Page 69 of Emily: Hello Kitten

“Please, Sarah,” I insist.

“Why are you being all weird?” she asks.

I glance around again and pat Adrian’s car twice. I don’t want him to get out. I don’t want him to put himself at risk when other students are still looking over. I swallow. “I don’t want all this attention on me, and Idon’twant to go home. I made that clear. I love you, Sarah, but I saw everyone at your wedding, and nothing has changed.”

“Emmy,” she says softly. “Is this because of what Mom was saying about Adrian?”

“Adrian?” someone chirps close by. “Wait, like Professor Adrian?”

“Are we talking to you?” I snarl.

The girl rolls her eyes.

“He’s not the only Adrian in the world,” I hiss.

“Sure. Pathetic.” She flips her hair, but when she uses some pouting, mewling voice to mock me, I recognize her as the girl who hit on Adrian.

My sister stares me down as I glance at the car. “I have to go.”

She grabs my arm, and I see her on her phone. She pauses, swallows, then looks at the car before turning and showing me the picture of “Dr. Adrian Hayes” at this university. I pull out my own phone and call Adrian.

“We have a problem. Go home, please,” I say softly.

“What’s wrong, Emily?” he asks as I stare at my sister, my face heating and add, “She knows.”

“Both in the car,” he orders before hanging up.

I open the back seat of his car to her, and she continues to glare at me as I force her in with my bag and slide into the front seat myself. Adrian buckles me in and starts the car. With a quick glance between me and my sister, he takes us to his home.

Sarah rants the whole car ride. “You broughtyour professorto my wedding! As your date! Are you playing some kind of game or are you this stupid? You could be expelled for this! He could be fired! Did you seduce him, blackmail him? What did you do, Emily? How could you do this? How could you—”

“Do you actually want answers, or would you like to keep yelling?” Adrian says, his tone the same as when he scolds a student.

Sarah’s eyes bulge. “So this is real! What the hell! You’re an adult. She’s barely twenty! The age difference completely aside, how can you, in a position of power, continue this? How could you agree to come to my wedding? I thought it was weird you aren’t in any of the photos, but—Emily, you told me you two had sex! Please tell me that’s not true. Tell me you’re not doing this. Tell me you’re smarter than this!”

I shrink further in my seat, but Adrian hisses as we pull into the driveway and all the way into the garage. “Again, would you like answers or would you like to keep yelling?”

He turns to face my sister, and she falls silent for a second.

She swallows. “Are you two seriously in a relationship? You’re thirty-two. That’s twelve years older than my sister. That’s way too old. You’re supposed to know better, even if she’s stupid and is sucked in and trying to seduce you. You’re supposed to be the adult who puts his foot down and says no, so how is this even a conversation to have when you’re clearly abusing the situation?”

I unbuckle after fumbling with the seatbelt twice, then walk into his house. Adrian and my sister get out next. Adrian opens the door for me, holding my bag, and lets me in. I walk through the kitchen and go right to his couch. I’m itching for a whole lot more than beer—the only thing I’ve had since I keep the promises I make, but right now, something harder would make it easier for me to function.

I don’t want to have this conversation.

I don’t want to try to explain everything to my hyper-moralistic sister.

I don’t want to have to defend us. I’m too busy staring into the future and watching my sister burn my life and Adrian’s down.

Grabbing my favorite blanket of his, I wrap it around myself. Adrian looks at Sarah who’s clearly waiting for answers, then walks over to me, wrapping his arms around me. He kisses the top of my head. “Put your bag in my bedroom, Kitten, and I’ll start on this.”

“Okay,” I breathe.

I walk to his bedroom without a problem and hear my sister hiss. “She shouldn’t be involved in this and you know it. I looked past the age difference at my wedding, but you’re herprofessor. Based on her being an English major, I bet she even has a class with you.”

“Will you listen if we explain?” Adrian says. “You’ve asked a lot of questions, and I’m more than willing to answer. So is Emily, but I won’t tolerate your yelling at her like that or upsetting her.”

“Fuck you,” she hisses.

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