During a quick writing assignment, I noticed Alisha and Becca looking back at Zara then whispering amongst themselves. What the hell did she know? What had she seen?
I wrapped up a few minutes earlier than usual, and as risky as it was, I grabbed my phone and quickly sent Zara a text, asking her to stay after everyone left. She looked up from her phone and frowned at me before rolling her eyes and tapping away at her screen.
* * *
Zara:
No.
* * *
That left me with no choice.
When class was dismissed, I said, “Miss Porter, can I see you for a moment please?” Students were still filing out, the majority of them thinking nothing of me asking Zara to stay. Fortunately, Alisha and her friends were the first people out the door.
Zara walked toward me, a textbook clutched to her chest. “Is this about my absence in class yesterday?” she asked.
“Yes. I was worried.” My hands ached to reach for her, pull her into my chest, and kiss her. It’d only been a day, but I’d missed her touch. Her lips. Her smell. Everything about her.
“I took a personal day, Professor Grant.”
“Don’t do that. Don’t call me that like you weren’t just saying my real name all weekend.”
She glanced between me and the door. “Can I go now?”
“Did something happen, Zara?”
Her gaze flipped back to me. “N-no.” She was lying. Something was bothering her, and I hated that she didn’t want to tell me. I reached out and took her hand. It was shaking.
“Zara, if something is going on, you can tell me. Is this about Alisha?”
Her eyes stretched wide as they locked on mine.
“It is, isn’t it? What happened?”
Closing the gap between us, I cupped her face and her bottom lip trembled.
“Cole, I really think—”
But before she could finish, someone behind me shouted, “I knew it!”
30
Zara
My worst nightmare was coming true. I should’ve trusted my instincts as far as Alisha was concerned and told Cole I suspected she knew about us sooner, but I was too damn stubborn. So stupid of me!
Alisha stormed into the classroom, and the only thing I was grateful for was that she was alone. “You two are fucking each other, aren’t you?”
“I—” I couldn’t find the words.
Cole said nothing, only glared at her.
“I have proof,” she snapped. “I saw you outside his apartment building two nights ago and took some pictures.”
“You have things all wrong, Alisha,” Cole said.
She snorted. “No, I don’t, Cole. I know what I saw, and you know what I don’t get? Why you chose her and didn’t come to me. She’s such a loser! What do you even see in her?”
My chest tightened, my palms clammy around my textbook.
“I think you should leave,” Cole said.
“Oh yeah, I bet you’d like that, wouldn’t you? Get me to leave so you can fuck her in your classroom? Gah, this is just too good. Little Miss Zara and the professor. I bet the dean would love this! And the school newspaper will eat definitely this up. Then it’ll be known how much of a slut you are!”
“Enough!” Cole barked, getting in Alisha’s face. “Get the hell out of my classroom. Now.”
Alisha stared at Cole, stunned, and then looked between us before huffing and storming out of the room. My entire body was trembling now, my eyes hot and thick with tears.
“Shit.” Cole exhaled and dragged a palm down the length of his face. “Zara, you should go too.”
“W-what?”
He looked at me, his expression both angry and pained. “I need to sort this mess out before Alisha can do any damage.”
“But what are you going to do?”
“I don’t know.” He sighed. “But I’ll handle it.”
“Cole…you’ll get fired! She’ll ruin your reputation!”
“I know. I know.”
“And what about me? If she tells them it was consensual, I’ll be expelled!” I panicked then. I’d worked so hard to get into this school. What the hell had I done?
“Hey, look at me.” Cole gripped my upper arms and pulled me closer. “I will not let that happen.”
“But they’ll know.”
“It won’t happen, Zara. Trust me. Go to your next class. Act like things are normal. I’ll handle the situation with Alisha.” I studied his eyes and could see his torment, his regret. This was my fault.
I started to speak, but he pulled away.
“Go. I’ll talk to you when it’s sorted.”
I sniffled and walked around him, making my way to the door. When I reached it, I couldn’t help looking back, and he was sitting on the edge of his desk, pinching the bridge of his nose, probably trying to figure out how the hell he was going to get us out of this predicament.
We were so screwed.
31
Zara
I hadn’t heard from Cole in six hours, and I was freaking out. I picked up my phone and checked it for what felt like the twentieth time. I’d sent him several text messages, but not one received a response.