Page 80 of The Perfect Love

Moving to Old Lake Town and taking the internship with Promise felt right.

And now my relationship with Trevor.

I curl into his side, and he plays with my hair, and I know I have to face it all, tell him my past, because the last thing I want is to keep holding back from the man I’m falling for.

I loathe night classes. As I walk out of my ethics class, I promise myself for the third time I will never sign up for a five o’clock class ever again. It’s only once a week, so it’s two full hours—when the professor doesn’t run over.

Most people make a beeline for the door, complaining about the professor as we go. She’s nice enough, but goes on and on andon. About ethics of all things. I didn’t want to take the class in the first place because I hate ethical debates—we live in a world of gray, not black and white—but it filled a credit I needed while not taking away from internship time at Promise. I figured a two-hour class once a week was manageable. I was wrong, and I’m going to hate myself every Monday—of course it’s on a freaking Monday—for the rest of the semester because of it.

I stop by the bathroom because I didn’t feel like waiting in line during our break in the class, and then head downstairs. There are a handful of people in the lounge by the door where there are vending machines, and I consider grabbing a cup of crappy vending machine coffee, but don’t.

Home is only five minutes away. I can make coffee—or better yet, hot cocoa—when I get there.

I pull the strap to my messenger bag over my head and tuck it slightly behind me, then aim for the doors to the building, where two girls are entering.

They’re close to each other, talking and looking over their shoulders.

When they catch sight of me and a couple other girls ready to walk outside, they stop in front of us.

“You might want to wait or go out a different door. There’s a guy outside acting creepy. He was staring at us, following us,and yelling things, asking if we’d sleep with him or if we were sleeping with each other. Be careful.”

My stomach drops, and my gaze snaps to the doors. I see the guy milling around out there, and instinctively back away. There are a few guys in the lounge, but not one of them makes a move to help any of us.

Shouldn’t be surprised by that.

Or the panic that’s settling in.

My limbs feel like jelly, and my heart’s beating way too fast.

Breathe.

There’s another exit on the far end of the building on the next floor up, since the building is built into the hill. It’s farther from my car, but I could loop around the building if I needed to. And hope the guy doesn’t see me or follow me.

Fuck.

I lean against the wall and close my eyes.

I hate this feeling.

The fear and weakness this awakens in me.

I force myself to take a deep breath. I can handle this. I’m a strong, badass woman.

Who is feeling triggered right now.

So triggered, I almost yelp when my phone goes off while I’m holding it.

After another breath, I turn my screen on and find a text from Trevor.

Trevor: Miss you.

Without thinking, I push the phone icon next to his name and put the phone to my ear as I walk up the hallway.

He answers on the first ring. “Hey, babe.”

“Hi. Um, are you busy right now?”

“No, I’m just leaving the library and about to head to my car.”

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