Page 125 of The Odds of Happily Ever After
Nora had always been blunt but fair, so I decided to trust her with the truth. “To be transparent, I wanted to be there for her because she’s important to me.”
She stared at me wide-eyed, momentarily at a loss for words. “Important to you,” she repeated after a few minutes, emphasizing each syllable as though to confirm the subtext she’d deduced.
I nodded.
“Well, then. I suppose you’ve made up your mind.”
“Yes. I intended to finish this semester of teaching, but given the news . . . I think it would be better for me to resign immediately.”
This time, Nora’s sigh came heavier. “Technically, you being in a relationship with a student whom you have not or will not be instructing isn’t against the rules.”
“Yes, but there’s no controlling public perception. I don’t want to cast doubt on her or the college. And frankly, I wouldn’t want to hide a relationship with her.”
“Well, shit.”
I blinked at her unexpected reaction.
“I always wished you would soften up. I just never thought you would leave the school in the process. It goes without saying that it will be a big loss for our department.”
My throat thickened.
“But it seems like you found something more important to you than numbers. I’m happy for you.”
“Thank you, Nora.” I cleared my throat. “Will the rumors have a negative impact on her academic standing? She’s here on scholarship, and I don’t want to put that at risk.”
“In cases like this, it’s usually the professor who takes the brunt of the blame—unless, of course, the student is accused of stalking or the like. That would be a completely different scenario. I assume that doesn’t apply here.”
“Not at all.”
“Then no, I don’t foresee it affecting the status of her scholarship. However, it’s a small campus and student mightgossip about her, especially since you are . . .” Nora waved a hand at me. “You.”
“I see.” Not for the first time, I wished I could have flown under the radar at school.
“Tell her to report any cases of bullying or harassment, though I hope it won’t come to that.”
So did I. I could take the criticisms people might have of me, but not of Luna. “I will. In the meantime, let me know what you’ll need from me. I’ll do my best to help with the reassignments and anything else.”
“Does Max know?”
I shook my head. “I wanted to talk with you first.”
“I appreciate that. He, however, will not appreciate having to take on your class load.”
“I’ll get him his favorite beer.”
Nora laughed. “We’ll miss you, Gabriel, though I expect we’ll see you from time to time. I’m sure the college population will miss their most eligible bachelor.”
Now that was a title I would happily relinquish.
I left Nora’s office in a state of stunned disbelief at my own actions. I had just said goodbye to the career I had worked on for so long and the place I’d gotten my sense of identity and achievement. I did what I hated doing—I quit without accomplishing my goal. Still, the world kept turning and, more than that, the future looked more promising than it ever had. I just needed to ensure Luna wouldn’t get caught in the crossfire.
luna
After back-to-backclasses culminating in a pop quiz, I hurried into the campus store stressed and out of breath. There had to be a sadistic side to any professor who chose to surprise students with a quiz on a Monday, of all days. I should ask Gabe if he’d ever done that.
My lips turned up at the thought of seeing him tonight. At least I could look forward to that at the end of this hectic day. Even though it hadn’t been twenty-four hours since we said goodbye, I missed him already.
“Hey,” I greeted Kai as he glanced up from the cash register.
