Page 101 of To Professor, with Love
Ten’s mouth opened.And then shut.Appearing suddenly uncomfortable, he glanced away.“You’ve mentioned your brothers’ and sister’s names before.”
“But I’ve never told you...”This didn’t add up.“Jesus, what do you know?”
He ground his teeth and shot me a glare.“I don’t know anything, man.You’ve never told me anything about your life back home, except those names.”
I shook my head.“Then why do you keep bringing them up?”
“Fuck.”He hissed.“She told me to, okay?”
Not comprehending at all, I just blinked at him.“What?”
“Dr.Kavanagh,” he mumbled, scowling at me.
“Aspen?When the hell did you talk toAspen?”
“Jesus Christ.”Ten squeezed his eyes shut.“The night we caught her with that history professor douche.She texted me and asked me to make sure you were there, so you’d see them together.”
My mouth fell open.I swung my head back and forth.This didn’t make any sense.
“When I disappeared from you for a little while after that, I went to see her, to call her out on it, and demand to know why the hell she’d done that to you.I swear to God, man, I thought she wanted you there so she could hook up with you again.I didn’t know—”
I waved my hand, shutting him up.“Then why...why did she want me to see that?”
“She said...”He growled out a sound of irritation.“She said you needed to hate her for this to work.”
No.No way.That did not sound good.My heart sank to my knees as I asked the dreaded question.“Forwhatto work?”
“Man, she knew then.I think she knew about the picture.I think someone wanted to fucking blackmail her for a good grade.And she refused.”
She’d sacrificed herself.And made sure I would remain safe.
Black spots dotted my vision and my knees gave out.Both Quinn and Ten caught me and helped me back upright.I worked my jaw but that didn’t relieve any of the distress flowing out my limbs.
“Did she say who?”I asked, my voice low but rational and steady.I think I totally had Ten fooled because his grip loosened as he shook his head.“She refused to say.”
No, she wouldn’t have, would she?Stubborn woman had done all this to protect me; she wouldn’t give any information to Ten that might change her plans.
Fuck.
My head racing with all the things I needed to do, I stared Ten right in the eyes.He gulped but didn’t say anything.Finally, I shoved roughly against both him and Hamilton.“Get off me.”
Both guys released me in the same breath.I stumbled a little from the sudden loss of their restraining hands.Then I took a second to breathe in a fresh gulp and clear my head as I straightened my clothes.When I felt like I was in my own body again, I glanced at the two guys staring at me with blatant concern.
“Thanks for the heads-up.But...”I shook my head slowly.“I can’t let her go down by herself.We started this together.We end it together.”
Ten winced.“How did I know you were going to say that?”
He didn’t try to stop me as I stalked out the door.Both guys dogged my heels, but I ignored them all the way to the locker room.When I shoved my way inside, I jerked to a halt, watching the crowd of guys, hooting and hollering as they clumped together in front of the message board.
I saw red.About fifty dicks were about to die.
But Ten pushed me aside and plowed forward.“Coach!”he yelled.“You piece of chicken shit bastard.Get that picture of me and my girl off the goddamn board.”
With his roar echoing around the room, Ten rushed into the crowd of guys, shoving them aside to reach the picture.Then he ripped it down and tore it into shreds.
Coach Jacobi appeared in the doorway of his office, a clipboard in hand.“You saying that’s you in that picture, Tenning?”
“Yes, sir, I am.Couldn’t you tell by the look on her face?OnlyIcan bring a woman that much pleasure.”
