Page 95 of The Summer I First Saw You
“So, if we’re in agreement, why the fuck would you file a complaint?” he asks. “I seriously doubt they’re even going to let me come back. My fiancée left me over this bullshit! Do you not care about that at all?”
I fold my arms across my chest and tuck my shaking hands beneath each elbow to control the motion. “Christian, did she leave you because I told, or did she leave you because you cheated?”
“They’re the same thing.”
“They’re really not.” I’m proud of the steel in my voice. Someone listening in might not realize I’m absolutely shittingmyself here. “One of us lied to two different women—one of whom he had a great deal of power over—and cheated onbothof them. That was you. One of us simply came forward and told the truth. Spin it however you want, but you’re never going to convince me that I’m the guilty party.”
“You stupid little bitch,” he says. “I should have known you were too fucking dumb for an adult relationship.”
I’ve heard enough. He’s lashing out because yes, he’s unlikely to get rehired, and his books don’t sell enough to support him, and his fiancée left. But I didn’t make those choices—he did.
I pull out my phone. “You need to leave.Now.”
“Or what, Daisy? You’ll tell on me? You’ll ruin my career? You’ll destroy my relationship? You already did all of that.”
“I’ll call my lawyer,” I reply, my voice trembling. “He wanted me to sue for damages. And the first thing he’ll do is tell me to call the cops, which will then become part of the university’s record. Is that what you’d like?”
“Are you serious right now?” Christian shouts. “I’m not threatening you! I just wanted to have a conversation.”
“You had your conversation, asshole,” I reply. “Now start walking or I call.”
“Fucking bitch,” he mutters as he walks away. If the incident wasn’t so upsetting, I’d probably love that I got to see him suffering his comeuppance firsthand.
I wait until he’s gone before I turn toward the building. I’m so shaken that my hands won’t work right, that my arms are barely capable of opening the door or hitting the elevator button.
I walk straight to the couch, unable to eat. And just as I stretch out, my phone buzzes.
Harrison is calling over video. I don’t want him to see me the way I currently am, but he’ll worry if I don’t answer.
“Hey, hon,” he says, crossing his office to shut the door,tugging at his tie. “Is this a good time? You said you had a break between…wait, what’s wrong?”
I force a smile. “Nothing.”
I search for a joke I can make, a question I can ask.
But I burst into tears instead. “Christian was waiting outside when I walked up to the building. I don’t even know why I’m crying. It just freaked me out.”
“Call the cops, Daisy,” he hisses.
I shake my head, brushing the tears away. “He wasn’t threatening me. He just wanted to talk.”
“He’s under investigation in a case you brought forward, and showing up at your home is blatant intimidation. You need it documented.”
I press a hand to my face, wishing I hadn’t told him. Is he right? Undoubtedly. But it’s all too much right now. With the course load I’m taking and the current living situation, it’s just too much. And I’d planned to study late at the library but I’m going to be too scared to walk back alone in the dark after what happened. “Harrison, I see your point. I do. But I’ve got three more classes today and a ton of reading for tomorrow, and there just isn’t even time right now, okay? I threatened to call my lawyer, so he walked away. I don’t have time today. I really don’t.” I burst into tears again. What’s really getting to me is being here, away from all the things I love. Mostly, it’s being away from him.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I’m just exhausted. Not having my own room is a mess and I don’t know how I’m going to study and…” I swallow to keep myself from saying “I miss you.”
His jaw grinds. He’s going to argue, and I’ll end up missing all my classes while I talk to the police.
He runs a hand over his weary face. “Okay.”
I’m so surprised that I laugh, though it comes as a sob. “Wow, that was incredibly easy.”
“I’m still going to push you on this, but we’ll discuss it later,okay?” he says, his voice gentle. “Right now, you need to eat something and get back to class.”
“I find it suspicious that you’ve suddenly become so reasonable.”
“Don’t get used to it. I’m only being reasonable because I want you home by December,” he replies. “Go eat. I’ll talk to you tonight.”
