Sunshine In The Morning (Spring-Summer Romance Book 1) (10 page)

Until coming face-to-face with Marianne in their dorm room.

She and Marianne got along well enough, though they had nothing in common. She wasn’t particularly nosy, but nor was she stupid. She’d listened to her reason for being absent two weekends before, asking minimal questions but, all the while, looking like she suspected the truth.

“Fancy meeting you here,” she said.

Lydia steeled herself for what she knew would come. To be gone overnight so often had increased her suspicions. She’d do best to stick close to the truth.

“You know …” Marianne continued. “Everyone knows you’re doing the ‘hot and heavy’ with someone.”

Lydia’s throat thickened. Everyone, she’d bet, consisted of the small circle Marianne socialized in, none of them particular friends of hers, though she had nothing against them either.

“For what it’s worth,” she continued, “the one person I figure knows his name, your girlfriend, Karen, isn’t talking. I don’t suppose you care to say?”

Lydia bit her lip, keeping her face blank. “No. Who I spend my time with isn’t anyone’s concern.”

Marianne tossed up her hands. “No need to get mad. Just letting you know. If you’re happy, that’s great, but as nosy as people are, someone’s going to figure it out. Which makes me ask, why’s it a secret anyway?”

Lydia regathered her things, flicking a glance at the time on her phone. “I’ve gotta go,” she said. “Professor Alex writes down the names of anyone who comes in late.”

Springing to her feet, she pushed past her roommate into the hall, her feet aimed for the stairs. She surged ahead, not looking behind, but was sure Marianne watched her go.

At the bottom of the stairs, she halted and sent a text to Aarin.
Friday,
she said.

His response was a few minutes coming.
Friday,
he replied. A second later another response came, once which made her incredibly curious.

Wear something pretty,
he said.
We’re going out.

The walkway angled to the left then made a sharp turn around the corner of the building. Following its path, Aarin made his way across the common, through scattered concrete benches filled with students relaxing in between class.

A girl, her books tucked to her chest, called out. “Hey, Professor Kai.”

He smiled and nodded, then turned his gaze toward the double doors fifty yards ahead. They swooshed open, expelling a blast of chilled air, and he stepped inside the building, almost colliding with Angela Reed.

“Whoa …” She bobbled, catching her fall, one hand on his arm. “I should watch where I walk, but actually, I just left your office looking for you.”

“For me?” Sticking one hand in his pocket, he curled his fingers around his car keys. “Is anything wrong?”

She curved red-rouged lips. “No, no … It’s just, I’m having a little party Friday night and thought you might like to come. You can bring your new friend.”

Aarin’s stomach clenched. Was she asking because she was nosy or genuinely being nice?

“I’d love to see you there and be introduced. Speculation’s ripe about who our young professor’s dating.”

Speculation amongst whom? She was the only one who’d openly mentioned it, though he was aware the photo from the award ceremony had been seen by others, based strictly on the comments he’d gotten. However, the story dying somewhat, he’d hoped the talk would, too.

Maybe that was naïve. He could, of course, lie and say she didn’t live nearby. That thought on the tip of his tongue, however, Aarin couldn’t speak.

She
did
live nearby. She was his student, and all the things he’d told himself about what they
weren’t
doing looked like lies. He’d said it wasn’t an affair, but from every angle he viewed it, it was. He’d tried to put space between them as a result, asking Lydia to give him time alone over the weekend. He’d said to himself, they’d both cool off after a few days of separation, but when she’d shown up on Tuesday, his desperation for her had been as strong as ever.

Angela spoke, interrupting his wayward thoughts.

“Here …” She dug into her coat pocket and produced a square envelope. “That’s the time and address if you can come.” She held in place a moment longer, her gaze noticeably curious, then tossing her head, she passed him and exited the doors.

He curled the invite into his palm, the collar of his shirt too tight, the temperature in the building too warm. Aarin shook himself and continued forward down the usual series of hallways and into his classroom. He paced across the front, entering his office. Falling into his chair, he loosened his tie.

Little things had led them here, like-minded conversation, seemingly innocent circumstances out of their control – the rain, her car not starting, attending the award ceremony. But though this looked like an affair, it was so much more than that. It’d been many years since he’d spent the night with a woman, and truthfully, sex he could have refused. Sex with Lydia, he couldn’t because she filled his heart.

Yet, he’d been extremely careless where this was concerned, giving no thought toward how deep into it they’d both become, or what he’d have to face today … other people’s speculations. He’d put them at further risk by not seeking a solution.

His phone buzzed. Lydia.

Friday
, she said.

He hit reply, once more, anxious to see her and unable to stop.
Wear something pretty. We’re going out.
But … Aarin raised Angela’s invite in one hand and tossed it in the trash. Not to a party.

Still running from Marianne’s comments, despite the fact she was half a campus away, Lydia didn’t hear Karen calling until her hand snaked around her sleeve. The sudden pressure slung her to an awkward stop, her breath coming too fast, her heartbeat pounding.

