by Geneva Lee
“No more boys for me. Unless you’re available, Frank.” She batted her eyelashes at him suggestively.
“I’m too old for you, hon. Thought I told you to stay out of trouble this year.” His words were gruff, but we all knew he was a teddy bear underneath his tough exterior. He’d seen his fair share of our love interests through the years, and he treated them like any father figure would: as jerks until they proved otherwise. He had only stopped calling Liam ‘that Scot’ a few weeks ago.
Cassie shook her head, spilling dark locks of hair over her shoulders. “Boys my age are trouble.”
“Been telling you that for years,” Frank called over his shoulder as he headed back toward the kitchen.
“Hey guys! Doctor Markson.” My head perked up on hearing the familiar Scottish accent. Liam bowed like Roman had been coronated.
“That makes me feel old.”
“Maybe someday there will be two Doctor Marksons.” Leave it to Cassie to wreck a celebration with expectations. I kicked her under the table.
“That sounds like a sitcom,” Jillian said, immediately shutting up when I shot her a warning look. She hadn’t sat down yet, so I couldn’t kick her. Unlike Cassie, she got the message and swiftly changed the subject. “I can’t believe it’s May.”
Liam caught on and began discussing summer plans. He wanted to go camping with Jillian, which was one of the worst ideas I’d ever heard. Over the past year, I’d grown to love Liam as much as Jillian. Judging from how she clung to his side that might be a stretch. The two of them looked relaxed and happy. In fact, I’d never seen Jillian so content before and I could only hope it would last. They scooted into the booth next to Cassie. It was a tight fit but no one complained. Having my whole, extended family here was enough to put me instantly at ease. Within an hour, we’d polished off both combo pizzas and the conversation was flowing as swiftly as the penny pitchers.
“Any news?” I asked Jillian as the men discussed soccer.
She stiffened in her chair and took a long swig of her beer. She was on her second of the night. I’d been counting, knowing I’d have to step in if she tried to have more or risk it interacting with her medications.
“No official news, but the student liaison’s office says it doesn’t look good. Apparently every foreign exchange student wants to come to Washington.” Judging from the tension ticking in her jaw as she finished speaking, she thought this was unfair. “Why can’t we go to school somewhere boring like Cleveland. I mean, Liam’s already here. Why not let him stay?”
“You could marry him,” I said with a shrug.
Jillian’s face turned fire truck red, but next to her, Liam laughed and leaned over to me. “Careful, now. You’re going to mess up my plans.”
“Shut up,” she said, turning even brighter red.
“Oh, chicken. Stop now, love.” He planted a kiss on her forehead. “That looks like painful embarrassment.”
This was why I loved him. He didn’t bat an eye at the idea of a long-term relationship with Jillian. Chronic illness would have scared most guys away, but not Liam. He had staying power. He was in love with her and that was all that mattered. My gaze darted to Roman. He wasn’t so easily scared off either. If only we could find a real man for Cassie. But two out of three wasn’t bad, and it proved to me that life had a way of sending you what you needed.
“It’ll work out,” I assured her, suddenly and totally certain.
“How?” She looked at me with the familiar, searching eyes I knew so well. She hadn’t looked at me that way in months. At some point, I’d stopped being the person she turned to for comfort and advice. I suppose facing the prospect of losing Liam, she’d fallen into old habits.
I glanced to Roman, understanding how subtly romance changed all your relationships and not always in bad ways. “I just know it will.”
Something had shifted in our relationships. There was a time—not terribly long ago—when the idea of marriage would have had both of us running for the hills. I’d also thought of it as something reserved for women much older than myself. At best, it was about companionship. At worst, it was a solution. I could see why Jillian would be wary of solving Liam’s visa dilemma by saying “I do.” But I also knew without a doubt that when he finally got down on one knee, she would say yes. My stomach did a nervous flip at how adult our lives were becoming.
