Professor (First Time 2)

“This man is harassing young students.”

The cop in charge raises his brow and looks at me, but Ellie is stepping between us and lacing her fingers through mine. “That’s not true-”

“He’s a professor here!” Ted says shrilly. “He works here and he’s been fucking her!” He spits the last words out, sneering at Ellie in a way that makes me want to knock him down all over again. “She’s a student here and this guy’s been fucking her.”

And there’s the hammer coming down.

The scene goes quiet, and the cops and the few older students who didn’t feel are all slowly turning to stare at Ellie and I. It’s literally everything I never wanted to happen; it’s the nightmare of being found out like this, and it’s happening right here in front of my face.

“Now, hang on,” I say gruffly, holding my hands up.

The cop shines his flashlight into my face, cutting me off as he turns to Ellie. “Miss, do you go to school here?”

Her face is white, but her lips are pressed together, not saying a damn thing.

“Miss?”

“She does!” Ken spits out. He sneers at me. “She’s a freshman.”

The cops turn back to me, looking even more somber, when one of the backup guys steps forward, and I groan as I realize I recognize him from late-night patrols around the english department.

“Yeah, chief, I know this guy. He’s that writer; the english professor.”

The guy in charge suddenly looks at me with recognition, and he narrows his eyes at me as he suddenly reaches for the taser on his belt. “Step away from the girl, Mr. Martin.”

But I’m not letting go, and neither is she. I can feel her pulse racing where our hands are clasped, and I can feel her fingers squeezing hard.

“Step away, sir,” The cop says again, and the group of them start to move towards us.

“Fuck off,” I growl.

Which is really the last thing you should say to a group of cops.

I can hear Ellie screaming as they yank her away when they tackle me, and it only fuels my fury as I try and shake them off and get back to her. But there are three of them holding me down, and all I can do is strain against them and roar as a female officer drags Ellie away to one of the cars.

And then she’s gone, and I’m still raging to get free, still roaring at them to fuck off and let me be when they slap the cuffs on and drag me away.

But the worse part is, I don’t get to say it. The worse part is, the words that’ve been bubbling to the surface for weeks now - the words I’ve never said to anyone - are right there.

Only now it’s too late.

Chapter 25

Ellie

And then it’s over, just like that.

At the police station, there are a million questions, and then even one of the junior Deans of the college asking me over and over if I want to press charges.

What? No.

No, I just want them to let me go and let me get back to the man that I lo-

It’s that thought that eventually has me breaking down into tears, because right then I know it’s true, and I know it’s been true.

I love him, and I’m getting that now that the whole thing is blowing up in my face.

The police and the Dean want me to sign this absurd statement about Liam pressuring me and being “professionally irresponsible”, but I refuse, again and again. Eventually, they try and call my parents, which is mortifying, until I hear my dad threatening a lawsuit over the phone if they don’t let me walk out of there right then.