Page 28 of Forbidden Fruit

“I didn’t. Now I do.”

"So, what’s the news? Am I a viral meme yet?" I cringe at the thought.

"Just that some maniac girl tackled DeLuca in the grass outside of the faculty building."

"And you thought of me?" I shove her playfully.

"Apparently, my hunch wasn't wrong." She gives me a pointed look.

"It's been a fun twenty-four hours, but this is downright reckless. We said one night and already fucked that up," I concede with a long sigh.

"What exactly do you want out of whatever it is you two have going on?"

I shrug. "Fuck if I know, Mia."

"If he wasn't your professor, would you date him?"

I bite my lip, then nod gingerly. "Yeah, I'm pretty certain I'd fucking date him, but I can’t. Plus, he doesn’t want that. He’s a rebound fuck for me, and I’m just a conquest for him.”

"You two have been spending a lot of time together between the gym and sneaking around after classes," Mia says pointedly.

"I know. It has to stop, though, Mia. Tenure and a lab are on the line for him and then there’s me. I don’t really know what my consequences would be."

Mia nods in agreement, taking a long pull of the wine. "So, what horrifying kink is in the book that you had to tackle him over, anyway?"

"It's a student/professor smutty romance. I annotated it."

"He watched you pet your kitty in the shower, then you had a whole extravagant fuckfest, and you're worried about some erotica?" she exclaims in disbelief.

"It's BDSM," I counter.

"Seems like something your brooding DeLuca would be pleased with." She picks a piece of dirt from underneath her fingernails.

"He has a breeding kink." Mia's eyebrows shoot up in response.

"Well, fuck. I understand your hesitation now. Wait, DeLuca has a breeding kink or your book boyfriend does?" She laughs.

“In all seriousness, I wrote him something, and it was folded in there.” She’s still laughing about the laundry list of kinks, and I can't help but to laugh with her, so hard that I snort. The laughter is short-lived.

“Fuck." I groan as the screen of my cell illuminates and vibrates in my hands. I don't even say hello.

"Olivia Elizabeth Hamilton, get your ass to my office now." Dad's voice booms so loudly in my ear that I wince. Mia's jaw goes slack, but she looks relieved that she doesn't have to eavesdrop.

"Welp, the dean saw my new career in football. If I don't come back, you know my family decided to murder me."

"Be honest. I mean, that you're into him, not that you fucked him," Mia calls. I consider that option in my head, and it might just be the best one I have. As if on cue, Matt enters without hesitation.

"Who fucked who?" he asks, rubbing his hands together in excitement. I say nothing as I leave, knowing Mia will fill him in.

Between the wine and the dread, I decide to walk to my dad's office. The air is biting, and the sky threatens snow. With late fall approaching, the plants get the memo. The famous Northeastern fall foliage of dazzling oranges, yellows, and reds is turning bleak as winter approaches. By the time I reach Dad's office, my fingers are red and frost-bitten. When I enter the room, both dad and Tomas give me looks that could freeze over hell, and my mood sours further.

I take the seat next to Tomas, our legs brushing briefly. I roll my eyes when my heart flutters at the innocent contact. I've seen all I need to see to know that this isn't going to go in my favor. I try to catch his attention, but he remains the perfect picture of stoicism.

My father clears his throat and my attention snaps to him. "Pardon my lack of eloquence, but what the hell is going on?" His tone is seething. I shrink a little further down in my seat, willing myself to die.

Tomas and I are playing a game of chicken, unsure of who should break the silence first.

Dad turns his attention to me. "Olivia, why don't you start with why I watched you tackle him like you were in tryouts to become Bennington’s newest linebacker?"

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