Professor: A First Time Novel(31)
His door is open, and I’m biting my lip and grinning as I start to just stroll inside, when I stop cold in my tracks.
Liam and the girl he’s with look up at me, smiling, as I stand there frozen in the doorway. They’re laughing, each sipping from glass tumblers with a bottle of whiskey on the desk between them.
I can feel my pulse freeze in my chest as the girl blinks at me, smiling. She’s young, and very pretty, and I know how ridiculously juvenile and jealous I’m being, but I can’t help it. I’m trying to push it away and shake the it off, but then she’s putting her hand on his arm in a way that says they know each other, and I see red.
“Oh, hello Ms. Thompson.”
Liam class me that all the time around other students or faculty, but something about the way he says it in front of her makes me roar inside. With teachers and students, it’s like he protecting me from scrutiny when he calls me “Ms. Thompson.”
With this girl, it feels like he’s hiding me.
Her hand is still on his arm as she smiles sweetly at me, sipping her drink, and I want to murder her, or him, or both.
“You need to know that I’ve never done this before.”
And it’s bullshit, I know that now. Because it sure doesn’t look like I was the first time. Not now, not with her sitting there with that familiar touch.
Liam frowns. “Ms. Thompson?”
I say nothing as I whirl and storm away from the office, the heat in my face this time a dark, horrible feeling instead of the glow I walked up here with.
Chapter 18
Liam
Fuck.
I stare at the doorway where Ellie was just standing, blinking and frowning at her exit. But then it’s suddenly all clicking and I swear again under my breath at what she just walked in on and my own stupidity.
Casey laughs and I glare at her. “Oh what.”
She rolls her eyes. “Liam, please, I’m your agent.”
“So?”
“So I know you, and I know the look in that girl’s eye.”
I can feel myself bristling. “Look, it’s nothing like-”
“Bullshit.”
I glare at her. “Watch it, Casey.”
She rolls her eyes again. “Look I’m not saying shit, I’m just saying you better go fix that, whatever that is.”
“It’s nothing, Case.”
My young agent shrugs. “Well hey, if its just some book groupie thing-“
“It’s nothing like that!” I snap angrily, feeling the heat rise in my face.
She grins and raises her brow. “Case and point.”
Ugh. Busted.
“You’re into her, I can see it plan as day, Liam.”
I shake my head, snatching the glass of whiskey off my desk. “She’s my student, Casey.”
She grins. “And Lisa was my boss, dude. Didn’t stop me from marrying her now did it?”
I down the amber liquid, grimacing at the burn and still thinking of Ellie running out that door with that look on her face. “That was different.”
Casey snorts. “What, ‘cause w’re gay?”
“No, it’s just-”
What the FUCK am I waiting for?
“I’m being a fucking idiot, aren’t I?”
“By sitting here acting like a wimp instead of chasing after that girl?” Casey arches a brow at me. “Uh, yeah, dude. Go get her.”
*****
I catch up with her outside her dorm, by the side door.
“Ellie!”
She whirls as she sees me jogging up, her eyes narrowed and her face red. “Go away, Liam.”
I finally reach her and reach out for her arm. “Ellie, listen to me-”
She shakes my hand away and steps back from me. “Oh fuck off, seriously.”
“That’s not what it looked like,” I growl.
She barks out a laugh. “Please, spare me the cliche, okay?”
“Ellie-”
“Look I don’t care, okay? I know we’re not- I mean, we never agreed what we were or what I even mean to you-”
I grab her by both arms and she’s gasping as I yank her tight against me. “You mean everything to me,” I say thickly, my eyes burning into hers. I say it loud, and forcefully, and she’s suddenly staring up at me with those big blue eyes.
“You mean everything to me,” I say, softer now.
She swallows thickly and bites her lip. “Well who the fuck was that girl?”