Page 128 of The Odds of Happily Ever After
To my surprise, he didn’t press, only nodded. “I understand. Look, I know Nora probably asked this already, but just in case—are you sure about resigning? Miss Reyes wasn’t your student, and she’s graduating next year. It shouldn’t be an issue.”
“I’m sure. Whatever happens with me and Luna, it’s time.” I flattened my palms on the armrest.
Max gave a dramatic sigh. “You couldn’t wait until the semester was over? You had to dump more work on me?” His smirk told me he didn’t mind as much as his words made it sound.
“I wasn’t planning on it, but with the rumors, it seemed best for everyone involved.”
“Except me.”
“I’ll stock you up on enough beer to get you through finals week.”
He snorted. “That’ll do . . . to start. Damn. I still can’t believe it.”
“It hasn’t fully sunk in either.”
“It’s the end of the Professor Hottie era,” Max said.
A full-on shudder traveled through my body, and it set Max’s laughter off.
“That’s what Paul knows you as, by the way,” he told me helpfully.
I was never living that down, even after I left campus. “Forget my number, Thorpe.”
Still chortling, he said, “It’s just too good.”
As I waited for him to compose himself, I wondered how Luna’s shift was going. Tala’s experiences with the social media rumor mill came back to me, spiking my worries over Luna. Neither of us warranted that much attention, but who knew what college gossips were capable of?
“Okay, okay.” Max pulled himself together, running a palm down his chest. “How do you want me to respond if anyone asks about you leaving?”
“Just say that I have other priorities.” They could read what they wanted into it. They could run my name to the ground, for all I cared. As long as they steered clear of Luna’s.
“So since you’re retiring from academia, can I schedule that double date now?”
luna
My nerves seemedto stretch tighter with every person who came into the store. Anytime someone looked at me weirdly, I wondered whether they’d heard about me and Gabe, and that set off another wave of stressing over the possibility of him losing his job.
Closing time couldn’t come soon enough. The minute I’d switched over the sign on the door, I yanked out my phone and checked my messages.
From my group chat with Kriz and Chloe?—
Kriz
Lulu, don’t freak but people are talking about Gabe. Apparently someone stole a pic of him at the club?? But there’s nothing of you two so no need to worry!!
Chloe
What are they gonna do, fire the man for having a social life?
From Kai?—
Kai
I’m sorry about earlier. I shouldn’t have gone off at you like that.
Even my brother threw something into the mix?—
Lonzo
