Page 254 of Forbidden Billionaires: Vol. 1
We stopped outside of Gore Hall. A lot of people stared at us as they walked by. Maybe they were just staring because my face was red. I took a deep breath. I was probably imagining it.
"Just try to laugh everything off today, okay? People are idiots."
"I'm going to be fine. I doubt anyone's going to talk to me. Especially in Psych. It's a huge lecture hall. I sit by myself."
"Oh, you don't know anyone in that class?"
"It's like 200 people or something ridiculous, but no, I don't know anyone."
"Maybe I should come with you."
I laughed. "Tyler, I'm not letting you skip another class. What will the people conducting your interview think next week if you keep doing that?"
"Psh. I have all As. They're going to think I'm awesome."
"Still. I'm fine."
"Okay. Well, I guess I'll see you later." He gave me a hug.
"See, she sleeps with everyone," some girl said as she walked by us with a group of her friends. They all laughed.
What the hell?
Tyler unwound his arms from me. "Yeah, if that was a guy I would have punched him in the face."
I stared at the girl as she entered Gore Hall.
"You sure you don't want me to stay?" Tyler asked.
"Yeah. I mean, no, you should go to your class. It's gonna be fine." I wasn't as convinced as I had been a minute ago, though.
"Okay. I'll see you later."
"Good luck on your interview, in case I don't see you beforehand."
"Thanks, Penny. Remember, laugh it off." He smiled and walked away.
I remembered the advice that Professor Nolan had given me. Getting to class early was a bad idea. So instead of entering the classroom, I went to the bathroom. I sat down in one of the stalls and pulled my phone out of my pocket. There were no new messages. I thought James might text me after his conversation with the dean. Maybe they were still talking. Or arguing.
I heard the door to the bathroom close and two sets of footsteps entering.
"I can't believe class was canceled," one of the girls said. "This is so ridiculous. He was such a good professor."
"I know. I can't believe that slut got him fired."
"He probably doesn't even like her. And even if he does, it won't last long. She ruined his career."
"And she's a home wrecker. What an awful person. I feel so bad for Professor Hunter. I'm really going to miss his class."
"You're just going to miss staring at him."
The second girl laughed. "So what? He's so dreamy. And besides, it wasn't like I was going to act on it. I'm not a whore."
I looked down at my hands. I had put James in a terrible position. I never should have flirted with him. But it always seemed like he wanted this as much as me. He even promised that he didn't resent me. I still felt guilty though. Maybe I alwayswould. He had come to teach here because he needed a fresh start. He was finally happy. Maybe I was messing everything up. He had finally gotten to be himself. Without his parents or his wife pressuring him. And now he was stuck again. I was preventing him from teaching.
Tyler had said he wanted me to be happy. Because he cared about me. I cared about James. I cared about James so much. Maybe I was being selfish by being with him. I should just disappear. The university might even let him teach again. The only requirement was that he had to stop seeing me.And for the investigation to come back clean.
But there wouldn't have been an investigation if I had never been with James in the first place. If Isabella had never found out about me, then he'd still be a professor. He'd still be happy. I waited for the girls to leave before exiting the stall.
