Page 65 of Private Tutoring
Where had she gone? I stood on the top step, my fisted hands on my hips as I surveyed the open expanse of grass and sidewalks. The tall brick buildings on either side of mine offered the student a reprieve, and I had no idea where to start looking. It wasn’t like I could start shouting her name and hope she emerged from the shadows.
Shit. I’d really messed things up this time.
I trotted down the steps and checked the narrow alley between the buildings that bookended mine. Not a soul in sight. Even the quad had emptied since my last class ended. Staci Callahan. Did I know her well enough to remember what class she had next? No. I didn’t know any of my students’ schedules except for Harmony.
I had to go back in there and tell Harmony I’d failed. My head lowered, and I took a deep breath while climbing the steps and opening the door. The cool air brushed over my skin but did nothing to ease the flood of failure heating my face. I’d never failed a woman before. For it to happen now, with Harmony, was the worst kind of torture.
I paused at the doorway to my classroom and took in her defeated posture as she sat slumped over the desk. My fault. All my fault.
“Harmony.” I took a step and her head snapped up.
An instant later, she was on her feet, her gaze sweeping past me to the door and back again. “You didn’t find her.” A shiver ran along her body, causing her hands to shake until she wrapped them around the strap of her ever-present messenger bag. “Shit. This is bad.”
Not a question, but I shook my head. “No. But you don’t have to worry.” I took stock of the panic flaring in her eyes and rushed to reassure her. “I’ll talk to her after our next class.” I longed to hold her, needing to do anything I could to make up for my mistake.
When I stepped forward, Harmony stepped back, one hand raised in a stop motion. “No. It doesn’t matter anymore. I’ve made up my mind, Roberto,” she whispered my name in that low cadence she used at night in bed. “I’m leaving.”
The instant gut punch rocked me on my heels. I thought I’d convinced her to stay. I never should have done that, I guess. It went against our promise that we would stand by Harmony’s decisions. “I wish you’d stay.” It was the best I could do to hold back the pleas that she stay. “I wish I knew why you’re leaving.”
That bothered me more than I cared to admit. What had changed in the last three days to drive her away? She still wanted me. That was clear in the way she reacted to my kiss, the way she kept me at a distance now as though she feared she’d change her mind if I held her again.
“I’m sorry.” The light in her eyes dimmed, and that cut me to the bone. “It’s the right thing to do, and none of you can stop me.” Fingers so tight around the strap that her knuckles whitened, she stepped around me. “Goodbye, Roberto.”
My hand lifted of its own accord, begging her to stop, to stay, to give me any reason for her sudden change of heart.
Harmony averted her gaze, her jaw locking tight as she strode past me.
I stood there, stunned senseless with my broken heart bleeding out with every heavy thud. The main door opened and closed with a bang, and all the air rushed out of me. I staggered forward to catch myself on the edge of my desk. One hand held on while I massaged my heart with the other. How was I going to survive this pain?
I understood Stephen better now, and I fucking hated every single second of agony that turned my body into a useless lump.
The door opened again, and my body tensed of its own accord. I peered over my shoulder, almost desperate to see Harmony walk through.
Stephen, followed by Matthew, stormed into my room wearing matching looks of dismay and confusion.
“What happened?” Matthew barked out. He rushed toward me. “You look awful.”
“Harmony.” I choked on her name. Damn, it was hard to admit the truth. “She’s leaving.”
Matthew nodded with a gusty sigh that I echoed. “It’s worse than that. One of her classmates flat-out accused her of sleeping with me to get the lead role. Harmony didn’t deny it, even though she can’t possibly think it’s true.”
“She does.” Stephen was the only one standing upright without the slightest give to his body.
He reminded me of a puppet held up by strings and sheer will. If he gave in to the pressure, he’d crumple to the floor and never stand again.
The agony I felt reflected in his eyes.
“I had a visit from one of her friends.” He stared past me and gave a rundown of his conversation with a girl named Delilah. “She said Harmony didn’t want anything to do with us.”
“Bullshit.” I stabbed a finger into the air. “That’s absolute bullshit. I saw her, held her. Whatever reason she has for leaving us, it’s not that.”
“I’m with Roberto. She’s been cagey since she left the house. Did either of you wake up when she left?” Matthew took off his glasses and polished them on his shirt. “I remember feeling her move off the bed, but I didn’t really wake up. I thought she’d come back, but when I woke the next morning, all I found was a note saying she had to get back to the sorority house.”
It wasn’t like her to leave without saying goodbye. Now that Matthew mentioned it, she had been acting odd since that night. She’d been different since I showed up at the sorority house. Fuck. What if I’d started all this? I filled them in on what happened with me and Harmony, halfway hoping they had an answer for the situation.
“What a day.” Matthew dropped into my chair and leaned forward. “One catastrophe after another.”
“We have to try and talk to her again.” Stephen released his tense posture enough to swipe a hand through his hair.
