Page 46 of Forbidden Professor

I wake up devastated and depressed, the dark cloud hanging over me appearing much darker.

Even so, I’m still completely resolved to stay as far away from Eve as I can.

ChapterTwenty

Eve

The bright morningsunlight beams through my kitchen. I’m sitting at the kitchen table, my biology textbook open, an obscenely large cup of coffee steaming next to it, and my mind frantically trying to focus for more than three fleeting minutes at a time.

My eyes drift out to the backyard for the millionth time this morning, and my thoughts drift away from the subject at hand with my gaze.

It’s impossible to think.

Well, impossible to think about anything except Carter, that is. My mind seems to find that particular subject quite easy to concentrate on, much to my dismay.

The words on the pages of my textbook have been swimming in a gushy mess of incoherent soup for the last hour.

I decide I’m doomed to fail and push the book away, giving up for a few minutes to give myself a pep talk. When my phone buzzes next to me, my heart skips a beat. The thought that it might be Carter gives me a rush of hope.

Stupid hope. I told him to leave me alone. He’s doing exactly that. I need to get over it already.

With a sigh on my lips, I pick up the phone to see that it’s my father reaching out.

“Hi Dad,” I say.

Dad launches straight into his stern lecture without any preamble. “How are your grades?”

Is he psychic? I groan out loud, knowing any semblance of peace has gone out the window. How can I live like this forever, with his constant helicopter parenting and threats? I can’t even breathe without him questioning it.

“Fine.” My reply is curt, but comes with an unhealthy dose of anxiety.

I push the kitten from my keyboard where she's decided to take a nap and pull up my email account and immediately begin downloading the financial aid forms the office needs from me to get things rolling. It’s unnerving and sends my panic into overdrive. Just the thought of defying my father is enough to send me into a fit of hyperventilating.

Staring at the forms, I feel an overwhelming sense of dread. If my father finds out what I’m doing, he’ll come straight to my home and take my head off.

Not literally, of course.

But he won’t hesitate to pull the rug out from under me in whatever way he can.

My only hope is to get all of my ducks in a row and find stable footing before he finds out what I’ve done.

I sigh and pull the book close again. I won’t get the financial aid if I’m not passing my classes, and the fact remains that I’m struggling academically. I need to step it up if I’m ever going to achieve my dreams.

An hour later, a knock at my door surprises me.

I open it to find Carter standing there with a tiny little toy in his outstretched hand.

“Hi,” I say, slowly, my voice displaying my clear confusion to seeing him standing there. Had I conjured him up?

“I just came by with a peace offering.”

I raise a brow, looking at the tiny felt toy that appears to be in the shape of a mouse.

“It’s filled with catnip,” he says.

“Oh!” I exclaim, understanding dawning on me. I throw open the door to welcome him in and he steps in with a gingerly smile.

“Valentine is asleep on the couch,” I say.

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