Empath: The Flawed Series Book One

by Becca J. Campbell

  It would be so easy.

  She hadn’t seemed to notice him earlier—he was merely a shadow blending with the other dark shapes at the edge of the lot—but now she stiffened. She looked his direction. Her eyes bore into him as if she could see through his façade. It didn’t alarm him, and in fact made her more enticing. Something about those eyes drew him.

  No, he needed to follow the original plan. The whole point of having a plan was to avoid rash decisions. There was another woman waiting for him. And she would do fine for tonight… or would she?

  Bouncing on the balls of his feet, he debated whether or not to act, but the young woman had apparently found her key. She scrambled into the car and squealed out of the parking lot before he had made a decision.

  That’s odd. Must be easily spooked. She couldn’t have known his intentions. The thought of her easy fear made him tingle.

  A stab of regret tainted his desire for the woman. There was something else bothering him, too. A nagging feeling of familiarity tugged at his mind. Unable to place it, he shrugged it off.

  Maybe he’d return someday and find her. Maybe if he was ever in Colorado Springs again…

  ~

  Logan stood on the steps of the library building, hands in his pockets, gazing out across the campus. He was a few minutes early, but those minutes had given him time to reconsider the meeting. And the more he reconsidered, the more he wanted to turn on his heels and tear away from there.

  This encounter walked the thin line of safety according to his strict, personal rules. Distance was paramount. Time alone with another person—a woman—was risky. Especially someone so… intriguing.

  Assisting a student in need was nothing to flinch at. He did it every day, like most of the teachers on staff. A tutoring session here, an encouraging heart-to-heart there—it was all part of being a faculty member. A devoted professor. A helpful citizen.

  The meeting would have been no big deal for any normal teacher. Problem was, he’d never been exactly normal.

  After years of being ostracized, Logan had finally learned how to protect himself. As a kid he might have been a freak show, but with age he’d learned how to blend in.

  One side of his brain reminded him that he wouldn’t be vaulting any barriers today. It was silly to consider abandoning the meeting. He’d be a rotten person to leave her high and dry, deserting her without warning.

  Side B, however, was the loudmouth today. It reminded him how one look at her tightened his stomach into knots. That calling his interest in her “innocent curiosity” was a self-made delusion no matter how he defended it. And that he’d already taken advantage of her in one way—even if she had no knowledge of it. He had taken something from her, and even now, with his conscience giving him hell about it, he wasn’t willing to let it go.

  But he had to. He had to put a stop to this freight train of thought before it leapt the tracks and plummeted into the canyon below.

  He blew out the air in his lungs and paused a moment, letting the reality of his decision sink around him, into him. Then he sucked in a clean breath, puffed out his chest, and pulled himself erect, letting his hands fall to his sides. In an instant he was back in the posture of self-assured professor with business to attend. He would do the right thing today. He cracked his neck and started to take a step to leave.

  And then he saw her. Their first meeting in the woods came crashing down on him. For a second, guilt of what he’d done washed over him. His foot froze, suspended an inch from the ground.

  He watched her approach, timid but graceful, the wind blowing back her long, dark hair to reveal a face with bright eyes and shy, curving lips. As she crossed the lawn, her presence seemed a dozen times larger than her small form. Something mysterious drew him in. A hammer tried to attack his chest, but he brought it in line with sharp focus. He planted his foot and forced a smile onto his lips—pleasant but not overly friendly.

  He’d missed his window for retreat, so he’d have to let Side A take the reins. And immediately after today, he’d cut things off—for good.

  After the incident at the grocery store last night, Jade had almost abandoned today’s studying session. It’d had nothing to do with Logan, but she wasn’t sure how her nerves could handle time in public after almost being accosted by that strange man lurking in the parking lot. She vowed never to shop at that store again, but in the end, thinking of Logan was the only thing that made her feel better. When she saw him waiting for her on the library steps the next morning, she decided she’d made the right choice.

  “Hi,” she said.

  “How are you this morning?”

  She had no desire to rehash last night’s experience. “All right. Still a bit worried about philosophy class, but hopefully you can help with that.”

  “I’ll do what I can.”

  As they entered the library and found an empty table, Jade monitored the feelings around her. Logan was as emotionless as always. The few others in the library were tolerable, their emotions only reaching her on the rare occasion one of them walked by her table.

  Logan dove into the subject matter, and his no-nonsense attitude kept her focused. Jade took notes and asked questions, but for the most part he just taught.

  A few times during his explanations he became animated, almost fervent. It was then that she was riveted by a subject that had never before interested her. It was almost like listening to a talented storyteller. In those moments when she felt a flash of passion in him, she listened, but more than that, she watched him. His hands, as they gestured to support his descriptions. His mouth, as the words flowed surely and effortlessly from his lips. His eyes—framed by dark brows that rose and furrowed—eyes that stared into hers, as if trying to drive home not only the ideas he was describing, but the hidden truths behind them.

  After several hours, when they had covered nearly all the crucial points, Jade’s stomach rumbled loudly. Logan looked up at the disruption. “I’m sorry. Am I working you too hard? Maybe we should stop for lunch. It’s after one o’clock, after all.”

