Page 42 of Falling for Hailey

“Goddammit, how’d I get a C?” he said, dismayed.

“Professor Esperanza told us we were getting individual grades, too,” Isabel said, flashing her score at him.

“How the hell did you all get A’s?” he demanded. “That’s not fair!”

“Not our fault you didn’t do as much work on the project as we did,” Christy chimed in.

Christy and Isabel walked away together. I stuffed my paper into my bag with my laptop and tried to hurry past Josh. I could sense his mood, and I didn’t want to get blamed for his grade.

“I know how you got your A,” he smirked at me.

“Excuse me,” I said, trying to brush past him.

“Hey, Hailey, I know exactly what you did to get your grade,” he said.

“I worked my ass off for my grade. You’re lucky you even passed,” I said, indignant.

“More like you shook your ass for your grade. I know you’re screwing Esperanza. Maybe if I hit him up, I’d make the grade too, what do you say? Up for a three way with me and the teacher?” he said, leering.

“You’re disgusting,” I said, shaking my head. My pulse was pounding. He couldn’t know, but I’d been careless enough that he at least suspected. Starting to sweat, I turned away from him and walked faster.

“I’m going to tell the Dean everything. What do you think your grades will mean then?” Josh said and stormed off, wadding up his project grade and tossing the paper back over his shoulder toward me.

Cringing, I rushed after him and even called his name. He didn’t slow down. Apparently now that he’d provoked me into paying attention to him, he was going to ignore me and go do his worst. I looked around helplessly. I took out my phone and called Rick’s number to let him know, so he’d be on alert for damage control. The call went straight to voicemail. I wasn’t about to leave a recorded message about this. Shaking with anger and fear, I got in my car and headed for the office. I was due at work in half an hour, and I hoped I’d have a chance to see Rick there and give him a heads-up about the Josh situation.

After I pulled out of the parking lot, I plugged my phone in and hit redial to call Rick again. Maybe if I rang his phone enough, he’d answer. It went back to voicemail, and I jammed my finger down on the end call button. I needed him to know this. I was about to jump out of my skin over it. We had been so responsible and stayed away from each other, and now this. Exposed by a vindictive classmate, despite our best efforts. I felt tears clogging my throat. I wanted to tell Rick, needed to tell him I was sorry. That I had drawn Josh’s ire over the grades and he wanted to teach me a lesson. I knew Rick would be reprimanded for having a personal relationship with a student, that it would taint the credibility of all of his classes, all of the grades he’d given. His integrity would be questioned, and it made me feel sick.

I was merging into the traffic, changing lanes just as my phone started to ring. I glanced at the display and saw that it was Rick calling me back. I reached for the phone as it slid off the console. I heard the squeal of brakes too late, then the heavy jarring impact of a car slamming into mine broadside. My head whipped to the side and snapped back, striking the window. I heard the high, far-off sound of my own voice screaming as everything went black.

CHAPTER30

RICK

She was waiting for me there. Hailey, with the bruise on her left cheek fading from its original dark purple to a hazy brown, her arm still in a sling. Alive, wonderfully alive and in one piece, and sitting in the booth at the diner, waiting on me.

The stress and anguish of my meeting with the Dean and a rep from the Berkley legal team started to ease away as I slid into the booth beside her. I couldn’t stand to sit across from her and be that far away, not when I’d nearly lost her, nearly lost everything. Her eyes met mine and I put my arm around her, kissed the top of her head.

“How did it go?” she asked, looking a little nervous and very sympathetic.

“I resigned, Hailey. It was for the best.”

“I’m so sorry,” she said, and I saw her eyes grow bright with tears.

“Never say that. I’m not sorry. Not for one minute. Besides, I’m ready to move on from teaching. Thanks to you I have that big client who now wants to upgrade the branding on their floor cleaner and furniture polish since the spray cleaner relaunch was such a success. We’ll have as much work as we can handle. And it’s a very lucrative deal, in case you’re worried I’d starve without the adjunct professor’s salary.”

Hailey looked up at me, a soft smile curving her lips, and she leaned closer. I met her halfway, our lips locking, and I slid both arms around her. I felt the soft sigh of contentment from her, the warm way she melted into me.

“Eww! Get a room, guys,” Maria teased. “People are trying to eat.” She laughed as she went by with another table’s food.

Hailey and I exchanged a look, and she rolled her eyes. I grinned, feeling again how lucky I was. When Josh rammed her car, I could’ve lost her. Fortunately, her airbag deployed, and his car was traveling at a low speed due to the traffic congestion in the area. Josh was out of our lives. Police had taken our statements and he had opted for a plea deal after admitting to stalking Hailey, slashing her tires and then intentionally hitting her car. His motive had been jealousy, and he was going away where he could get the psychiatric help he clearly needed.

We shared some ice cream at the diner and I drove her home, to my place. When we got inside, I told her the good news.

“You know I met with the department heads this morning at REM,” I began, “to discuss the implications of bringing you on staff full-time considering the fact that we’re together. I don’t want your career stained with the suggestion that you got a job by sleeping with me. The fact is, everyone was on board with hiring you after the contributions you made to the rebranding project, and the best part was when Rob chimed in and said you were a great addition to the team even if I am in love with you. Which made everyone laugh,” I said.

“Are you serious? They really don’t care that we’re together?” she threw her arm around my neck, and I kissed her triumphantly.

“They like having you around. Maybe not as much as I do, but I’d say I’ve enjoyed the perks of having you on the team that they didn’t get the benefit of.”

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