Page 69 of Lords of Misrule
“It’s urgent. I need to speak to you,now.” My heart skips a beat in my chest. There’s no way he could have found out. No way he could know it was me that did it. We were so careful.
“Okay,” I whisper because if I’ve been found out, the last thing I want is for it to be said loud enough for the whole building to hear. I follow him down the hall to his office, and he unlocks it and motions for me to follow him in.
I hover near the door as he sets his bag down.
“You can come in and shut the door behind you.” His brow knits, and his eyes search over me for a moment.
“I really am in a hurry if you could just tell me what’s urgent.” My heart is racing in my chest. My brain is flooding with thoughts about whether he might report me to the administration or if I’m about to go to jail. He frowns at the door and then at me, rounding his desk to get closer to me.
“Charlotte, I feel like things ended so abruptly between us. I’m sure some of that—a lot of that was my fault. I know I’ve been gone a lot lately and haven’t always been available to you. If you’re mad about that, if that’s the reason for things I wish you’d just use your words rather than this childish behavior.”
“Childish behavior?” I repeat, trying to make sure I heard him right and that this abrupt right turn into him being an asshole really just happened in the middle of what sounded like it was going to be an apology. Because frankly, he was an ass. If I had still liked him the way I thought I did in the beginning, this would be ruining any chance he had of a reconciliation.
“Texting me and then giving me the silent treatmentischildish behavior.”
“I’m not giving you the silent treatment. I’ve just moved on,” I say incredulously.
“Please, Charlotte. We both know how you feel about me. That you’ve been doing your hardest to get more out of me than what we’ve been doing. And I understand that a girl your age wants a relationship. You think it’s all hearts and roses. But I was clear when we started this that I’m too busy for a relationship.”
“Which is fine. I’m just not interested in being that girl anymore. I’m sure you’ll find someone else more age appropriate.”
“Not interested anymore?” He laughs. “That’s why over break you were sending me voice memos of you touching yourself?”
The urge to tell him the truth, to watch his face crumple with the realization and put his ego back into place, where it belongs, is high. But I’m not stupid enough to do that, as much as I might want to.
“I don’t think this is an appropriate conversation to have here.”
“You don’t answer my texts, so it’s been difficult to have it anywhere.”
“Because she’s busy.” Finn interrupts, stepping into the threshold of the office.
Colin’s attention jumps to him and then his eyes bounce between us. He takes a step back like suddenly I’m poisonous to him. His eyes narrow as he looks at me.
“Please tell me you’re not silly enough to waste your time on someone like him?” Colin laughs halfheartedly.
I reach back and grab Finn’s hand, threading our fingers together, and he squeezes mine back.
"Not wasting any time at all,” I say firmly.
“Clearly,” Colin scoffs.
“Just leave her alone. Don’t text her anymore.” Finn edges closer to me.
“Or what?” Colin stands a little taller, and I’m honestly shocked he’s trying this. He’s a good five inches shorter than Finn, and I have no idea how many pounds lighter. Dozens I’d imagine. I assume he thinks his status as a professor will keep him safe, but he doesn’t know Finn.
“Or else I’ll make sure you do.” Finn takes a step toward him, and Colin raises his brow.
“This caveman thing does it for you then? I thought you were brighter than that.” Colin’s eyes dodge away from Finn and land hard on me.
“I love him. So yeah, the caveman thing does it for me. He can pull me around by my hair any day he wants.” I tighten my grip around Finn’s hand and tug. I want out of here before Colin triggers Finn’s temper with all this bluster. I don’t want to see him get into trouble for me. “Finn?”
Finn breaks the locked stare he has on Colin and looks at me, his face softening, and I nod to the door. He follows my lead when I give another gentle tug in that direction, and Colin lets us leave without another word. Although I somehow doubt it’s the last I’ve heard from him.
When we’ve put distance between us and the professor, Finn shakes his head. “I was down the hall when I saw him approach you, and I could tell you weren’t feeling it, so I followed. I can’t stand him. I don’t like the way he keeps pursuing you.”
I run my thumb over his in reassurance as we walk to our class together.
“We’re almost done here, and it’ll all be behind us. All that matters now is that we’ve got each other. Isn’t that what you tell me all the time?” I flash him a playful look.
