the fuel they needed for the investigation. I never even thought about them searching my office. I can't believe how careless I was."

"Wait, what? What are you talking about?"

I lowered my eyebrows. "Joe didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"About the paper with the bad grade on it that I gave you? The one that you crumpled up and threw at me in myoffice. I kept it. It was in my desk. With the cute note you left me after we had sex."

"Oh." The recollection flashed across her face. "Why did you keep that?"

"I just...I didn't want to forget. I thought it was just going to be a one time thing. And it killed me that it had to be a one time thing. I thought it was the only thing I could hold on to."

She looked up into my eyes. "That's so sweet."

"And stupid."

"No, it's sweet. Wait, didn't they need a search warrant to go into your office?"

"I would have thought so too. But the university gave them permission. My office at the school is technically their property."

"So that's how the detectives knew?"

"I think it was easy to figure out what happened after seeing those two pieces of paper. Especially since the white out on the paper with your grade on it wasn't even well done.” I frowned. “And if they did a black light test..."

"That's embarrassing."

I laughed. "Yeah, it is. But it all makes sense now. I think I know what happened with the other girls too. Did the detectives promise you anything if you cooperated with them?" I already knew the answer to that. Because I’d watched the whole thing. I still needed to tell Penny about the security cameras…

"Yes, they did. They said they could get my scholarship back."

"I think the detectives did something similar with the girls they interviewed. I think they told the girls they would get As in the class if they agreed with their story. I'm not sure if the detectives knew about the school's policy or not, or maybe they were just bluffing. But I think theypressured those girls into agreeing with the story that they told them. A story they inferred from your grade and the note you left in my office. All those girls had to do was say yes.”

"That makes sense. The detectives told me what had happened with the other girls and were just trying to pressure me into agreeing it was the same way you seduced me. Those assholes. We have to tell the dean."

"I already told Joe that. He just wants this to disappear, Penny. And so do I. I don't want you to keep having days like this. I want it to get better, not worse."

"Are you sure we shouldn't..."

"I'm sure."

"I'm not mad at you for saving the note I left you. It's ridiculous that you think I'd be mad about that." She smiled up at me.

"So we're okay?"

"Yes." She kissed me and slid off the bed. "I love you so much, Professor Hunter."

God, I loved when she said my name like that.

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