Page 60 of Dare to Fall

There was still so much for me to worry about and so many things to change. But despite all of it, feelings of happiness started to chase away the pain as Drema and I sat in my bed, giggling over the possibilities of new beginnings. I had a feeling that this moment would be fleeting, and I would have to face the reality that Connor’s affair was going to impact my life more than I wanted it to. But that was a problem I could face later. Right now, I just wanted to be a college girl, sitting with her new best friend, gossiping about cute boys.

30

Garth

Led Zepplin’s “Stairway to Heaven”blared through the open space of my loft. Right now, it felt like I was on a stairway to hell with no escape plan. Eva still hadn’t replied to my text from yesterday. I had barely gotten an hour’s worth of sleep last night because I couldn’t get her out of my head. She was so upset when we left my father’s building, and I couldn’t help but think I had fucked everything up.

It had to have taken some serious bravery for her to tell me everything that happened with Connor—the fact that he betrayed her in such a profound way—and then I rejected her when she was most vulnerable.

I was a complete ass.

Connor chose another woman over her and didn’t even have the balls to end it with Eva. And after Eva told me she was going to choose to let go of her five-year-long relationship to see if we could have a real shot, I denied her. In the moment, it felt like the right thing to do. She was confused over another man, and I didn’t want to add any more to her high stress level. But if I was honest with myself, I didn’t want to risk falling for her even more than I already had just to see her walk away from me to be with Connor again.

I knew they had dated for a long time, but I didn’t know much about their relationship other than he seemed like a typical college-kid douchebag, and he cheated on the most incredible woman I’d ever met.

I turned to my computer that sat open on the kitchen island. I tried to work on sending the email draft to Studio 628 last night, but I was so distracted I couldn’t bring myself to do it. My anxiety was high, and none of my normal strategies to alleviate it were working. I just wanted to fix things with Eva, but I didn’t know how. I was in new territory, lost without a compass.

Caffeine always seemed to help, so I made my way to the espresso machine and started grinding up the beans. After I packed in the espresso and let the steamed water filter through, I reached for my phone on the island.

Still no text from Eva. But there was a news alert that made my heart race: ‘Florida’s Largest University Reaches an All-Time Low with Professor-Student Scandal.’

I tapped on the article and read through it. There was no debating it. This was definitely about Eva’s slimy boyfriend and the biostatistics professor.Fuck.

I closed out of the article and dialed Eva’s cell. After several rings, it went to voicemail. There was no telling if she knew already. My mind raced with concern that she might have thought it was me who reported the story to the news. She didn’t know that my mother was the president of the university and doing so would be destructive to her reputation. But I hoped she knew that I would never betray her trust by revealing something she told me in confidence.

I made another attempt to call her, but this time, it went straight to voicemail without ringing. My phone almost cracked as I slammed it down onto the counter. Damnit.

A quiet helplessness seeped into my bones at the thought of losing Eva this way. I couldn’t even imagine what she must have been going through. Within just a few days, she found out she was betrayed by her boyfriend, and now the details of her private life were plastered all over the Internet.

A quick search of the university showed just how quickly the news had spread. Every major news outlet had reported on the story, giving some version of it. A few even mentioned that the student was involved in a long-term relationship with another student from the university. It wouldn’t be long until articles started publishing names.

There had to be something I could do to alleviate the damage done to Eva. I’d never managed anything like this before, but there was one person I knew would be able to sort through the mess. Boiling hot water splashed onto my hand as I rushed to pour the Americano into a tumbler and headed out the door.

Like an angry beehive, my mother’s office was buzzing with activity. People I’d never seen before were darting through the hallway with frantic purpose. Everyone’s faces were twisted in some odd depiction of concentration masked with worry.

Careful not to get in anyone’s way, I slid up against the wall and looked around for Cecilia, but she was nowhere to be found. So, I made my way to the door of my mother’s office. As I opened it, I rapped my knuckles against the metal and peeked inside.

My mother was sitting at her desk with a swarm of people standing before her. She was barking orders and asking questions as though she were the head of a military operation. I took a step inside and stood by the door, waiting for the chaos to die down.

“It’s all over every major media source across the country. They haven’t released any names yet, but I think we all know it’s just a matter of time before the seller of the information releases the names. We need to be ready for the fallout once that happens,” one of the women said. Her pale-blonde hair was cut into a neat, short bob that framed her heart-shaped face. Bright-blue eyes darted toward me as she addressed my mother. The slightest crease between her brow indicated she was wondering who I was and why I stood in the corner, away from the group. It was clear she was built for business and didn’t miss a thing.

“Do we have any indication as to who might have sold the story?” Dressed in a two-thousand-dollar suit, the man was likely the university’s lawyer, looking for anyone to pin down to lower the university’s liability in the matter.

When no one answered him, he asked, “And do we even know if the allegations are true?”

My mother’s lips were formed into a thin, tight line. Her shoulders were elevated, and a small crease sat in the middle of her forehead. It was a look I’d seen many times growing up when Garrett and I had done something that pissed her off.

“In my experience, Mr. Kane, there is always truth to these sorts of allegations. It doesn’t make much sense for someone to conjure up an elaborate story unless there is something in it for them. The press will be managed, as it always is. I understand it is your nature and in your best interest to prevent any litigation against the university, but as president, it ismyresponsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of our students. It is such a vulnerable time in one’s life, to be away from home for the first time and to embark on the journey of self-discovery. If the articles are true, we have one student who was sorely taken advantage of by one of our faculty members. So, we will make this student our top priority.”

As my mother spoke, she met the eyes of every person standing before her. It was incredible to watch her in her element, taking control of a heinous situation. Always the protector of those who were unable to protect themselves. It made things difficult as she wanted so badly for me to take over my father’s legacy, while also ensuring that I didn’t crumble under the pressure they both put on me. I didn’t know how she did it. The balancing act of pleasing my father by backing his request while simultaneously maintaining her protective nature over me.

“So, tell me, has anyone discovered who the student is who was referred to in the article?” my mother asked.

A few moments ticked by, and again, no one spoke up.

There wasn’t a doubt in my mind that the article was about Eva and Connor. I knew if there was anyone from the university who could protect Eva’s anonymity, it was my mother.

I took a step forward and heads turned to see who was intruding on their private meeting. “I have an idea as to who it might be. But I would like to speak with you about it in private, Mother.”

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