When my phone chimes with an incoming text, I slide it from my back pocket. Even though I know it isn’t Elle, I can’t help but hope I’m wrong. Keeping all this distance between us is killing me. Once my cell is in hand, I glance down at it. Disappointment bubbles up inside me as I scan the message from Mom.
Looking forward to the game this weekend. Can’t wait to see you.
I should be happy they’re carving time out of their busy schedules to make it to the game. They’ve missed most of them. And with the season ending, there won’t be—
A soft grunt escapes from me as I truck into someone. Or maybe it’s the other way around. At this point, I can’t be too sure. My hands automatically shoot out, catching the person before they can tumble backward. It’s only when my fingers wrap around slender arms that I realize who I’ve caught hold of.
“Hey.” It takes every ounce of self-restraint not to drag her to me and bury my face in the delicate hollow of her neck in order to inhale her sweet scent.
Elle blinks. “Carson...hi.”
My brow furrows as I carefully search her face. There’s a tightness to her features that usually isn’t there. A strain that brackets her mouth. A distressed look filling her eyes.
Whatever is bothering her, it’s more than our relationship.
“What’s going on?”
When her teeth sink into the plump flesh of her lower lip, I know my intuition is correct.
With my fingers locked around her upper arm, I glance around the congested space, looking for a place where we can talk in private without being interrupted. No longer do I care if I’m late to class. Or miss the damn thing altogether. I have no idea what happened to put that expression on her face, but I’m going to damn well find out.
People scurry out of my way when they see me barreling through. I scan the area, looking for an empty table. There’s nothing. Instead of staying inside, I push through the glass doors into the fresh autumn air. There’s an unoccupied picnic table on a grassy knoll about twenty yards away. It’s fairly chilly out, so it isn’t a total shocker to find it abandoned. I should probably release her, but I can’t bring myself to let go. The connection feels much too good, and I’ve missed laying my hands on her. I have no idea how long this conversation will take, but I’m going to keep her as close as I can for as long as I can. Once we reach the table, I drop onto one side and pull her down next to me so that she’s practically sitting on my lap.
“Now tell me what happened.”
Only when we’re settled do I realize that she’s trembling.
I drag her closer and wrap my arm around her. “Are you cold?”
Her silence is disconcerting. All it does is jack me up.
“You need to tell me what’s going on.” Before I burst out of my skin.
Her gaze flickers to mine before dropping to her fingers, which twist together in her lap as she shakes her head. “You were right.”
My face scrunches, not following the conversation. “What are you talking about?”
When she continues to avoid eye contact, my hand settles under her chin before lifting it until she has no other choice but to meet my steady gaze.
“You need to tell me what’s going on, Elle,” I say patiently. “What am I right about?”
Her tongue darts out to moisten her lips.
Distracted by the movement, my attention drops as she whispers, “About Dr. Holloway.”
Motherfucker!
My gaze snaps back to hers as a punch of anger hits me in the gut. “What did he do?” The growl that leaves my lips sounds nothing like me.
Her eyes widen as her muscles tense. When she attempts to glance away for a second time, my grip tightens on her chin until her gaze returns to mine.
“I stopped by his office to start on the filing he offered for extra credit. While I was working, he came up behind me and put his hands on my shoulders.” There’s a pause and I have to strain to hear her words. “He started to rub me, and it was really uncomfortable.”
A red haze of anger descends, clouding my vision, making it impossible to think clearly. “Are you all right?”
Not only will I kill him if he hurt her, but I won’t be able to forgive myself for not doing more to stop him. Instead of paying a visit to his office, maybe I should have gone straight to the chancellor. Maybe then Elle wouldn’t have been put in such a position.
“I’m fine,” she says quickly as her palms settle on my chest before her fingers curl into my sweatshirt. It’s as if she’s holding on for dear life. “Really.”