"What was that?" she asked, looking up at me with a mildly dazed expression. "What do you do to me?"
"Alex, I wasn't planning that," I said, suddenly aware of how all of this would seem if I spilled my secret after that. She was going to think I was using sex to manipulate her. My heart dropped as I realized that I'd just spoiled my chance to tell her the whole truth. "I'm sorry."
"You've got to be kidding me," she said. "That was amazing, but if that's not why you came here, why did you?"
"I wanted to tell you something," I said. "You make me want to do things I haven't done in a long time. You make me feel things I've never felt before, and I want to be around you all the time."
"I know the feeling," Alex said as the color rose in her cheeks. "I feel the same way."
"I just wanted you to know that I want you in my life," I said. "I know it hasn't been that long, but there's something special about you and I don't want to lose it."
"And that's what you ran away from last night?" she asked. I inhaled deeply knowing that now was my chance to spill it all. I needed to tell her about the company and the money because it was going to come out whether I liked it or not. Either Metzler was going to get his way or Victor was going to divulge my secrets. I had to tell Alex before it all came crashing down.
"Yeah, that's what I wanted to tell you, but was afraid to say," I said, kicking myself for chickening out.
"It's okay, you know." She smiled. "I'm scared, too. Maybe if we talk to each other honestly about it, we'll be able to work it out."
Unable to reply to her because I was burning with the shame of hanging on to a secret, I simply nodded. Alex threw her arms around my neck and pulled me down to kiss her, and in that kiss I could feel hope returning. It was a hope that I thought I'd lost the day that Quinn died.
I wrapped my arms around her waist and kissed her back. I knew I was going to have to tell her about CSC, but right now was not the right time.
"I want you to come to my place and meet Tesla," I said as I held her close to me. "Can I pick you up on Friday morning after I get off my shift? Will you be here?"
"No, I'll be in class, but I don't have to work Friday night." She smiled.
"I'll pick you up at your place at six," I said as I cupped her cheek. "I'm going to cook for you, so bring your appetite."
"Oh, wow, a guy who fights fires, is kind to animals, makes my pulse race, and cooks, too?" She grinned as she feigned swooning. "Be still my beating heart!"
I leaned down and kissed her once again before I stepped back and straighten her scrubs. She laughed lightly and then grabbed the basket of supplies she'd gathered and headed for the elevator. I took it from her even as she frowned.
"It's not a sexist thing, I'm just trying to look like I was helping rather than...uh..." I explained.
Alex threw her head back and laughed loudly, and I grinned, feeling like I'd finally rejoined the world.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Alex
The rest of the week flew by as I waited for the investigation into the cheating charge to begin. I knew that I had not cheated, but I could no longer speak for Liz. When she didn't show up for class on Friday morning, I began to worry that something was terribly wrong, but before I could call her, Professor Jackson pulled me aside and told me that I was to go to the nursing department and talk with the program director.
I walked over to the department and found that Dr. Gatskill and two other administrators were waiting in the conference room for me to arrive. I walked in and realized that whatever had happened was a much bigger deal than I thought it was.
"Ms. Pierce, thank you for coming," Dr. Gatskill said. She was a formidable woman who, when standing, was close to six feet tall. She wore suits that were custom tailored to fit her wide frame and a string of pearls that were triple loope
d around her neck. The only thing she varied was the color of the silk blouses she wore buttoned up under her suits. Today, she was wearing a coral colored blouse that gave off the appearance of spring, but I didn't feel it in the air. "Please have a seat."
I sat down in the chair across from the three and waited. The conference room felt large and intimidating with its glass windows and large, rolling chairs. I felt dwarfed by the grandness of it all, and I swallowed hard to keep my breakfast from making an appearance.
"Ms. Pierce, it has been brought to our attention that you and Ms. Baker have been accused of cheating on the practice nursing exam," Dr. Gatskill began. "Our aim here is not to accuse or exonerate you, but to find out what happened and evaluate the evidence against the claim. Do you understand?"
"Yes, ma'am." I nodded as I swallowed again. The entire process made my stomach turn, and not being certain of whether Liz had cheated or not made me feel even more queasy.
For the next hour, the committee asked me questions about the class, the exam, and my knowledge of the material we'd been tested on. I felt confident that I had prepared well, so the questions posed no problem for me, and I answered with ease, but when they started asking questions about Liz, I found myself hesitating. I ended up telling them very little about Liz or her state of mind, mostly because I didn't know it.
"Thank you, Ms. Pierce," Dr. Gatskill said when they'd finished asking questions. "We will evaluate the evidence and let you know our decision within two weeks. Please be aware that all scholarship money and financial aid will be held until such time as we make our decision."
"Wait, what?" I said not sure that I'd heard her right.