  “It is? Geez, somehow you’ve managed to make philosophy seem fascinating.”

  “Why don’t we head over to the student center to eat? We can study more there.”

  “That sounds great. I’m starving.”

  “Yeah, I can tell.” He grinned.

  Jade blushed. She packed up her book bag and Logan took it from her. “I’ll get it.”

  She released the bag slowly. “Well… thank you.”

  “No problem.” He slung it over his shoulder.

  They crossed the wide lawn to the student center and he held the door for her. After ordering their food, they grabbed their trays and walked to an empty table.

  “Thanks for getting my lunch,” Jade said, sitting down. “You really didn’t have to.”

  “I don’t mind.”

  “But, I feel like I owe you something. I mean, you’re spending your whole day helping me study. Buying my lunch on top of that is too much.”

  Just then, two people walked by their table, bumping it and causing the drinks to slosh dangerously. It was a man—a professor?—with one of the girls from Jade’s class, too engrossed in conversation to notice their blunder.

  Logan grabbed his drink to steady it. His focus was on the two individuals as they walked by. “I’m having a good time. Don’t worry about it.” He took a sip of the drink and set it back down. “You’ve already given me enough.” He was scrutinizing his cup rather than looking at her. Then, his eyes went back to the two people.

  “What?” Jade followed his gaze.

  “Hmmm?”

  “What did you say?” For a moment she was overwhelmed with emotion. A burning desire to know. Had it come from those people? Somehow, it didn’t feel like her. What were the student and professor discussing?

  “Nothing.” He looked uncomfortable. She could feel that awkward squirming sensation inside her, too, as his feelings momentarily overtook the others. Then he was un
readable again. Was he hiding something?

  “But what did you mean—what have I given you?” Curiosity was stoked anew—she wasn’t sure if it was hers, but she was sure she had to know. More than she could remember ever wanting anything before, she needed to know what he was talking about.

  “It’s really nothing.”

  “Please, tell me.”

  He blinked at her and there was a moment of silence. Finally, he sighed. “All right. But let’s finish studying first. After we’re through here, I’ll show you what I mean.”

  Show her?

  The burning desire to know subsided now, as the two people walked out of the room, but Jade’s own more subtle curiosity crept back in. If Logan was trying to distract her, thinking she would forget his promise, he was mistaken.

  He steered the conversation back to business. “All right, now that we’ve pretty much covered all the basics, I’ll throw some arguments at you and see how well you can debate what we’ve covered.” And with that, he sank back into instructing-professor mode. His questions came without pause in between—the moment she’d answered one, he fired off another. He seemed determined not to waste a single moment shooting the breeze.

  Five hours later, Jade was tired and quizzed-out. Logan’s energy and focus seemed unending. They had covered all topics two, even three times. Was his thoroughness out of concern for her, or was he stalling?

  When there was a slight pause between questions, she sighed aloud without meaning to.

  “I’m sorry. I’m doing it again, aren’t I?”

  “Doing what?”

  “Going completely overboard. Sorry. I’m a bit of a geek when it comes to subjects like this.”

  “It’s okay. I need the practice.”

  “No you don’t. You haven’t missed a beat. You have this stuff down. I think you’re ready, Jade.”

  “Really?” She beamed at him. A weight lifted off her. All the frustration and exhaustion drained out of her body, and she felt light and free.

  He smiled. “That right there is all the payment I need. Just seeing your smile.” He brushed his hands together. “My work here is done.”

  “But you promised you would show me what you were talking about, once we were done.”

  “It’s really no big deal.”

  “But you promised! Please?” The moment the words were out of her mouth she felt like a five year old begging for a piece of candy.

  “All right. Are you ready to go?”

  Together they gathered up the scattered books and papers and placed them back in her bag. Then he led her out of the building and across the campus. It wasn’t yet twilight, but the sun had passed behind the mountains, tinting the college grounds in afternoon hues of yellow and orange.

  “Where are we going?” she asked as they walked to the edge of campus and approached a building she didn’t recognize. It was a bare, concrete structure with minimalist lines, odd angles, and unpredictable window placement. The building was incongruent with the traditional red-brick and old-stone buildings on campus.

  He held the door open for her. “This is the arts building. We’re going to the photography lab.”

  They passed through the colorful display of student artwork in the open, two-story lobby, and after taking the elevator down to the lower level, stepped into a dimly lit hall with concrete walls. The corridor was lined with simply framed and crisply matted photos—all in black and white. Landscapes dominated, while others were of animals, people in action, or detail shots.

  Down the hall, Logan stopped at a door and punched in a code on the keypad. The room beyond was a faculty lounge. It held a kitchenette, an old, worn sofa, and a row of metal lockers. He walked over to one of the lockers and took out several thick envelopes.

  “So you teach photography classes here?”

  “No. It’s more of a hobby. But since I’m on staff, the college gave me access to this building and full use of the lab. It was one of the things I requested when I signed on.”

