“She didn’t do anything wrong. No disciplinary action will be taken against her.” Maybe I shouldn’t have been so hardened, demanding shit, given the fact I wasn’t in any position to do so. But I’d be damned if she got dragged under for this.
“She’s not to blame for this, Professor Goode.”
What Calvin really meant was that I was some predator preying on an innocent student. He could think what he wanted, as long as she was left out of it.
“What were you thinking, Lucian?” he said softly, the man I’d called a friend coming through for a moment. But I didn’t answer his question.
“Thank you, Dean Richards. I’ll be there first thing in the morning.”
I wasn’t going to tell him we loved each other, or that this was some slip of judgment and I was sorry. Because it wasn’t. I had Grace, finally, and I wasn’t letting her go. And that would most likely cost me my job, but so be it.
So be it, because it was all worth it. She was worth it.
25
Grace
The next morning
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
“Do you understand everything, Professor Goode?”
I turned and looked at Lucian, knowing my eyes were wide, feeling like my heart would jump out of my chest.
“I understand,” Lucian said without any emotion in his voice. In fact, he sounded like he didn’t give two shits that he’d just been suspended from his position until further investigation.
“This is a mistake, a misunderstanding,” I said before I could stop myself.
I faced the board again, knowing I looked shocked. They couldn’t tell us how long the investigation would last, or if Lucian would even still have a job when it was all said and done.
“How can you take the word of one person over a member of your staff?”
The dean leaned forward and clasped his hands together, staring me in the eyes.
“We take accusations of student and faculty fraternization very seriously. An investigation will be done to find out the truth.”
All I could do was shake my head. “Nothing happened. This is all a big misunderstanding.” I was a broken record at this point. “This is all a big mistake,” I whispered, on the verge of crying. But I didn’t want to. I needed to be strong, needed to appear like I had my shit together and not break down in front of Lucian.
“It’s okay, Grace,” Lucian said softly.
And then before I knew what was happening, Lucian wrapped his arm around my shoulder and brought me in close. He took his other hand and gently grabbed my chin with his thumb and forefinger, turning my head so I was facing him now.
He stared into my eyes, and everything else around me faded, vanished. We might’ve been able to salvage this, denied everything, but when he leaned in and kissed me right then and there in front of everyone, there was no denying it.
He pulled back before I could stop him and smiled. “It doesn’t matter,” he said softly. “Only you do.” He turned and faced the board. “I love her, and I’m fully aware of the repercussions our relationship will bring.” And then he stood up and took my hand in his and led us out of the office.
I looked over my shoulder at the board, their eyes wide and their mouths open in shock. I had no idea what was going to happen from this point forward, but Lucian seemed confident of the future, of our relationship.
And that made me feel like everything would be okay.
* * *
Professor Goode
She was upset and I hated it, hated that I was the reason she was in this situation, that she felt hopeless, sad for me.
I wrapped my arms around Grace and pulled her in close. It had only been a couple of weeks since I’d been in front of the board for my “misconduct,” as they’d called it.
And although maybe I could have gotten out of it, used my years of teaching there and my reputation, my good standing, to get out of Ashley telling them about Grace and me, the truth was, I didn’t want to lie about it.
So I’d kissed her.
I’d wanted to prove the point that she was mine. I’d wanted her from the moment I saw her, and losing my position was a small sacrifice to pay to be with her.
I ran my hand up and down her back, whispering that everything was fine, that I would be fine. She was upset because of me, because of the circumstances. And I wanted to take that pain away.
I pulled back but kept her close, smiling and shaking my head, telling her without words in that moment that everything was perfect.
“But it’s your job, what you worked hard to accomplish.”
I didn’t feel anything in that moment but my love for her. “It’s just a job.” I wiped the stray tear that rolled down her cheek.