Page 32 of Private Tutoring
“Stephen is right.” I hated every word that came out of my mouth. “What we had was nice, but is it worth the risk?”
“I think so.” Roberto shrugged out of his jacket, folded it, and laid it across the back of the couch.
Damn it. They both made a good point. We’d be in so much trouble if anyone found out. Our jobs. Harmony’s scholarship. Her career. They were all at risk. And that was just the worldly things we risked losing. I knew myself well enough to understand that the way Harmony made me feel would not stop. I was halfway in love with her already.
Silly, maybe, considering I barely knew her as more than a student. Crazy to think that she might feel the same way toward us at all.
Us. That was another thing. How long could it possibly last with all three of us desiring her?
“Other than her being a student, what’s wrong with it?” Roberto challenged us with the question. His relentless pursuit threatened to drive a wedge into our friendship. I could let that happen, or I could be honest.
“Harmony is a mature woman, and an adult.” Roberto sat back, crossing his ankle over his knee.
The image of perfect relaxation must have annoyed Stephen, because he leaned forward and planted his elbows on his knees.A coldness I hadn’t heard in years deepened his voice. “Can we trust her?”
“She made the decision to come here and talk to us of her own accord. And it’s not like she’s sleeping with us to improve her grades. We made sure that was clear from the beginning.” Now he was starting to sound like he needed to convince us of Harmony’s good intentions.
I thought back over the entire semester I’d worked with Harmony. She was always open and honest in her interactions. She went out of her way to make others feel comfortable, but I’d never seen her back down either.
“You really think she’ll show up?” Stephen scrubbed both hands down his face.
To anyone else, he would appear broken. I knew him better than that. He was hurting, but he was also hopeful.
“If she shows up, then it means she’s genuinely interested in us.” As soon as I said it, I felt the truth of it spread throughout my body in delicious waves.
She had a choice.
No one had chosen me before. My ex-fiancée decided I wasn’t good enough. Before her, I’d bounced from relationship to relationship. I’d thought she was the one, but she left me behind without any remorse.
I rounded the counter and crossed to the living room, stopping between Stephen and Roberto. “Let’s talk with her. Talk and hear what she has to say.” I might not trust my own ability to judge a woman’s character, but between the three of us, surely we’d learn the truth.
Roberto nodded, his knee bouncing in time with his head. So he wasn’t as calm as he’d have us believe. “That’s what I’m hoping for. There’s no reason she won’t show up.” He darted a look at the elevator.
His words and his actions battled one another. I understood. As much as I wanted Harmony to show up, I worried about the repercussions should things go wrong later. Harmony had all the power in this situation. We were older, and we were her professors. The responsibility for keeping the line drawn strictly and cleanly between us rested on our shoulders. And we were failing. Had already failed. Hoped to fail again.
I released a long, tense breath. “We need to make sure this is what we all want.” I wasn’t used to waffling on my decisions. I was usually good at making a decision and sticking to it. Harmony ruined my ability to be decisive.
If she wanted us, I had a feeling I’d break myself in half to accommodate her. I’d done it before. Love was my biggest weakness. It gave her power over me. If I knew I wouldn’t fall in love with her, it wouldn’t be a problem.
A derisive snort burned my nose.
Roberto raised his brows. “You too?”
“Me too, what?” I gave him an innocent look.
Stephen held his head in his hands. “I might regret it, but I agree with Roberto. We need to talk to her, see what she wants.”
I hated to think it, and I refused to say it out loud because Stephen wasn’t ready to hear it, but maybe, just maybe, Harmony was the key to helping Stephen heal. He’d already shown more emotion in the last few days than he had in years.
It was a huge responsibility to give Harmony, which was why I knew I had to keep from mentioning it to her as well. If this was going to work, we all had to keep our eyes wide open about the repercussions.
But that didn’t mean she’d fall in love with any of us.
The light on the elevator flashed green and the doors opened. Harmony stood in the center of the small space. She wore the same thing she’d had on in class, and I appreciated that she kept it casual.
Most women would have dressed up and tried too hard. Harmony was beautiful without even trying. She looked around the room, gulped audibly, and stepped forward.
And me? I sat there … speechless.
