What I don’t understand is why. Why would she do what she’s doing? Surely she can’t be upset just because of the few times that I’ve turned her down? That’s just ridiculous.
From how Long reacted today, I’m now worried that she isn’t going to stop until she’s ruined Andie. She’s made it quite clear that it’s Andie that she’d go after because girls like her shouldn’t be allowed to ruin a Professor’s career. So I’m expecting to hear a lot more from her.
Which now begs the question as to what are we going to do. It makes me feel physically sick at the thought that we might have to put our relationship on hold. I also can’t help wondering if it was her who is responsible for the lights around the pool. It wouldn’t surprise me, which means she must have taken pictures. No way would she have left without having proof to back up her claim. Which also means that I need to apologize to Andie for thinking that Jeremy was our intruder.
Sighing heavily, I rub at the pain throbbing behind my brow but instead it intensifies. More so when I stand outside my house and realize that it looks empty. She could be inside, but something suddenly tells me that she isn’t.
At the hospital she hadn’t only looked pale after her blackout, but she’d looked upset. As though she’d had enough. Me arguing with Long probably hadn’t helped her either.
Moving forward, I let myself in and call out for her in hope. I want her to be here. I know she isn’t and that hurts, but I guess I could hardly expect her to have Jeremy bring her here—to her home.
No matter how difficult it’s getting, she needs to be here with me because looking around my home, it doesn’t feel like I belong here without Andie.
I know what I have to do.
Dropping my bags at my feet, I turnaround and head out. There are things that I need to explain, but most of all I just want to see her. I want to hol
d her in my arms and tell her how much I love her.
Breathless from running and my side throbbing from the newly healed wound, I punch in her security code and use the elevator to get upstairs. When I’m standing outside her door I can’t decide whether to knock or use my key.
The decision is taken when the door opens and I find myself face-to-face with Jeremy. He looks just as surprised as I am and my fists tighten wanting to claim my woman.
“What took you so long?” he asks before glancing over his shoulder. “Would have thought you’d have been here pretty soon after us.” He continues, “I mean, we did see you leaving the hospital as we drove away.”
I bite back what I really want to say. “I’m not explaining myself to you.” I glance into the apartment. “But, I will to Andie.”
“Jeremy, I’ll be fine.” Andie tugs on the door and offers me a smile before she puts her hand on his arm. “I need to talk to Sawyer.”
Jeremy’s jaw tightens and he leaves without a backward glance.
Moving forward, I enter the apartment and take Andie into my arms, slamming the door shut with my foot. “I’m so damn sorry.” I kiss the curve of her neck. “I’ve never come so close to hitting someone as I did today. The minute I heard Jeremy accusing her of causing the attack. I was so mad.”
She sighs into my chest and the tears seep into my shirt, as she whispers, “All I wanted was to be with you, and every time something happens in public, I can’t. Others are always watching. She can be seen with you.”
Pushing away, Andie curls up in the comfortable chair in her small living room while I drop to the sofa. If her seat choice hadn’t already given me a clue that all isn’t well between us, the silence would have.
“We’re both jealous of the other people in our lives who we can be seen with. I get that, and although it hurts, I’d rather have that pain than the pain of us not being together at all. I love you. So damn much that I can’t see straight.”
She stays silent and then in a soft voice, asks, “Would it be so bad if I got another adviser, and we then made our relationship public? Would that be allowed?”
I kick off my shoes and stretch out along the sofa. “I’d still be staff and you’d still be a student.” Staring up at the ceiling, I admit, “I’m going to look for another job, which will solve everything.”
There’s some rustling before she climbs on me, settling on my lap. “There isn’t that many jobs around for men of your talents,” she whispers, lying against me, her face nuzzling into the curve of my neck. “I love you too, Sawyer. If I didn’t then it wouldn’t hurt so much.”
“There are only a couple of months before you graduate. We’ve managed a few weeks and I’m sure we can manage these.”
“I’m not going to be able to stay at the house anymore, which depresses me. I’ve gotten so used to falling asleep with you, and waking up in your arms, or with your mouth on me, or your cock in me.”
Groaning, I find that it’s impossible to hide what her words do to me, and for the first time since the hospital, I hear a soft chuckle.
“This is what I love as well. The fact that words coming from my mouth, turn you on. It’s hot.” She kisses my chest.
“Let’s stop talking about turning me on and hot because tonight I’m going to hold you while you sleep, and tomorrow is a new day.”
“Hmm.” She settles against me. “What are we going to do, Sawyer? Long is going to be watching us like a hawk.”
“I know, which is why I hate to say this, but after tonight I think we need to sleep apart.” She starts to protest so I quickly continue, “It’s at those times when we’re most vulnerable and I wouldn’t put it past her to call in on one of us, if she suspects the other is there.”