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All right. I could do that…
Maybe.
I returned to the school and found Isa and Oliver lounging in front of the fireplace in the Main Foyer. I went over to stroke Oliver’s fur. “Find anything, buddy?”
Oliver looked up at me with a sad expression on his face. That’s when I noticed the scratch on his chin.
My stomach dropped as I pulled him into my arms. “What happened to you?”
Oliver couldn’t respond, but he purred as I inspected the wound. It wasn’t deep enough to need stitches, but it’d get infected if I didn’t keep a close eye on it.
I couldn’t tell if someone had done this to him, or if he’d gotten into an altercation with another cat. If Professor Leto had caught him following him, I didn’t think he’d hesitate to hurt him. It was stupid of me to send him to spy on Leto in the first place. He’d learned nothing, and he got hurt for it.
“You two go back to the dorms,” I instructed. “I don’t want you getting hurt. I’ll be back soon.”
The cats ran off, and I continued down the hall. I paced nervously in front of Professor Warren’s classroom. He’d given me advice before. Surely he’d be able to help.
Warren’s office was located at the back of his classroom, but I remained in the hallway. All I had to do was open the freaking door, but I couldn’t.
Maybe I didn’t need his advice. I’d bottle it up, like I used to… until it all came spilling out. Fuck, what was I supposed to do?
Before I could make a decision, the classroom door opened. “Ah, Lucas,” Professor Warren said brightly. “You caught me just in time. I was on my way out.”
I couldn’t mask the emotions on my face. Professor Warren noticed, and the corners of his lips turned down. “Let’s talk.”
I followed him through his classroom, and he shut his office door behind us. I plopped into the red chair across from his desk. Professor Warren sat behind his desk and waited for me to speak. I couldn’t spit the words out.
Finally, he broke the silence. “What can I do to help?”
He didn’t pry, and I appreciated that. He wasn’t asking me what was wrong, or trying to get a story out of me. All he wanted to do was help. I tried to steady my breath.
“I know I’ve been hard on you in the past—” he started.
I scoffed. “Not even close.”
Had this man ever met my father?
“I’m just having a hard time putting my thoughts into words,” I admitted. “I lost my therapist.”
His shoulders fell, and he looked genuinely sorry for me. “Perhaps I can help you find someone to replace your doctor.”
“It’s no use. No one’s going to take me without insurance, and my internship doesn’t pay that well. It’s just… Professor, I don’t think I can do this without my therapist.”
A weight came off my shoulders when I admitted that. It wasn’t easy to be vulnerable around anyone but Nadine, but part of me wanted to just put it all out in the open.
“The last thing I want is to see you out of therapy before you’re ready, but perhaps you’re stronger than you believe,” Professor Warren said.
“I don’t know about that.”
“Look at all the progress you’ve made,” he reminded me. “Of course your therapist has been there to support you, but it was you who did the work.”
“Without her guidance, how will I know what to do? Professor, it’s not just about me. I’m getting better, and I was so close to convincing Dr. Mack of that. Just a few more weeks, and she would approve my psych eval for Nadine’s kidney transplant. I just know it.”
Fuck, I was a wreck. This was all my fault.
“You can’t blame yourself,” Professor Warren insisted.
“Why not?” I demanded. “Nadine’s going to suffer because of me.”