  “How long have you been into photography?”

  “Since my junior year in college. I took a couple of classes at first, but mostly I‘ve just been experimenting on my own.”

  “So how long is that? How old are you?” she asked, hoping it wasn’t too personal of a question.

  “Twenty-nine.”

  She’d pegged him as being older than that, probably because he was a professor.

  “How old are you?” he asked.

  “Twenty.”

  After Logan grabbed what he needed from his locker, he approached a door in the room that had an unlit bulb mounted on the wall overhead.

  The room beyond was dark. When they entered, the strong scent of ammonia arrested Jade’s senses. After a few minutes her eyes adjusted and she could make out forms within the darkness, aided by a dim, amber-colored bulb at one end of the long room.

  Logan walked to a workstation with a large piece of metal equipment on the table. He took the smallest envelope and pulled out some film negatives. “This is how I develop film the good old-fashioned way.”

  She looked at him inquisitively.

  “I appreciate technology and shoot digitally too, but there’s something comforting about the old way. You can fudge anything in Photoshop nowadays, but creating photos this way feels… honest.”

  “Next thing I know, you’ll be telling me you don’t have a smartphone, either.”

  “I don’t, actually.”

  “Seriously?”

  He shrugged. “Call me old-fashioned.”

  He showed her how to use the machine that projected the image from the negative. A scenic landscape appeared on the table: an image of a long, thin waterfall crashing down onto large rocks, surrounded by trees. It was classic Colorado.

  “This is from one of my hiking expeditions. I love discovering hidden places like this.”

  “It’s beautiful.”

  After the image was recorded on photo paper and had a few solution baths, Logan placed the dripping picture into Jade’s hands. She examined the image. It was perfect.

  “Can we do another one?”

  He smiled. “I’m glad you aren’t bored. I wasn’t sure how interesting this would be.”

  “I think it’s cool how light and some magic solution can transform a sheet of blank paper into this.”

  They returned to the worktable and Logan swapped negatives. It was another landscape, this time familiar. The panoramic view of the valley from the overlook rock was still fresh in her mind. She felt a rise of emotions, remembering the first time they had met. “It’s stunning.”

  “That’s from a few years back.” Logan took out the negative and swapped it for a new one. “But I think I like the new version better.” He pressed the button and illuminated an image of the same spot. In this one a woman sat on the rock, her dark hair cascading down her back and her face tilted toward the sky, rays of light shooting across her skin, making it almost glow. Jade’s heart stuttered when she realized it was her.

  “I said I’d show you.”

  She looked from the image to Logan. His form was dark and shadowy, but the light from the projector made his eyes glow. They were locked on her face.

  Seconds ticked by. She couldn’t find words to speak. He’d been watching her. If it had been anyone else, it would’ve been creepy. Instead it sent thrills through her.

  Her own sense of attraction drowned as new emotions engulfed her. There were so many. She strained to pinpoint them. Wonder. Longing. Wistfulness. What was that… Sadness? Regret? Before she could identify them all, Logan broke the eye contact suddenly. His feelings were sucked from her, leaving only a valley of emptiness inside.

  After a beat, her own emotions poured in, now brittle and wounded. Her heart plummeted. Why was he putting up the wall?

  When he looked away, Logan stiffened. The confidential quality of his voice was gone, replaced with brusque, clipped words. “I’m sorry. I know I promised to answer your question, but I don’t qui
te think it’s… appropriate… for you to be here with me.”

  Jade stared at him. Why the abrupt change of mood? Maybe he’d been reluctant in the beginning, but he’d been the one to bring her here.

  She tried to catch his eye, but he avoided her by stuffing things into his bag. Leaning down to pick up her book bag, Jade nonchalantly slid the photo clasped in her hand into the large, front pocket—all in one graceful movement while he was too distracted to notice.

  Once he’d gathered his things, and without a word, Logan left through a revolving door on the other side of the lab, and she followed, practically dragging her feet. Soon they were outside, where darkness was falling.

  Stiff as ever, he seemed to look over her head rather than at her. “I have some things I need to get back to. I hope you do well on your exam. It was nice to meet you, Jade.”

  The note of finality in his voice hit her hard in the gut. It was as if he was saying good-bye permanently. The college wasn’t that large, and she wasn’t staying confined to her apartment any longer, but what if he meant not to see her again?

  “Thanks for helping me study.” Her throat was dry, and she tried to hide the hurt. She was glad he wasn’t looking at her when he walked off. Jade was left staring after him, feeling awkward and pathetic. She finally hurried across the parking lot and scrambled into her car.

  He’d opened up to her, let his guard down for a split-second, only to take it all back after the fact. Why? What was he hiding?

  It was impossible to deny her attraction to the man. She hadn’t admitted that or flirted with him in any way, but maybe he’d seen through her. And then it suddenly occurred to her. If he had thought she was interested in him, maybe the age difference made him uncomfortable. Or the fact that she was a student and he a faculty member. Not that he was her professor, but there had to be some sort of code that frowned upon teachers who fraternized with students. Wasn’t there?