Page 40 of One Rule

My boss has been in and out of the office all week. Staying only long enough to give me instructions on canceling anything and everything on his schedule or to handle it as I see fit. This isn’t what I signed up for—my class project is weighing heavy on my mind—and I’m hitting a wall at every turn.

Yet every time I want to bring it up, I back out after taking one look at Micah. He’s lost in his head.

Quiet. Completive. I can sense his anger brewing.

But why?

Then, there’s the complete quiet coming from my family. No one has called me or checked in, and while they can be at times tunnel-vision-idiots, this is too much.

Not so much as a smoke signal to tell me all is okay, and my mind wanders.Is it all connected? Are they hiding something from me?

“They have no idea I moved,” I mutter low, but if Ligo heard, he gives no indication. I went from living in my mother’s condo—an empty unit she uses whenever she’s not traveling or in the Florida Keys with her friends—and then the next, I’m the newest tenant in a high-rise located on Brickell Ave. with over seventy floors and an ocean view.

“We’re here, Ms.” Ligo turns onto campus and then heads straight toward the main science building where my professor’s office is located. How did he know? I have no clue, but maybe he went to school here. Or had family that did. “I’ll wait for you close by.”

“Thank you, but it’s okay if you need to go. I can Uber it to the office after.”

“No, ma’am. I’ll be here.”

“I don’t know how long I’ll be—”

“Take all the time you need.”

“Okay.” Exiting the SUV, I head inside the building and Professor Duval’s office door is toward the left not far from the entrance. It’s ajar, but there are no voices coming from inside. Tentatively, I give a few soft knocks. “Professor?”

“Right behind you.”

“Christ!” I squeak, whirling around to find my professor a few feet from me. In his late sixties and with a salt and pepper ponytail, he’s carrying his backpack and a stack of books he can barely handle; I’m quick to reach forward and help. “I’ll take these.”

“Thank you, Ms. Armas.” He moves past me but then pauses at his slightly open door. “I didn’t leave this unlocked. What the hell?”

“Is something wrong, Professor?”

“I don’t think.” Pushing the door open, he walks inside and then looks around but finds nothing or no one and shrugs. “Please come inside. Have a seat.”

“Okay.” Not that he’s paying much attention, Professor Duval puts everything away and then walks straight over to his mini fridge. From inside, he pulls out unsweetened iced tea and I cringe. An expression he sees on my face. “What’s wrong with this?”

“It should be illegal to drink it that way.”

He snorts and pops the top before drinking half in one go. “It’s not so bad.”

“Not buying it.”

“I don’t either, but I tell myself this so I don’t cave and my wife doesn’t kill me.”

“Now that makes sense.” I’m still holding onto his books and place them down on the corner of his desk, before sitting back. Professor Duval is behind his desk now and this is the man I’m used to, stern face and a little impatient. “I’m sorry to bother you without a proper appointment, I know you’re busy but—”

“What’s going on?”

“I can’t get a hold of Mr. Dunlap,” I say, and going by his expression, he’s not surprised by this. Is he no longer working with him? “I need to log in my work study hours and discuss my final project.”

Jeremy’s left me with little to no choice in the matter. Since last week when he canceled on me, he’s been pushing this back or just not answering my emails. Phone calls aren’t being accepted either.

I’m being academically ghosted.

“That’s because he quit.”

“Come again?”

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