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“Callum,” Leroy said, and his voice alone had the entire room spinning around me. “I need to see you in my office right away.”
“I’ll be there in ten.” I didn’t even need to ask him what this involved. He was very hands-off, so if he was summoning me to his chamber, there was only one thing it could be. “Fucking hell.”
I scrubbed my hands down my face, then went into my en-suite to splash some cold water onto my face. Due to my lack of sleep, mostly over the weekend, but even before that, I already looked like hell. Leroy would certainly think I was drunk, or at the least, hung over. I was cursing under my breath as I grabbed my phone and keys, quickly locking my office behind me. I then walked across campus to the building which housed all the different administrators. When I got to the Dean’s office, he looked up and motioned for me to enter.
“Close the door behind you, Callum. We need to talk.”
I did as he asked, then made my way to the seat across from him. There was a certain level of disappointment on his face, and I could only imagine that it would mirror the look that would be on my father’s face once he got back in the country and heard about this and the order of protection.
“What would you like to talk about?” I had to ask just on the off chance that I was wrong about what this summons involved.
“I’ve received videographic evidence of you with one of your students.”
“Video, what?” I asked, knowing good and damn well that I’d never recorded the two of us at any point in time. Could Nicole have really done something like that? I was starting to believe a lot of things about her, but I couldn’t wrap my head around this and file it away as truth.
Leroy turned his laptop to me, and I know I had to have turned white as a sheet when I saw Nicole and me in the hallway during the masquerade party. The visual not only sent memories of being inside of her rushing back, but it was like a kick to the groin. No, I couldn’t and wouldn’t believe she did this. Who else knew about the two of us? She’d promised me more than once that she’d never told a single soul, so who would’ve gotten this evidence. As I watched the two of us on screen, something came to me and I looked impassively up at the Dean.
“She’s not a student in my class. I’d met her at the party and...” My voice trailed off as I realized what he must think of me. My reputation as a playboy hadn’t been secret, so this would only feed those rumors.
“I was told that this was Nicole Courtland who is a—”
“Nicole doesn’t have blonde hair, or tattoos,” I pointed out, and I almost thought I’d dodged this until he produced a folder and slid it across the desk at me. Annoyed, I snatched it up, and when I emptied the contents out onto the desk, I saw pictures of Nicole and me in my office the last time I had seen her. She was clinging to me, and there was no doubt as to who she was. The video maybe, but not these.
“What the hell were you thinking, Callum. You know this is completely inappropriate, as well as unethical. Your father and I used to talk often about your promiscuous ways and how they’d get you in trouble one day. That day is now. Serious allegations have been made, and I have a responsibility to the students, parents, and other faculty to make sure things like this don’t happen.”
“It’s not exactly what it looks like. I—”
“I know, Callum. I’ve always looked upon you as an honorary son. I went to bat for you when it came to you getting this position. My reputation is at stake, and I can’t let this slide without serious discipline. I’m disappointed in you, son. Your poor parents are going to be beside themselves when they come back to the States and hear about this.”
“I’m not seeing her,” I told him, hoping it would make a difference.
“The damage is already done, and I’m now forced to do something I never thought I’d have to do. Callum, you’re—”
The door opened, and I turned around to see the secretary flash an apologetic smile. “Miss Courtland is here. I’ll ask her to wait.” She then closed the door, and my blood turned cold.
“I have to get a statement from the two of you. Whatever happened, I need to know now,” he told me, and I gave a high overview of our relationship from meeting in Costa Rica, and ending with me trying to console her after the death of her mother. When done, Leroy stood up. “I’m sure you understand the position this has put me in. I hate to have to do this, but I need you to clean out your office.”
“Are you firing me?” I asked, completely shocked that it had resulted in this. I had known it was a possibility, but it still was so surreal.
“No, not yet. You’re under suspension until the department investigates. These are very serious allegations, and we have to do right by the university. I’m sorry, Callum.”
“Not more than me,” I muttered, then left. Once outside, my gaze locked in on Nicole’s, and her guilty expression said it all. I’d started the day with anger and confusion, but those emotions had now morphed into hate, and I turned away from her, then stormed out of the area.
NICOLE
I’d made the decision to stay away from school this week, so I was surprised when I received a call from the Dean’s office. My first thought had been about Callum, but he would never turn himself in. There’d been so many nights when he’d confide in me about how much this job meant to him.
He could do almost anything, but he’d always wanted to be a teacher which I found admirable. I still did. There was no way he would throw all of that away for me. I’d then convinced myself that this summons was most likely about my attendance as of late. I’d actually assumed it was about that, but then I saw Callum, and after witnessing a flash of pain, the anger, and hatred that replaced it made me shiver.
I suddenly had no idea what the hell was happening. So much had gone so wrong and all at once. I’d simply broken up with Callum because I couldn’t handle the stress of a clandestine relationship. I thought he’d understand, and more importantly, respect it, but the recent gifts made it clear that he hadn’t. The last straw had been when he’d left the knife in the book, and open to chapter seven where Myrtle died. It’d been the same chapter I’d heavily referenced in my essay. There’d been a picture of me at the last charity event.
Fear filled me ever since that day. I’d even gone as far as changing the codes on the door, and keeping myself closed off in the condo all weekend. I didn’t want to believe the man who’d once made me feel so cherished and safe, could change so irrevocably, but the evidence was overwhelming. I was just so thankful to have Travis to lean on. He was there for me when I’d desperately needed someone. I just wished he was here with me now.
“The Dean’s ready to see you now, Miss Courtland,” his secretary said, and I smiled wearily.
“Thank you.” I stood up, and looked once over my shoulder to see if Callum was still around, but he was nowhere to be seen. I then made my way into the Dean’s office and closed the door behind me. I didn’t know if he wanted me to sit or not until he arched his brow at me. I moved to the empty chair and as soon as I sat down, Callum’s cologne enveloped me. I not only knew it was his because I’d just seen him leave this very office, but because I’d recognize it anywhere. It’d been on the shirt he’d left at my place, and on my pillow each morning when he left. “Y-You wanted to see me?”
I was incredibly nervous, especially because Callum was so upset when he’d left from here. Having no idea what happened, I could only guess as to what this entailed, even if I didn’t understand how. There was no way the Dean could know that once upon a time, we’d been seeing one another, because no one had known but Callum and me. This had to be because of the restraining order, and he’d likely come down here to have me removed from his class for the next semester. What had once filled me with anger to even think about, now had me relieved.
