“It has been more concern that complaints. Your students care about you and know what a high standard you usually expect from them alongside your own commitment. Look, I appreciate you trying to carry on while ill, but I think it would be better if you took a few days off. Come back after the weekend when hopefully you’ll be back to your usual self.”
I nodded. “Thank you, Professor Lynch. I think I will do that.”
“I have the rest of the weeks classes covered. Go home and get some rest.”
“Thank you again. It is appreciated.”
He smiled. “Look after yourself, Meredith.”
I went home, but I didn’t get any rest. Instead Garrett called in sick to school.
On Sunday, I went against what my heart and body craved and I sent Garrett home. It took until 1pm that afternoon to get him out of my apartment but eventually he left, knowing that he also needed to get his act together. His own grades would fall if we carried on this way and his future job with his father depended on it. His family were paying a lot of money to put him through this course. I couldn’t have his failure on my conscience. I couldn’t have my own students failing or falling behind because of me either. My behavior was inexcusable. I was like a schoolgirl with a stupid crush. I spent a few hours in bed catching up on some much-needed sleep, then I showered and set to work on catching up on some marking and preparing for the rest of the school week. From now on, even though it would be difficult, we needed some space away from each other. I vowed that I would only see him every other night. He was becoming an addiction, my drug of choice and if I wasn’t careful, he would destroy me or I him.
Chapter 9
Garrett
“What was the fucking point giving you a room at Granger Lodge when you’re never fucking in it? Who are you boning and what’s with all the sneaking around and skipping school?”
I might have known Julian would be savvy enough to know I wasn’t around and was acting out of character.
“I am going to be around more now. Look, I have been hitting the gym more, got a bit addicted. But I am going to pull back.” I lied.
He sniffed the air. “Fucking bullshit. You are tapping some sweet pussy and for some reason you are not telling me who it is.”
“It’s complicated.” I told him and he laughed.
“You should be a politician. Showing talent there for trying to part answer a question and get away with it.”
He slapped me on the back. “Fair enough, if you don’t want to say. I’m sure you have your reasons.”
He pointed from his eyes to mine with two digits. “But just know I will be watchin
g you. I will make it my mission to find out what you are up to.”
Fuck. That just made things a lot more difficult.
“I need to head up and get some studying done.” I told him. “Got fucking behind. My dad is going to kill me if I start dropping grades.”
“Well, less time studying pussy and more studying textbooks.” He winked. “By the way, we are having a party here Tuesday night and I expect you to be there.”
Tuesday. Fuck. That was the day I was going to see Meredith again. We were having tomorrow night off, which would make my head and balls explode, but I knew she was right, we’d got to rein things in and find some kind of happy medium between teaching and studying, and fucking each other raw.
“I will be there, bro.” We fist bumped. “I will catch you later and I promise I am going to be in my room more, around the Lodge more. You gave me a great opportunity and I won’t let you down, man.”
Julian smiled. “We are going to have some fun, okay, you and me. Before responsibility heads our way.”
“Sure thing.” I told him and as I went up to hit the books, I wondered what I was agreeing to.
Not seeing Meredith for two days almost killed me. We text each other but it wasn’t the same. It worked in so far as I got my course work caught up, but it was lonely in my own cold bed without Meredith’s warm body held against my chest, my arms wrapped around her naked flesh. Plus, I was scared. Scared that if she spent time without me, she would have second thoughts. That she would decide it was all too much of a risk that what she really needed was a man of her own age to settle down with. Just the thought of her even glancing in another guy’s direction made my fists bunch. She was mine. We just had the next year to get through. Once I finished college, I would be twenty years old and if we were still together, and I saw no reason why we wouldn’t be, then I was in it for the whole caboodle, marriage, kids everything.
The Lodge was all worked up about the party and I still hadn’t decided how I would work it out with seeing Meredith. Either I put her off until Wednesday or I snuck out of the party at some point to see her. In the end, I called her to let her decide.
“Hey, stranger,” she answered.
“I know. It’s tough not seeing you, but I know it has to be this way. We can’t have you ruining your job and me failing my studies.”
“I miss you though,” she said softly.