Page 27 of The Texas Sterling Collection
Wednesday morning, I poured myself a mug of coffee. It's been almost two weeks to the day since our kiss and two weeks since Wyl last attended class. Disappointment and sadness shared a room in my chest, crowding out my heart and intending to stay awhile. Fine with me. Having a heart only made it broken, and mine shattered. As Stella strolled into the break room, my pity party ended, and anger took over.
“So, Stella. How are things with Wyl? You two set the date yet?” I sipped my coffee, and shit if I didn’t burn my mouth. My words dripped with sarcasm, and I was beyond giving a fuck. My emotions rode a thin edge between breakdown and rampage.
“What are you talking about, Dr. Bonner?” She lifted a mug out of the cabinet. “We only had one drink at the deli. He didn’t kiss me or anything. And we haven’t gone out since.” She poured coffee into her mug, ignoring my glare.
By the tone of her voice, I figured she hated to admit Wyl didn’t fall for her plan. “People are curious about your hot new boyfriend, who’s awesome in the sack.”
Stella shrugged. “I’m surprised, and if I didn’t start…well…um… I thought Wyl would be a perfect catch, but his actions and eyes told me someone else occupied his mind.”
“If you didn’t start what? The rumor around campus?” I studied her expression for a reaction. “So this whole boyfriend thing was manufactured?”
“Oh, I wouldn’t be so sure,” Stella said. “Mitzi thinks I should keep pursuing him. She says capturing a Sterling is worth the effort.”
I frowned. “If you’re feeding Mitzi information, be careful. She’s trouble. Don’t jump into the manufactured rumor cesspool with her.”
“Mitzi has the inside scoop on the Sterling family.” Stella dared me to throw the Sterling name around. “The family has money and power, and if I can capture Wyl’s heart, I’ll be set for life.”
“Let me try to understand. You went on one no-kiss date with Wyl, which wasn’t a date, and you think he’s interested?” I sipped my coffee. My mouth still burned, but fuck it. The brew was tasteless compared to the bitterness I shouldered. Stella’s statement,Wyl seemed preoccupied,hovered in my mind. A dim ray of hope peeked over my emotional horizon. Preoccupied with who? Me? Is that even possible, given how I fled after that kiss? And how I treated him when he needed me? I abandoned him when I should have given him reassurance, support, and an understanding ear.
“Who says he’s not interested?” Stella shot back.
“You said someone else occupied his mind,” I pointed out. “Are you in this for the money?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Mitzi is the one focused on Sterling money.”
“I bet she made out like a bandit in the divorce.”
“No, she didn’t. Walt’s attorney drew up a pre-nuptial agreement before she and Walt married. When they divorced, Walt pulled out the prenup, and she walked away with a measly five hundred grand, a drop in the bucket to a Sterling.”
“I met Walt. In fact, he came to my office to introduce himself. Salt of the earth. He probably had a valid reason for divorcing Mitzi and was wise to have his attorney draw up the prenup.”
“Whatever.” Stella waved her hand in an irritatingI’m done with thisway.
The whole ruse began to make sense. Stella getting Wyl was a vehicle for Mitzi to grab Sterling money. Mitzi would persuade Stella, Mrs. Wyl Sterling, to take her shopping, pay her rent, and make her car payments. “What else is Mitzi saying?” The real threat against Wyl made my blood boil. I wanted to protect him from money-grubbing bitches. But how could I protect a man who wanted nothing to do with me?
“She says I need to protect Wyl from you. It’s going around on campus that you two have become close friends, and some think you two might be in a gay relationship.”
“Why would Mitzi say Wyl needs protection from me? And who on campus? Some think? Don’t insult me with vague statements, Stella.WHOis saying this, and how many are involved? This sounds like something you had a hand in starting.”
Stella threw a glare at me. “Not me.” The dismissive hand again waved in the air. “The rumor is floating around.”
“No gay relationship exists, Stella. We are friends, period. He’s been off campus for two full weeks.”
“Alfonso Ortega is telling people he spotted you and Wyl kissing in the courtyard.”
“WHAT? The science instructor is spreading rumors? Why would he do that? And there you go with the vaguepeoplereference again. Who are these people Alfonso told, and why does he care?”
“He’s a supporting member of one of those conservative organizations. American something-or-other. The kind that protests at gay things.”
“Gay things? What are you talking about?”
“Those parades they have in major cities. The ones where half-naked men with rainbow sashes ride floats and flaunt their bodies trying to recruit innocent boys to be gay.”
“I gave you more credit than that, Stella. Do you believe males can be recruited to be gay?”
“It doesn’t matter what I believe. What matters is you not turning Wyl gay.”
“Who puts this garbage into your head?” I glared at Stella.
