Page 86 of After Hours Lectures
“My dad’s going to run for president.”
“Wow. How do you feel about that?”
He shrugged. “It’s been his goal for years, and he told us months ago that it was time. Can’t say I’m a huge fan of the security detail following us around now though, even if some of them are hot as hell.”
I chuckled. “I can see the headlines now: ‘President’s son caught in compromising position with Secret Service agent’.”
“Like I’d get caught.” He smacked my stomach playfully. “Anyway, I gotta run, but I’ll see you at the house tomorrow.”
“Later.”
My dad wrapped his arm around my shoulder as Fallon walked away. “We’ve got about an hour before we need to head to the restaurant. Do you want to hang out with us at the hotel or stay here for a bit?”
Fearing it might be a few days before I got another opportunity to talk to Hayden, I decided to take a chance that he was still on campus. “I’m going to stay here for a while and meet you at the restaurant. There’s something I need to do first.”
“Okay. Let us know if you need a ride,” Chase said.
“Will do,” I called out as I hurried out of the amphitheater and toward where Hayden had gone.
Once I made my way through the crowds surrounding Caldwell Theater, the rest of the campus was mostly empty without the hustle and bustle of students rushing to class. I approached Miller Hall and hoped it was unlocked. Luckily the doors were open, and I took a fortifying breath as I stepped inside. The hallway was eerily quiet, every room I passed was dark, and no one appeared to be around.
As I turned the corner, light streamed from the end of the corridor. Was it Hayden or someone else?
Suddenly the confidence I’d felt about pouring my heart out to him dissipated and was replaced with a churning sensation deep in my gut. What if he truly didn’t want to be with me anymore? What if I was the only one willing to fight for us? I didn’t think I could survive another rejection from him. Not when my entire world began and ended with the man I hoped hadn’t left campus yet.
Somehow, I mustered up the courage to propel myself forward, moving toward the department where his office was located and hoping to find out once and for all if he was going to be a part of my future like I wanted him to be.
Just as I’d hoped, he was sitting at his desk, working on his laptop.
“Hey.” My voice echoed through the space despite my attempt to be quiet.
Hayden’s head snapped up. “What are you doing here?”
“You got a minute?”
The muscles in his neck moved as he swallowed hard. “Um … yeah. C’mon in.”
I closed the door behind me, and a pang of disappointment stabbed me in the chest when he didn’t immediately stand to meet me in the center of the room. Trying to stave off my nervousness, I ran a hand over my face. “I wasn’t sure if you’d be here, but I’m glad you are. Can we talk?”
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”
“Why not? You aren’t my professor anymore.” I threw his words from earlier back at him. “Isn’t that what we’ve been waiting for?”
He let out a long sigh. “Things are different now.”
“No, they’re not.” I frowned.
“You’ll be traveling the world for the next six months. A lot can change in that time. Maybe when you’re done—”
“I didn’t take the job.”
He reared back. “What?”
My decision had been made weeks ago. I’d wanted to tell him right away, but with him insisting we needed to keep our distance because the dean was watching him, I had known I needed to be patient if I really wanted him to hear me. The wait had been torturous, but it would be worth it if we managed to find our way back to each other. “I didn’t take the job,” I repeated.
“I don’t understand. That’s your dream.”
I shook my head. “That’s what you’ve been saying, but you’re wrong. My dream is to be with you.”
