Page 70 of Come Here and Kiss Me

It’s torture.

This moment is the part I hate the most. The reminder of what once was and how much I miss it.

How much I miss him.

My ballet flats are quiet as I walk. I barely even breathe as I get close. My grip on the small leather backpack tightens, but just as I prepare myself, I realize today is not the same.

The door is closed, not open. The light is off.

He’s not here.

Curiosity gets the best of me, and I take a few hesitant steps forward, peering through the window.

Something ticks inside me. Like a hollow clock.

As I’m peeking in, a gentleman behind me clears his throat. I’m completely caught off guard, and the shock nearly stops my heart.

“Sorry,” I apologize as the old man watches me.

“And you are?” he questions.

“I was just looking for Mr. Wolf.”

He nods slowly, looking at me as if he knows me. It dawns on me that he might. Perhaps I should be scared or skeptical, but instead, curiosity begs me to ask what I know I shouldn’t.

“What happened to Professor Wolf?”

“Nothing as of this moment.”

“What does that mean?” My question comes out defensive.

“Miss Chambers, I believe?” he interrogates, and immediately, my guard goes up.

“And who are you?” I ask.

“Mr. Michaels, a friend of your … what would you prefer I call him? Fiancé?”

It’s then I vaguely recognize him from parties my father has thrown over the years.

“You’re on the board?” I question, and the man nods.

“You didn’t answer about Ronan,” he reminds me, and I say nothing. Half of me wants to about-face and leave him with nothing. The other half begs to know why Ro isn’t here and questions if this man has the answer.

“Would you like to have a private conversation?” he adds and gestures to follow him into the classroom as he unlocks the door.

“What about?” I raise my voice and harden my stance.

At this point, I trust no one, but still, an air about him begs my intuition to listen. Maybe it’s because he’s older and his eyes are kind. Maybe it’s because he has a key to the classroom.

I don’t know.

But I just can’t trust it.

I can’t trust anything anymore.

He only looks at me, unlocking the door and holding it open for me to follow. I only hesitate a moment before I acquiesce.

He flicks on the lights, and I follow him down the stairs. Johnathan pulls out a laptop.

---