“Um, Professor Callander,” Noah said hurriedly. “I’m sure this can be worked out.”
“I wish it could be,” Professor Callander said to me. “But in this instance I have to think of the department.”
“I,” I found my voice. Small, not as determined as I’d have preferred. “I promise, Professor, this won’t ever, ever happen again.”
Again, the older man’s eyes softened. “Yes, Ms. Beaumont. Yes, it most certainly will.”
My heart sunk. “I’m … sorry.” Without knowing anything better to say, I made my way to the employee lounge.
“Oh, man, Olivia,” Steven said, walking alongside of me. “Oh, man. This totally sucks. It’s not even your fault.”
In the lounge, I grabbed my pack and turned to my friend. “It’s okay, Steven. Thanks.” I gave him a small smile, then thought better and wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him. “For everything. I’ll see you in class.”
“Are you gonna be okay?” he asked. His cheeks flushed red.
I met his gaze. “Yeah. I’ll be fine.” I wasn’t, by far. But what could I do? Save face, keep my pride intact, and leave. That’s what I could do.
Professor Callander was gone when I entered the lobby, but Noah stood by the door, waiting on me. “I’ll talk to him, Olivia. He’s made a rash decision.”
I stopped and shook my head. “No, he didn’t. I mean, I wouldn’t want me working here, with my drunk ex-boyfriend showing up making obnoxious demands.” I forced a smile. “Thanks for taking up for me, Noah. I appreciate it. But I’ll be fine.”
Noah exhaled slowly. “Olivia. Jesus. I’ll walk you out—”
I held up a hand. “Seriously. It’s okay. I prefer to go alone.”
“He’s drunk.”
“And I’m not. He isn’t going to hurt me, Noah. That much I know.”
Noah nodded. I could tell by the worried look in his eyes he didn’t believe it. “I’ll be right here if you need me.”
I pushed out of the lobby doors, barely hearing Noah’s words past the fury and chaos rushing in my ears. I walked fast, purposefully, toward my truck. Brax’s motorcycle was nowhere in the parking lot, but there he was, crouched down by my front left tire, inspecting it. When he heard me approaching, he rose and started toward me, palms facing up.
“Gracie, listen—”
“No, Brax, you listen.” I stopped just so we stood toe to toe, and I looked up at him. “Because of you, I just lost my job. You know, the one I use to live on and send money home to my family in order to help keep our struggling ranch afloat.” His face paled, and my voice quivered, and I hated it. But I couldn’t control it.
“Are you fucking kidding—they fired you?” He ran his hand over his head, swore under his breath. “Jesus Christ, I’m sorry. I never meant—” He turned, his eyes wide. “I’ll straighten that out, Gracie, swear to God.”
I shook my head. “No, you won’t. You’ll only get yourself into trouble because Professor Callander was a half inch from calling the campus cops on you. Just …” I closed my eyes, sighed, opened them. “You leave me alone, and I mean it. Stop calling. Stop texting. And stop,” I waved my hand. “Being here. In my life.” I settled my gaze on his. “I don’t want you around me, Brax. At all.”
Although I caught the waft of liquor, Brax wasn’t sloppy drunk; he still knew exactly what he was doing. In two steps he was right in front of me, grasped my shoulders, lowered his head, and fixed that ethereal gaze on mine. As he frowned, the scar on his cheek pulled. “God, you don’t really mean that, Gracie.”
I didn’t. God knows I didn’t. But I couldn’t handle this anymore.
I couldn’t handle Brax anymore. I felt like it was sink or swim, fight or flight. Him or me. And for once, this time, it was going to be me.
With a deep inhale, I steadied myself, forced my insides to be cold, hard, unfeeling. All of which were as big a lie as the next. “I wish I’d never even met you. Just … go away, Brax.”
He jerked as though I’d hit him, and I instantly regretted my choice of words. In his eyes I saw a flash of emotions; pain, desertion, rejection. But he’d hurt me. He’d betrayed me, set me up for a big public display of humiliation. At the cost of what? A frat prank? Seriously? Neither of us was good for the other. In our wake, chaos and disruption followed. I needed that like I needed a hole in the head. It was better this way. Brax with his Silverbacks and his various girlfriends and player’s reputation; me, my family, and my studies. Period. At least, that’s what I spent hours trying to convince myself of.