Page 88 of Molly's Mr. Wrong
“And you won’t risk getting to know what I’m like in a relationship?” He moved closer. “You can always leave later.”
It was too damned hard to leavenow, and they’d barely gotten started. “That isn’t fair to you.”
“It is if I know what I’m getting into.”
Molly tipped up her chin. “You knew it a few days ago and you’re fighting me now.”
“Are you not willing to take a chance because I don’t fit your cookie-cutter description of your perfect guy? The one you mentioned to Elaine? Mr. Boring and Dependable?”
“The one you heard about while eavesdropping.”
He narrowed his beautiful eyes at her. “Yeah. That one. Would you loosen up and take a chance if I were that guy?”
“But you aren’t that guy. You will never be that guy.”
“The problem is you, Molly. You let one bad situation color everything in your whole freaking life. We are good together. We are great together. And guess what? I am dependable. You don’t need a college degree to be dependable. I can show you plenty of guys who do have the paper who aren’t.”
“I’m not some kind of a snob. I just know the characteristics that will work best for me.”
“Invisible and absent?”
Molly mouth hardened. “Those will do for a start.” Her chin dropped for a moment. This wasn’t good. It wasn’t fair. She looked back up at Finn. “I love your company. I love being with you in bed. But it—”
“Has no substance?”
“Damn it, Finn. I’m trying to save us both some heartache.”
He jerked his chin up. “Guess what? It’s too late for me.” His mouth clamped shut and then he muttered, “I can’t believe I just said such a douchey thing.”
“Finn...” The look he gave her stopped her from saying more. Froze the words in her throat. A moment later he was gone, the door closing behind him with a coldclick.
Molly leaned back against her desk, her fingers gripping the edge. What in the hell had she done? Right move? Wrong move?
The only move.
* * *
DEANSTEWARTWASback at work on Tuesday and he invited Molly into his office after her last class of the day. She settled in the hot seat once again, folded her hands in her lap. And waited.
The dean made a show of studying the papers in front of him, although Molly was certain he’d already been over them—probably a couple of times.
“Your marks are high,” he said.
“I told you. I might have erred on the side of optimism.”
“I see from the dates that you’ve given me a progression over time.”
“I wanted you to see that he’s improving.”
“And he has.” The dean leaned back in his chair, tapping a pencil against his lower lip. “But we aren’t in the business of remediation during our normal classes, English Basic Comp being one of those.”
Molly took a deep breath. “I thought I could help him. And we don’t have a remedial English class offered until next semester.” The instructor was on paternity leave and everyone else’s schedules were overloaded.
“We need to adjust this student’s grades.”
“It’s not fair to fail him when he’s come this far.” And she’d just emotionally skewered him less than twenty-four hours ago. She had to stop thinking about that. If he wanted more than she could give, then it was the only thing she could do.
The dean set his pencil down. “I didn’t say fail. But he’s a D student.”
