Page 44 of Penalized Love

She glances at my things scattered across the table. “Looks like you’ve been productive.”

“Yeah, I feel like I’m killing it for the first time in a while. There’s so much we need to catch up on. Plus, something else happened that has me kind of freaking out.” I pull out my phone and show her the email from Bailey. “I got this message asking to meet tomorrow morning. She wants to discuss my work and ‘a few other things’. Whatever that means.”

Selene reads the email before she looks up at me. “Huh. That is a bit cryptic. What do you think it’s about?”

I shrug. “No clue. I’ve been racking my brain trying to figure out if I did something wrong, but I can’t think of anything.”

“I’m sure it’s nothing bad,” Selene reassures me. “You’re an amazing photographer, Isla. The team is lucky to have you.”

“Thanks, Selene.” I give her a small smile. It is what I need.

“Would it be weird for you to ask your dad if he knows anything?”

I sigh. “I thought about it and even double-checked that Bailey hadn’t CCed him on the email. Wouldn’t they have included him if it was something serious?” I say, trying to convince myself more than Selene.

She nods. “That’s a good point. Honestly, if it was something awful, I doubt Bailey would wait until tomorrow to talk to you. She’d probably want to discuss it ASAP, even if it’s late on a Monday.”

Her logic makes sense. “You’re right. I’m just overthinking it. As usual.” I shake my head at myself.

“That’s why I’m here. To bring you back down to Earth. Now I have to go and start my shift.”

I glance at the clock on my screen. Had that much time really passed? “Okay, I’ll be here, and thanks for letting me stay with you tonight.”

“It’s not a problem.” She flips her red hair over her shoulder dramatically. “Now, if you need to check out any books, I’m your girl.”

“Duly noted.” I roll my eyes at her as she walks away. A few seconds later, I snatch my phone from its resting place on the table. I immediately set an alarm to make sure that I’ll wake up with enough time to make it back to my dorm room.

The last thing I want is to be late for this meeting with Bailey.

18

ISLA

“About time you came to my humble abode.”

I can’t help but chuckle as Selene moves out of the way to let me into her apartment. Also, it’s not like she’s wrong.

In the time that I’ve been back home and enrolled at Crestwood, I haven’t had a chance to stop by Selene’s place on campus. Now that I’ve finally made it here, I’m struck by how much the place is … just her.

Video chatting hasn’t given me the full scope of her room that it deserves. Selene lives in a single dorm room in one of the older, yet recently renovated, buildings on campus. Although the space is small, she’s made it her own. The room is filled with a warm glow from the string of fairy lights draped across the walls, reminding me of how she decorated her childhood bedroom.

A twin bed is pushed against one wall, made and covered with what looks to be a soft quilt in shades of blue and green. There are a few clothes scattered on the bed, but it doesn’t look too messy. Near the window hangs a dreamcatcher gently swaying in the breeze from the air vent. There’s a small television resting on a TV stand on one part of the wall facingthe bed. The other part has a small desk that is cluttered with textbooks, notebooks, and a laptop. My eye catches a framed photo of us at our high school graduation, and I can’t help but smile at the memory.

Despite the limited space, Selene has created a welcoming and comfortable environment for herself. Her room is a reflection of her, and it makes me wish I had a space on campus to do the same.

Technically, I do, but having to deal with Tessa makes me not even want to bother.

Selene plops down on her bed and pats the space beside her. “Come, sit. Tell me everything.”

I follow her lead and ask, “Where do I start?” I sigh, leaning back against the wall.

“From the beginning. Duh.”

I tell her about the conversation Asher and I had, where things ended up, and what happened at the volunteering site. However, I save the best for last.

“But that’s not all.”

I try to make the thoughts in my head make sense enough so I can voice them out loud. Never mind. It’s time to rip the Band-Aid off. “Well, I took your advice.”

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