Page 21 of Ghosted

“What? No, I just said that to get her on her way. I have to go to the Dean and let him know that Stella is breaking into my office again.”

“That sounds unnerving, why does the Dean not let her go?”

“I told him not to, she is harmless, just a little annoying. Hopefully, if she sees a beautiful woman on my arm, she’ll get the idea that we are over.”

“One can only hope,” she comments as she glances at her watch, “Oh shoot, I’m going to be late for my class.”

Iris hops up and starts to wipe the grass from her skirt. “It was lovely to meet you. Maybe we can meet up here again tomorrow?”

“I would like that.”

She heads off for the math classrooms as I start toward the main building. The Dean will not be happy that I am coming to see him about Stella again. I should’ve known better than to go out with his daughter.

I have to go in the back door; if I don’t, I will get stopped by Stella again and I don’t need her to see that I intend to tattle to her father.

Knocking on the wooden door, the Dean tells me to enter.

“What can I do for you today, Mr. Wolf?”

“Well, it’s Stella, sir. She is in my office with lunch ready. I have a class to prep for but with her in there, I won’t get anything done.”

His face falls when I say her name and he shakes his head as I continue.

“I’m sorry about her. I have told her to leave you be, but she is a grown adult and doesn’t always do as I ask. Let me go talk to her. You wait here and I’ll return once your office is empty.” This time, there is more defeat in his tone than annoyance and I feel bad for being the bearer of frustrating news again. If she continues this, he will have no choice but to let her go. Maybe it would not be such a bad thing in the end, she clearly has something more going on behind the front she puts up.

“Thank you, sir.”

He closes his door behind him as he heads off to deal with Stella. I lean on the corner of the bookcase, cringing when the shouting starts.

“But, Daddy, I love him! He loves me, too, he just doesn’t know it yet!”

“Stella,” the Dean states in a stern voice.

It’s only a few more minutes before the Dean returns with a huff. “All taken care of. Thank you for alerting me of her behavior.”

“Thank you, sir. Hopefully, she will get over this crush and we can all move on with our lives.”

“She will, I’m sorry again.”

“You don’t have to apologize, sir. I hate that I have to bug you with this trivial matter. I just don’t want to mislead her that we are anything more than friends. I’ll be off, have to stop at my office and then off to my class.”

“Have a good day.”

“You, too, sir.”

The door clicks behind me as I exit his office. I never thought twice about leaving my office unlocked before, but from now on, locking it will be the way to go.

With careful steps, I enter my office. I know the Dean stated that Stella is gone, but I don’t want to take any chances. I scan the room and quickly decide it is safe then grab what I need. Generally, I do not rush to class, but the thought of remaining in my office longer than necessary simply fills me with unease now.

The scene shifts and I let out a groan. The memories that flip back and forth and suck me in are driving me mad. There’s no rhyme or reason to them, simply forcing me to relive each moment before throwing me back into my own consciousness. It’s hard to keep a grasp on my forced reality when it’s ever shifting and nauseating.

The scent of rosewood hits me and I feel my body drift toward her, shifting through walls and space until I’m standing next to her.

Iris. No. This isn’t Iris. Raven.

She’s beautiful still, though in a very different way. Her hair is darker at the top and the rest painted in a striking blue, yet it’s still just as lovely on her. Iris always stood out among other women and it seems Raven does the same. If my mind wasn’t always forcing me back into confrontations with my past then I’d have a much easier time discerning between the two.

“Professor Wolf?” Her voice is quiet and unsure. She’s not focused on me directly, so I wonder if she truly sees me when I’m here or not. But the moment I step in front of her, those gorgeous hazel eyes lock right onto mine and she grins. “There you are. You look normal now. Weird.”

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