“Oh my god!” Cassie yelped, slamming her hands on the table. “It’s not bad enough to be the fifth wheel when you two have landed yourself hotties, but now you have to talk about all that serious bullshit right now? It’s enough to drive a girl to take a vow of celibacy.”
“Get thee to a nunnery!” Liam called, pointing at her.
“I’ll have none,” Cassie quipped back.
I raised an eyebrow at her from across the table.
“What? I know Shakespeare,” she said. “You don’t have to be a Brit to know the Bard.”
Liam leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms behind his head. “I’m not a Brit. I’m Scottish.”
“You keep telling us that.” Cassie shot him a wicked smile. “But I haven’t seen you in a kilt yet.”
“You’ll have to trust me on that then,” Jillian said, leaning against Liam’s shoulder, momentarily distracted from the visa trouble. “The man has a kilt, and he looks seriously sexy in it.”
Somehow we’d gotten from visa to marriage to Shakespeare to kilts—that was why I loved my friends. Two pitchers later and Cassie had met her next soul mate at the bar. I watched her with a bemused smile, hoping my creep radar wasn’t off. The last thing she needed was another Trevor in her life.
“How about we go back to your place and study some anatomy?” Roman whispered in my ear.
A shiver raced along my neck, but I faked a nonplussed look. “Or we could have sex.”
“If you insist.” He was already pulling a twenty out of his wallet. Standing up, he held out a hand and helped me from my seat. “Jillian. Liam.”
Liam nodded in that typical masculine way. “Good to see you, man.”
“I’m going to spend the night at Roman’s,” I told Jillian.
“Our neighbors couldn’t handle it if we both had our men over at once.” Her lips crooked into an impish smile.
“No doubt,” I said, shaking my head. It would sound like the building was going to collapse. “Keep an eye on Cassie.”
“I’ll try.” We both cast doubtful glances in her direction. Flirting had transitioned to dancing. With any luck things would end there.
Leaving Garrett’s, Roman slung his arm over my shoulder as we stepped into the cool night air. The sky was inky black with no stars in sight thanks to the cloud cover shedding a light mist all around us.
“I always feel like a vegetable when it rains like this,” I confided to Roman.
“A vegetable?” he repeated with a laugh, pulling me closer to him.
“Like in the grocery store,” I continued. “They have those misters that keep the produce fresh.”
“You’re much prettier than a carrot.” He dipped his head and kissed me swiftly. “And sweeter, too.”
I relaxed in his embrace as we headed toward his apartment. I didn’t even mind that it was raining, not with him by my side. Despite the stress of upcoming finals and MCATs, life felt less hectic than usual. Roman had become the constant I could look forward to after classes and study sessions. We could work together and still find time to hang out. It was a nice change of pace.
Stopping on the sidewalk near the dock, I turned into him, lifting my face to his in invitation. He accepted, slanting his mouth over mine and kissing me deeply. My lips parted in welcome and his tongue flicked across my own, sending sparks of desire ricocheting through me. I would never get enough of him. Of this. Of us.
He pressed closer to me as if sensing my thoughts. Our bodies tangled under the starless sky, fighting to be closer together.
“What the hell, Jess?” Brett’s angry voice shattered the mood.
“This is why you said no?” Brett spat at me. “Christ, did you bring him back from Mexico? I thought you had more taste than that.”
Roman stiffened at the racist remark, and I stepped quickly between them. It was always awkward the first time you saw an ex, but Brett didn’t have any claim on me. Not anymore. Apparently, he needed a reminder. “My life isn’t your business anymore, Brett.”
“You’re Brett?” Roman asked, running his eyes up and down my ex-boyfriend. “Huh.”
“Now what does that mean?” Brett demanded. “Have you been talking about me, Jess? What have you been saying? I bet you tell him what a mistake you made letting me go.”
“It’s over, Brett.” I spoke in slow, careful words. “Go home.”
“You know what’s funny?” Brett continued, ignoring my warning, “I never go to Garrett’s, because I’m avoiding you, and the one night my buddies talk me into it, you’re here—with some guy.”
