Page 35 of Boiling Point
“Afriendfrom physics?”
“Uh-huh.”
“And you’re sure it’s just?—”
“Yes,” I cut in, sharper than intended. I winced at how transparent I must have sounded. “We have our first lab report due Wednesday,” I explained, trying to wrap my words in a veneer of routine and academic obligation. Desperate to redirect, I asked, “How’s the start of your semester been?”
“Well,” she said with a huff, caught off guard but not entirely displeased by my change of subject. “It’s been a nightmare, to be honest. I’ve had to take on an extra class at the last minute because one of my colleagues is under investigation.”
“Investigation?” The word struck me like a cold draft.
“No one’s officially saying anything, but we all know.” She paused for effect. “Sleeping with a student,” she said pointedly, as if the scandal were a personal affront to her.
“Wow,” I said, trying to keep my tone carefully empathetic. “That sounds rough.”
“It is! Honestly, I don’t know how much more of this I can take,” she went on. “I should really think about retiring.”
My stomach twisted uncomfortably, Aunt Suzy’s words hitting far too close to home. It wasn’t difficult to imagine Cal in the same situation if anyone found out about us. The thought chilled me more than the cold air blustering against the window.
“Are you…are you going to be okay?” I asked, clumsy in my attempt to sound sympathetic while swallowing down my rising dread.
“Oh, I’ll manage.” She sighed theatrically. “But it’s such an inconvenience!”
“Well, I shouldn’t keep you then. I bet you have mountains of work to do.”
“Ain’t that the truth! Just make sure you keep me in the loop about this ‘friend’ of yours,” she added, her voice coy but edged with genuine affection. “I need my drama fix.”
“I will,” I promised, smiling despite myself. As overbearing as Aunt Suzy could be, she was the only real family I had left, and I didn’t want to lose her too.
“Good! Talk soon, sweetie.” She hung up, leaving a faint echo of herself in the silence.
I checked my phone again. No new notifications. I set it down and let out a long, slow breath. The foyer buzzed with the chaos of students passing in and out, each absorbed in their own small universes.
I drummed my fingers restlessly against my thigh and closed my eyes for a moment, willing myself to be calm. We were being careful. No one would find out.
The phone buzzed in my lap like it had read my thoughts. My heart seized and then released when I saw Cal’s name on the screen.
You’ve been on my mind all morning. Not great for my electromagnetism lecture, but excellent for morale.
I stared at the message, warmth flooding through me in slow, delicious waves. The corners of my mouth lifted before I could stop them. I stared at the message as if it might vanish if Iblinked. My pulse quickened, sweeping away the invasive doubts Aunt Suzy had planted.
Same here. Pretty sure I didn’t absorb anything in calculus. I couldn’t explain a definite integral if you paid me.
The response came almost immediately.
I’m flattered. Deeply concerned for your GPA. But flattered.
I laughed out loud—soft and involuntary. A few students glanced over from the vending machines, but I didn’t care. The release was like sunlight after a storm. I grinned, the tension in my chest unraveling a little more. My thumbs hovered over the keyboard, then tapped out a reply before I could second-guess myself.
I have a 4.0. Plenty of wiggle room.
With a spark of satisfaction, I hit send. Let him chew on that.
We can’t go tarnishing a perfect record. I’d be happy to explain definite integrals later. Privately, of course…
I’d hate to waste our time on calculus.
I held my breath, eyes fixed on the screen, and released it in a rush when his response appeared.
