Page 4 of Frozen Hearts
Challenging may as well be my middle name. I welcome the gauntlet he doesn’t realize he’s throwing down. I’m not here for an easy ride. I might not have grand goals of winning a Pulitzer or the Nobel Prize, but I do intend to find the right career path for me. I’m not afraid of hard work. I won’t be put off by a challenging workload.
When you claw your way out of the bowels of Hell, no challenge is too great. You can achieve absolutely anything with an inflexible resolve and a resolute mindset.
“Mmhmmm.”
Although, I’m guessing Dr. Whitaker doesn’t agree.
“And if you fail?” he asks casually, closing my file and leaning back in his chair as he stares at me.
“F-fail?” I question. I have no intention of failing. I’ve come too far. There is too much on the line for me to fail now. I might not know yet what I want to do with my life, but I will notfailat whatever I choose.
“Yes. What if you can’t hack it?”
“Iwillhack it.”
My conviction is met with a heavy silence, the weight of his gaze boring into me until I feel about an inch tall.
“Your file shows that you are older than our typical freshmen.”
Jeez, he makes it sound as though I’m in my forties, not twenty. I’m two years older than the rest of the cohort. It’s hardly a significant age gap. “That’s right,” I say politely.
“And yet, with those extra two years, you haven’t figured out what you want out of life,” he snidely remarks.
My teeth grate. I knowexactlywhat I want out of life; I just haven’t determined the best major to declare in order to achieve everything I want. There’s a difference,asshole.
I don’t respond, because I’m fairly certain if I open my mouth, he won’t appreciate what I have to say.
Eventually, he sighs, placing his hands on top of my file and linking his fingers together before he meets my gaze. “Miss James, given your circumstances, I would be remiss if I did not advise you to choose less lofty goals.”
“I’m sorry, my circumstances?” I can feel my palms sweating as nerves wrack my body.
“Your status as a scholarship student.”
Oh,that.I let out a silent breath of relief.
“The careers you mentioned all involve extra years of studying beyond an undergraduate degree. Postgraduate degrees are competitive and only the best candidates are awarded scholarships. Given your situation, it would be wise to consider careers that only require an undergraduate degree.”
He says it as if simply having an undergraduate degree is something to be sniffed at. Something only us poor commoners should settle for. The arrogant asshat probably has more letters after his name than there is space on a page.
“As you’ll be able to see from my files, I have above a 4.0 GPA—”
“Yes, yes, I see that.” He waves dismissively. “However, the academic rigor at Halston is of a much greater standard than what you are accustomed to. Frankly, I’m surprised the school even accepted you with your basic education. Competition must have been lacking for scholarship positions this year,” he sneers. “A year of online courses, followed by two more years at Breakthrough Academy.” He shakes his head. “Delightful.”
“My—” He holds up a hand, silencing any further argument.
“Let’s see how you get on this semester, and if you are not failing out, then we can reassess.”
Jeez, that’s a positive pep talk. There’s no point in arguing with him, so I nod my head in agreement, and once we set a date for the next meeting, I head out.
As I’m walking out of the admin building, I’m so busy looking at my map, trying to locate the dining hall so I can get my coffee fix after that tremendously horrendous meeting, that I manage to run right into someone.
“Oh my God, I’m so sorry,” I blurt as something clatters to the ground and a strong arm wraps around my waist, pulling me against a hard chest. I’m forced to crane my neck back to stare up at the tall, broad, dark-haired man in front of me. Tattoos peek out from the collar of his black T-shirt, swirling designs of black ink that form indiscernible patterns before dipping back beneath the fabric, which is stretched across a solid chest.
Lifting my eyes higher, they clash with icy baby blues, two iridescent pools that instantly hold me captive and pull me in as I gape dumbly up at him. He’s gorgeous. Incredibly so.
He takes a second to look me over, his eyes slowly cascading over my skin and turning my insides to mush, even as my body tenses, expecting the same reaction I’ve gotten from everyone else today—disdain. Instead, his eyes heat with a molten intensity that has me melting into his touch.
In the space between blinks, his heated gaze turns to stone, his hands moving to grip my upper arm to the point of pain. “You should be. Watch where you’re going next time.” His brutal words and harsh tone are a slap to the face, and I flinch away, gaping at him in shock as he levels me with a scowl.
