I froze, and it seemed Natalie did, too. “Have you been stalking me?” she demanded, and I detected a note of panic in her voice.
“Life is so fucking unfair; you know that?” Jason said, without answering her question. “It’s just so fucking unfair. I’m a nice guy. I’m a good guy, and we would be so perfect together. I would treat you really good, but no, you refuse to give me even a chance. One chance is all I’m asking for. Why is that so hard for you to do?”
“Please, please, Jason,” she said imploringly. “Just leave me alone.”
She tried to turn away from him, but he reached out and grabbed her by the arm.
He spun her around to face him, and his face turned hard and angry. “I don’t know why I’m trying so hard with you,” he spat. “You’re just a whore; a cheap, worthless whore.”
I had heard enough. Furious, I rushed towards them. Jason didn’t see me coming until I was shoving him away from Natalie. He dropped her hand and turned to me with venom in his eyes. “You,” he said.
“I’m going to report you to the cops for stalking and harassment,” I informed him, putting myself between him and Natalie.
Jason puffed himself up and looked me in the eye. “Oh yeah?” he asked confidently.
“Yeah,” I said, a little thrown by his reaction.
“If you do, I’ll report you to Dean Mueller,” Jason said haughtily. “I’m sure he’ll be very interested to know that one of his staff is fucking a student. I believe it’s against university policy, which means you will lose your job.”
I gritted my teeth, and my hands balled into fists. “You think I give a fuck?” I asked. “I’ll find another job.”
Jason’s eyes narrowed. “It’s very noble of you not to give a shit about yourself. But what about Natalie, huh? Do you give a shit about her future?”
I hesitated a little, and Jason’s eyes lit up, as he realized that I didn’t know the whole story. “You don’t know,” he laughed mockingly. “If a student and teacher are caught having a relationship, the teacher is fired, and the student is expelled.”
I felt Natalie tense beside me, and I felt anger course through my body. I moved forward, ready to punch Jason in the face but Natalie held me back. “No,” she whispered to me.
“Jason, please,” she said, turning to him. “Just leave me alone, okay? If you leave me alone, there’ll be no reason to report you.”
His face was contorted into an ugly expression. He had the upper hand, and he knew it. “I’m warning both of you,” he said. “Don’t fuck with me. Just watch yourselves.”
Then he turned and walked away. I glanced at Natalie and realized she was pale with worry. I clenched my fists again, shaking with the anger of knowing that I was powerless to protect her.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Natalie
I was sitting in Chance’s living room, sipping coffee out of a Paris mug that I’d brought on our holiday. It had been a few months since our trip, but I still couldn’t stop fantasizing about it. I had got our pictures developed a few weeks ago, and the images were stunning. It made me seriously consider moving there one day.
It was very early, which was why I had snuck into the living room to have some coffee. Chance would probably be asleep for another fifteen minutes or so, and I was tempted to cook breakfast for him, but my cooking skills still hadn’t improved, and I didn’t want him to wake to the smell of burnt eggs. Instead, I finished my cup of coffee and put on a fresh brew for Chance. Coffee was about the only thing that I did well.
The last few months with Chance had been next to perfect. The only little dark cloud over our blissful relationship was Jason. It had been a month since our little run in with him, and since that meeting, I hadn’t seen much of him. When we did see each other, he avoided eye contact, and I did the same.
Still, I had the nagging suspicion that he was up to something. It was just a feeling, instinct if you will because I had no real proof, but I just couldn’t squash the feeling that Jason wasn’t going to go away that easy. Especially considering he had the upper hand.
I had checked on the rule pertaining to student-teacher relationships, and it turned out that Jason was right. The teacher involved would be fired immediately and the student involved would be expelled.
I had tried not to be bothered by it, but it did worry me. I had got into North Greenfield on a full scholarship. It was the reason that I’d been able to afford such a good school, not to mention on campus accommodations. If I was kicked out, I wouldn’t be able to afford a college degree.
I thought of my parents and cringed at the thought of having to tell them about an expulsion. They would be mortified – worse, they would be disappointed, and I wasn’t sure I could bear that.
Still, a part of me was resolute and rebellious. It was a stupid rule, and Chance and I were both adults. He wasn’t even my teacher anymore. And it felt like I had just found a piece of happiness that was completely my own. How could I possibly give that up, even for my degree?
I finished my coffee and padded softly back into Chance’s room. I was wearing one of his t-shirts that was several sizes too big for me, but I loved it because it reminded me of my old wardrobe, and as an added perk, it smelled like him. He was stirring in bed when I entered the room. I slipped silently into place beside him and wrapped my arm around his back. His hands came clutched mine for a moment, and then he turned to face me.
“Good morning,” he smiled.
“Good morning,” I replied, kissing him lightly on the lips.