Page 79 of Bachelor

TYLER AND BILL LOOKEDdown at the section I’d highlighted in the bylaws that lay on the retail counter in Bill’s shop. Tyler scratched his head, his cheeks still burning with color from the job he’d been on when he’d walked past the bookshop and I’d leapt out onto the street to grab him and pull him inside.

Bill rolled his neck, his eyes meeting mine. “I think she’s right.”

I let out the breath I hadn’t realized I was holding until that moment. “I think so, too.”

“I don’t really understand what I’m looking at,” Tyler admitted a bit sheepishly as he glanced between Bill and me. “This just says professors and students within the same department aren’t allowed to enter into romantic relationships during the overlapping period between the professor’s tenure and the student’s enrollment at Gatlington.”

“Exactly.” Bill nodded. His mouth quirked into a smile, but his eyes remained deathly serious. When Tyler gave him an exasperated look, Bill continued. “This section here, directly above it, is the code of ethics for undergraduate students.”

“You would have signed it your freshmen year,” I added.

Tyler shrugged, still scratching his head. “So?”

“So,” Bill drawled, rolling his eyes to meet mine for a second before looking back down at the bylaws. “Rhys and Whitney have done nothing wrong. This paragraph saying students and professors can’t be romantically linked pertains to undergraduates only. At least, it could be argued that way.”

“Each graduate department has their own bylaws and code of ethics and nothing is mentioned in any of them about relationships between professors and students,” I said, leaning my weight against the counter.

“Then there’s no issue. You’re in the clear. All these rumors around campus are just plain old gossip.” Tyler looked at each of us for confirmation.

Bill sighed, meeting my eyes. “Not exactly.”

My chest tightened. I shifted my weight, the fatigue from the last couple of sleepless nights unraveling this situation starting to catch up to me. “She’s a teacher’s assistant this semester. That could cause issues.”

“How so?” Tyler grabbed the rickety stool from underneath the counter and sat down.

“She could be considered faculty.” Bill sighed, placing his palms flat on the counter. “And I’m guessing this is a situation you’d have to take human resources?”

“I have no idea,” I breathed, running my hand down my face. “All I know is we could argue we’re not in the wrong. But I have a feeling this is far from resolved.”

“Not with Christian actively spreading rumors.” Tyler nodded at us.

Bill gave me a quizzical look. “Has something else happened?”

“Besides him and I getting into a verbal altercation in the street last week, no.” I hesitated to continue. Whitney and I had talked about her run-in with Cassandra three nights ago after she left my office. Cassandra was working for Christian in some way, and the tendrils of this conspiracy suddenly ran deeper than either of us could have imagined. I’d just filled Tyler and Bill in on the new developments as well. “He’s desperate and trying to blackmail Whitney. I don’t know what he has on her, or us, but I have to do something about it before this gets even further out of hand. If Whitney and I aren’t doing anything wrong, anything that could get her dropped from her program, then our worries are strictly because of Christian.”

“He has it out for you especially, Rhys.” Tyler crossed his arms over his chest.

“I know.”

“I just don’t understand why this is such a big deal. I get the Christian thing, sure. But why would the university have an issue with you and Whitney, two consenting adults, being together?”

“I don’t think it’s happened enough for the university to have worked out the nitty-gritty details of this code of ethics,” Bill cut in. “I’m an outsider, sure, but I grew up in this town. I know what happens on campus and what’s expected of the students who attend. Everyone is practically betrothed before they set foot on campus and a situation like this, where a student gets away, that’s a big deal. Jessica agrees.”

“Well, Jessica is like you and has never had to deal with the shit that our families do to us,” Tyler agreed, but he blew out his breath. “Has Whitney talked to her parents about this at all? I know there was a rift—”

“No, she hasn’t,” I interrupted. I wasn’t about to tell them about Whitney’s lunch with her dad. That was her business. He didn’t know about us. That was for sure. The thought of her parents had me going rigid with tension and caused that nagging feeling of getting over one hurdle only to be faced with another coming back to the forefront of my mind.

“You need to talk to someone at Gatlington about this and confirm you’re in the clear before you move forward with anything. Someone outside of the administration. Another professor, maybe.” Bill turned his attention to me. “Maybe that Dan guy.”

Tyler nodded his agreement. “He’s trustworthy. He’s also been here for a few years. Maybe there’s been a similar situation that he can remember and he can give you some advice on how to move forward.”

I stood there for a moment lost in my own head. “Sure, I’ll talk to him.” What else could I do at this point? If Cassandra and Christian were scheming together, trying to force Whitney’s hand, I had to act.

But doing so prematurely before I knew everything would be okay, that Whitney would come out of this free and clear, might make us worse off than we were now.

I turned from my friends and walked right out the door.

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