Page 113 of Not A Whisper

Oh boy. Quick can’t be a good thing, right? The blood leaches from my face, leaving me lightheaded. As I approach the two of them, I swallow hard. Instantly, I regret it. My charred and swollen throat protests. I fight back a wince, already knowing that I look nervous enough as it is. Ms. Barbara looks just about as reluctant as I am to have this conversation. She averts her gaze, looking almost anywhere but at me.

I have a strong suspicion this conversation isn’t going to go my way.

It’s confirmed as I take a seat and catch sight of the black and white pictures on Ms. Barbara’s desk, stills of myself and Grant from the security cameras from the third floor. Ah, so this is the crime I’ve been called in to face justicefor.

Shit.

The pictures capture me and Grant in different incriminating positions. There’s him kissing me against the end of a bookshelf, holding my hand as we walk toward the stairwell, him pulling me close, and, to my great embarrassment, the cameras caught Grant dipping me back and kissing me passionately. From what I can see, most of the pictures are of our meet-up yesterday.

Please let these be the only ones they have…

“Let me get straight to the point, Miss Wilson,” Martin starts. He pushes off the windowsill and points to the pictures on Ms. Barbara’s desk. “You know the rules and they clearly state faculty is not to mess with students. And while Ms. Barbara here may vouch for your integrity, I only see a rule breaker. This is Grant Gipson. Do you know that he's a student here at Groveton?”

I tear my gaze away from the pictures to look up at my boss. She doesn’t look at me, so I move to stare at Martin. His beady eyes are pinned to my face as he waits for my response.

“Yes.” My voice comes out as a hoarse whisper that has nothing to do with the smoke inhalation from last night.

His lips purse together in disapproval. “Of course you knew. He’s been our star running back since he was an undergraduate. I wouldn’t believe that there’s anyone on this campus that doesn't know his face. Or who he’s related to, might I add.”

I grimace. Of course they’re going to pursue this with the harshest intent. They wouldn’t want Garry breathing down their neck. I guess they’re trying to get ahead ofthatsituation.

“And given the scandal last semester when it was anonymously reported that our previous librarian was fraternizing with a student, I’m sure you’re aware of the rule against dating a student,” Martin continues.

My back stiffens. I willnotbe compared toJackie the pedophile. Heat from my outrage barrels through the cold dread that’s coated my veins. “Thatparticular student happened to be underage. It wasn’t the fact that he was a student here because he wasn’t. These two situations are different. Grant is a consentingadultthat, I might add, is graduatingthissemester.”

“So we can’t call the police to lock you up, big whoop, Miss Wilson,” Martin snaps. “Jackie was lucky she quit before we found out what she was up to.”

Anger pulses through me but I keep my mouth shut. I’m in enough trouble as it is.

“You broke the rules, Miss Wilson and with a watchful eye on Atwater right now after last semester, we can’t take any risks,” Martin pushes. “As of right now, you are on suspension without pay until we can further investigate how far back this has gone or if there are other students involved. From there, we’ll have to bring you in front of the board to decide what should be done with you, but I think we can all agree here howthatwill go.”

Suspension?

My entire body freezes with shock. How did I gethere? I’d climbed the ladder of society starting from the very bottom in a shitty foster care system. From there, I’d busted my ass working through high school to pay for my undergraduate degree, pulled long nights and accumulated an absurd amount of debt to get through my graduate degree, blackmailed a pedophile, and finally made it here: a librarian to one of the most prestigious colleges in the country. And I’m going to lose it all because ofthis? There was always a risk, fooling around here in the library. Has months of doing so without getting caught made me sloppy?

Apparently.

No. This isn’t fair. I’m probably the best damn employeethey have here and they’re just going to sweep me under the rug like I’m nothing? I stare at Martin then at Ms. Barbara. My boss’s hands are clasped tight in front of her, resting on her desk, and her head hangs low. She’s not going to fight for me. And why should she? My crime is cut and dry. It doesn’t matter how great I’ve been otherwise. It’s crazy that I don’t even get the courtesy of eye contact at this moment.

“That’s it then?” I ask, a little more sharply than I intend to. My boss doesn’t look up, but she does flinch.

“I’m not sure what else there is to say, the evidence of your wrongdoing is pretty clear,” Martin states coldly. “But if there’s something you want to add…”

I hadn’t strolled in here with the intention of anything other than listening to my boss speak, then going to work. But as that doesn’t seem to be happening, I shift gears. Grabbing onto my anger, I look from Martin to Ms. Barbara.

“You’re going to suspend me? Really? I do so much for this library! Not only do I lead faculty meetings, teach them and the student body how to navigate through different programs that will help them with their work or studies, but I make sure this place runs like a well-oiled machine. None of the other librarians can do what I do without some supervision or hand holding!”

Marin rolls his eyes and clasps his hands behind his back. “Yes, well, as efficient as you were, clearly you put yourself above the rules. Now, if you don’t mind?—”

“I’m not done.” My whole body trembles with rage at the injustice of it all. “Last I checked,I’mthe one who not only educated herself on the different programs the library and student body would benefit from, but also spoke up to get funding for AERO at the investor’s meeting last week.” I stand up so quickly that the chair I’ve been sitting in nearly topples backward. My hands ball at my sides. I’m so mad atmyself and at Ms. Barbara and Martin and hell, at my guys, that the next words that fall from my lips aren’t thought through at all. “And oh, by the way, those funds that secured the AERO program? Those were from my nowfather-in-law.”

At this, Ms. Barbara jerks her head up. Her eyes bulge behind her glasses and her jowls go pale. Martin stiffens, blinking rapidly. His thin brows smash together.

“Garry Gipson does not have a daughter-in-lawyet. Grant’s engagement to Carmilla is?—”

“—null and void,” I finish for him through clenched teeth, wondering how he knew about Carmilla. Does Martin run in the same circles as Garry? That’s the only way he would’ve known, right? “We were planning on waiting to tell people, but it doesn’t matter now, does it? I’msuspendeduntil I get in front of the board where I’ll undoubtedly be fired.”

Martin sputters, his cheeks turning ruddy. “Liar!”

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