I flinched at the implication in his words. If only he knew that Roman wasn’t just a random man but telling him that would only make things worse. Letting this encounter get any uglier could only spell trouble. I took a deep breath and opted to play peacemaker. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were there.”
I hadn’t seen him in the bar, but it was clear he’d been watching me. The thought made me queasy. Why couldn’t he get over me already? The rain had picked up now. The drops hit my face and streaked cold down my cheeks like forgotten tears. It was the closest I’d ever coming to crying over him.
“Like hell you didn’t.” Brett moved nearer and Roman’s hand found mine. He wasn’t marking his territory—that wasn’t his style—but I didn’t doubt that he wasn’t going to let Brett come any closer.
Tugging at Roman’s hand, I urged him along, eager to get away from the scene Brett was making. But Brett wasn’t going to let us get away that easily.
“The important thing is that I saw you and your boyfriend,” Brett called after me. “I had to ask around a little bit, but you can guess how surprised I was when I found out he’s a professor.”
I froze in my tracks. Of course, he would take things too far. I should have seen that his obsessive side would only make matters worse after our break-up. Once he’d stopped calling and texting, I thought he finally moved on. Now I knew that was a futile hope. Wheeling around, I turned on him. “He’s not a professor. What do you want me to say? Things are over between us, Brett. It’s not your business who I date.”
“The university might feel differently. Maybe we could talk and you could explain.” Brett held his hands up innocently, but I wasn’t buying his act. It was at odds with the rest of his behavior.
“I’ll think about it,” I said. “Good night.”
This time I didn’t take Roman’s hand. I didn’t want him to feel mine shaking. We started moving, heading in the opposite direction of Brett. Neither of us spoke, and it took me a few minutes to realize he wasn’t leading me to his apartment anymore. I didn’t object when we reached the stairs to my place.
“Maybe it would be better…” Roman let the suggestion trail away, but I knew where he was headed with it. Being together didn’t feel all that wise after Brett’s threat. In the morning, we’d feel differently. Right now, I had a lot to think about.
I nodded. “Let me talk to him.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Concern shone in his dark eyes. “He seemed unstable.”
“He’s just upset,” I assured him. “Believe me, Brett is pretty much all bark, no bite.”
Roman opened his mouth like he was going to argue with this, but kissed me instead. “Take one of the girls with you.”
I agreed, fingers crossed behind my back. If I was going to face Brett, I needed to do it alone. I’d never come clean to my best friends about Brett’s proposal. I still wasn’t sure why. Initially, I’d wanted to spare Cassie’s feelings, but she had gotten over Trevor months ago. I’d never even told Jillian. I’d wanted to forget it had even happened. Maybe Brett knew that, which was why he was acting like a first class dickhead now.
Talking to Brett might allow him to see that we weren’t as compatible as he’d deluded himself into believing. His threats regarding my relationship with Roman were just a symptom of his own regret. If we faced facts, he’d see that. Unless he acted like he had tonight. Then it would be easy to walk away without remorse. A girl could hope.
Then again, I knew to be careful what I wished for.
Chapter Twenty-Three
I agreed to meet Brett alone at Coffee & Cream despite Cassie and Jillian’s protests. The most I was willing to agree to was meeting him in public. The local cafe was neutral ground and always packed. I’d never thought of Brett as dangerous. I still didn’t. But he had lost his temper at the bar, and I couldn’t guarantee that he wouldn’t get as angry with me as he had with Roman. As soon as I walked through the doors and spotted him waiting for me inside, my confidence vanished. I’d promised Brett that we would talk when I returned from Mexico, but I’d been avoiding that conversation for months. He knew that and now that he’d seen me with Roman, he knew why.
He shoved a drink at me as soon as I took the seat across from him.
“Chai,” he said.