“I’ve been trying to catch up with you,” Karen said. “We need to talk. You got a minute?” She didn’t wait to see if she responded, however, but looking this way and that, tugged her a short distance into an empty doorway. Here, she faced her where she could see who came and went. “Have you seen
him
…?” She paused.

Heat flooded Lydia’s face, and Karen’s gaze widened. “Wow. Lydia …”

“Don’t judge me. Why does everyone judge me?” Marianne. Now, Karen, who she’d successfully avoided over the last week.

A minute passed in uncomfortable silence, then Karen sighed, her weight shifting to one hip. “Have you ever considered that the one judging you is … you?”

“It’s only nine years!” she replied. Too loud.

Karen hushed her with a shushing noise. “Nine years isn’t so much,” she repeated at a low volume, “but he’s your …” She cut her statement off, seeming to reconsider her words. “That’s not why I wanted to speak with you, not really. You know, though, that if we weren’t here and he was any other person I wouldn’t care two cents. I’d even be jealous. But because of who he is … Look, I’m going to make a suggestion, and it’s going to sound crazy. But hear me out.”

Karen inhaled deep, wiping one palm on the fabric of her blouse.

“First, I’m sorry for ever introducing you to Scott.”

This coming out of left field, Lydia’s brow furrowed. What did Scott have to do with anything?

“For that matter, I’m sorry for dating Dalton. I won’t get into it,” Karen said, “but he’s a real … never mind, I shouldn’t call people names except he’d deserve that one. Let’s just say it involves a certain male body part.”

Lydia wanted to giggle, but didn’t. Karen was entirely serious.

“Anyhow, Scott’s got it in for you since, as he says, you ‘ruined his night’.”

“I ruined it?” Lydia shot back. “He spent hours and hours talking about some online RPG game and I thought I’d lose my mind!”

Karen hushed her again. “I know that. Trust me. But … you know Marianne asked me who you were seeing?”

Lydia nodded, but, again, wondered how that tied in with Scott. “She said you wouldn’t say and … thanks.”

Karen offered an edgy smile. “I promised … but my point is, Scott’s been hanging out with her crowd. I’m sure she doesn’t mean you any harm. From her perspective, she’s just being nosy, but he heard her say that you’ve been away a lot and given your date flopped …” Her thought faded.

Given it flopped, he’s angry. Lydia caught the gist. But she still didn’t see how it mattered because Marianne didn’t know who it was to tell him anything. And he should be over it by now.

“Which brings me back to what I’m going to suggest and the reason why I’m going to suggest it.” Karen shuffled her feet. “I was leaving psych and overheard Professor Reed talking to someone, I’m not sure who as I could only see her back and not the other person at all. But whoever it was, she told them that …
he
, and she called him by name, was seeing a student. She was almost sure of it.”

Lydia’s stomach cramped, the discomfort spreading down her limbs.

“If the college finds out that you and him …” Karen let the thought hang. “He’ll lose his job and any chance of getting another one. It’s sexual harassment, according to college guidelines. Don’t misunderstand me, I get it,” she said, her gaze softening. “You’re in love with him. It’s all over your face. And I can’t say how he feels about you, whether it’s honorable or not …” She held up one hand, palm outward. “That isn’t an insult, so don’t take it that way. But the truth
is
going to come out … and really soon. Scott told Marianne he was going to follow you the next time you left and see where you went.”

Friday. Lydia gulped.

“And Professor Reed is trying to ferret out who you are. It won’t take much because I imagine admin knows you two were working together and your picture
was
in that newspaper. I went and got a copy after I heard the talk on campus. I can tell it’s you, and if I can, then so will others eventually. Lydia … you’ve got to go home.”

“Go home?” Lydia reeled. Lightheaded, she steadied herself, one hand on the side of her face. “I … can’t.” She blinked. She had classes, goals … Aarin.

“You can. I’ve looked into it. You can take most of your subjects online. It’s only a matter of speaking with Student Counsel. If you do that, it’ll put distance between you, and hopefully, the whole thing will die.”

“But …”

Karen shook her head. “No ‘buts’. If you’re valuable to him, he’ll find you. The distance won’t matter, and you’ll both have time to think this out. But if you stay here, both of your futures will go up in smoke, and I just can’t see you letting that happen. Lydia, I’m asking you to do the right thing … for yourself, but also for him.”

Go home. Because staying would make a bigger problem. But he’d said he’d fix that, only he hadn’t. Why? He wanted to be with her too badly. Was she really the stronger person? And if she walked away, would he search for her?

She didn’t know the answers, but was confident of one thing. He wanted to take her somewhere Friday and until then, she wasn’t going anywhere. He deserved to see her before … Lydia focused. Before what? Was she seriously considering taking Karen’s advice?

“I have a date Friday,” she said.

Karen puckered her lips, her brow drawing tight.

“You can’t possibly ask me to give that up and disappear on him. I deserve to say …” Goodbye. Tears pushed at her eyelids, threatening to fall.