Page 5 of Plaything

We walked into a giant kitchen with gold accents everywhere. Wyatt stood on the other side of the counter, looking at me. Niko stood closer to me by the edge of the island. “From the looks of it, you’re as confused as we are,” Wyatt started. “Tell us what happened,” he insisted.

Niko narrowed his eyes on me. “You were in my last class today, weren’t you?” he recalled.

Looking between the two of them, I slowly nodded in response. “After class, when I went back to my dorm, all my belongings were packed by the door,” I started, faintly hearing the kitchen door open. I didn’t bother turning around, too busy recalling and reliving the past hour. “Long story short, my roommate wanted to live with her boyfriend. She must have had a connection because she somehow got me evicted.”

“When I went to the admissions office, the woman working told me all the dorms were completely full. Not to mention she was super mean, for no apparent reason,” I paused, catching myself starting to stress ramble.

Taking a shaky breath, I continued: “Then my father called me and told me he was calling the board. I tried to stop him, but he doesn’t listen to anyone—” I stopped myself from oversharing. “He spoke to someone, and the next thing I knew, I was here,” I finished.

Don’t cry, I told myself. Saying it all out loud makes everything seem real. I was a nice person; I minded my own business, had never had a cavity, and helped people when I could. I didn’t deserve this. And neither did they. “I’m sorry for dragging you into this,” I said genuinely. “You can delete that email—”

Wyatt gave me a comforting look. “It sounds like you’ve had a very rough day,” he said gently. “I want you to stop apologizing. None of this is your fault, do you understand?” He smiled.

“Okay,” I responded, on the verge of tears.

Niko set a glass of water on the counter in front of me. “Take a deep breath and try to relax. Everything will be just fine,” he assured.

“Your father is Charles Whitlock, isn’t he?” A deep voice asked behind me.

I flinched at the suddenness, not expecting anyone behind me. I turned around, and my face paled. Aiden Anderson and Dominic Owens, two more professors. I’d never been in their classes, but I’d seen them around campus a few times.

Aiden’s attire—or lack thereof—made my mind go blank. He was shirtless, with dark jeans hanging low on his hips. His chest and arms were riddled with tattoos. Was this allowed? I definitely should not be seeing this! I averted my eyes quickly, forcing my attention away from his chiseled body.

Dominic stood tall, with his ever-present glare on his face. There were rumors that he physically couldn’t smile, but I didn’t believe that. He had a reputation as one of the meanest professors, and his class was supposed to be extremely difficult.

Now that I was standing in his intimidating presence, I was so glad I’d never taken one of his classes.

Four professors. I didn’t know whether to cry, run away, or call my father screaming.

Not to mention, they were all stupidly attractive, and I was wearing a baggy t-shirt with tangles in my hair. I couldn’t imagine all the horrible impressions I was making. If the floor below me could open and swallow me whole, that would make my life a whole lot easier.

I took a second to remember his question. I nodded at Aiden, keeping my eyes locked on his. “You know him?” I asked, hoping to God his answer was no. My father was a horrible person and an even crueler businessman. I didn’t want to be guilty by association.

Aiden cocked an eyebrow at me. “I know of him.” He crossed his arms over his chest, leaning against the wall. “So, are you one of his many stepchildren or his one biological daughter?” He asked, his eyes holding a certain smugness to them as if he already knew the answer.

I narrowed my eyes on him. How did he know that? I had about fifteen step-siblings that I didn’t keep in contact with. Some of my father’s marriages lasted no more than two months, and I never met his wife’s children. Still, Aiden must have done his research.

Not knowing why it was relevant, I took a breath. “The one and only,” I answered sarcastically.

Aiden was supposed to be an expert in human psychology. Just from the way he looked at me, I felt like he knew every thought I’d ever had.

He raised his eyebrows. “In that case, there’s nothing to discuss,” he looked around at the other three professors. “Charles Whitlock has the university in his back pocket, along with the board,” he chuckled humorlessly. “As uncomfortable and inconvenient as this is, we cannot go against the decision,” he concluded.

I wanted to make a statement that would debunk that but came up empty-handed. He was absolutely correct about everything he said. This was incredibly uncomfortable, not only because they were my professors but because I was now being forced to live with men. Men who I didn’t really know and who were several years older than I was. Guilt filled me when he mentioned that my being here also inconvenienced them.

We stood in thick silence. If they were anything like me, their heads were all imploding, and dreading the next few months. Wyatt asked me not to apologize, but I truly was so sorry.

Aiden kicked off the wall. “Welcome home,” he gave me a look before he walked out of the kitchen.

Chapter Three

Wyatt

Niko and I grabbed boxes from Odette’s car, helping her bring everything into the house. She insisted she could do it herself several times, but there was no way we were letting her carry these herself. She already had to move once today, and from what she said about being kicked out, I doubt she had any help the first time.

I genuinely felt bad for her. She’d obviously been crying. Her eyes were still glassy, her emotions threatening to spill. She wore a permanent look of guilt like this was somehow her fault. I wished Aiden wouldn’t have used the word inconvenient earlier.

Having a female student living with us wasn’t ideal. I wasn’t worried about the legalities of keeping my job; the board knew exactly what they did. If anyone would be taking the blame if word got out, it was them.

---