It was my special drink—the one I reserved for a pick-me-up on bad days. Of course, Brett would know that after dating for a year, but the simple gesture made me feel even worse. Despite knowing I’d moved on, it was clear he hadn’t, and if the chai was any indication, he was still holding out hope.
Brett didn’t look up from the table, but his fists balled as he spoke. “Tell me the truth, Jess. Have you been screwing around with him the whole time?”
I wanted to say no. I wanted to say a lot of things, but I was torn. I’d hurt him, but that didn’t give him any right to shame me about my life. Part of me wanted to inform Brett he didn’t own me. The rest of me worried that angering him would only lead to more drama.
“I should have been upfront with you,” I admitted. “I started seeing Roman a few months ago after we broke up. I don’t think I owe you any more explanation than that.”
“We were going to get married.”
Was he revising history? It was getting harder and harder to let him down gently. “I never said yes. In fact, if I’d known you saw our relationship in that way, I would have ended things earlier.”
“I had a five-year plan, which included you. You could have let me know that I wasn’t part of yours.”
“Are your hurt that I broke up with you? Or because you had to rearrange your schedule?” I couldn’t keep my cool for another second. It was one thing for him to be upset. It was another for him to rewrite reality.
“Whatever. I had no idea you were the type to fuck your profs to maintain your GPA,” Brett said loudly, causing more than a few heads to swivel toward our table. “Let me know how that works out in med school.”
I stiffened, completely shocked by the ugliness of his words. Maybe he’d gotten me the chai because he knew I’d need a pick-me-up after he knocked me down. It was clear that I’d dodged a major bullet by saying no to him. “Nothing happened between Roman and I until after we broke up, so stop insinuating that I’m a slut.”
“I never said you were a slut,” Brett interjected. “But you’re being stupid. We had something together. You’re not going to find someone with a goals as compatible to your career goals as me. You still have a year of school left. That’s plenty of time to clean up your little mess and plan a wedding before you start med school.”
I stood up so quickly that my chair clattered to the floor behind me. “I should have told you before that there was no way in hell I would ever marry you. I was tryin
g to be gentle then—kind. Let me make it clear now. You can take your ring and shove it up your uptight ass. In a few years, maybe it will turn back to coal.”
“Wrong answer.” Brett’s jaw clenched and he jumped to his feet, getting in my face. “If you think this is where it ends, you’re wrong. Ever hear of the Code of Ethics?”
Suddenly I wished I hadn’t knocked my chair over. I needed to sit down. I had indeed heard of it, and Brett knew that, because I’d sat on the Student Ethics Committee last year. It was Olympic State’s private justice system and it covered everything from roommate quarrels to fist fights to plagiarism. In all the time I’d served, there had never been anything as juicy as a faculty-student affair, and if Brett had his way, he’d be dragging me in front of the SEC to prove his point.
“I’m sorry, Brett. I didn’t mean for this to happen. But are you really going to ruin our lives for revenge?” I whispered, even though I knew it was too little too late.
“Revenge?” He laughed, but it was hollow and unamused.
“Yes.” If I could make him see that, maybe he could move on and let this go. “Can’t you just let this go? I’m ha—”
“Stop right there,” he said. “Don’t give me a line about how happy you are and how I’ll find someone. You were supposed to love me, Jess. Even if we were on a break. You don’t go from being in a committed relationship to cheating in less than a week unless you’re a liar.”
“That’s not cheating,” I reminded him, but I knew that he wasn’t processing what I was saying.
“It doesn’t matter.” Brett stepped away from me, shoving his hands in his pockets. “I already contacted the SEC. Apparently they have no jurisdiction over faculty, even graduate students.”
My shoulders slumped. He’d been trying to scare me—and it had worked. I couldn’t believe that he could be so twisted. Once I walked out of here, I needed to consider how to maintain a safe distance between us. I never wanted to see Brett again.
“Grad students are reprimanded by their department. They sent my complaint to the dean. But the SEC is looking into whether or not it’s within their purview to reprimand a student for such a relationship. You used to sit on the committee, what do you think?”