Chapter Thirty-Three


    Shay


    When I got to campus this morning, there was a note from the department secretary in my mailbox


    saying Dr. Alby needed to see me in his office. I nned on talking to him this morning, but judging by


    this note, his wife already had a conversation about it with himst night.


    I hope she chewed his ass out—and not in the sexy way.


    When I knock on his office door, I’m numb.


    “Come in!” His tone is decidedly grumpy. Good. That makes two of us.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    I push into his office and shut the door behind me.


    When he tears his gaze away from theputer, his eyes lock on that closed door. “Shay. I think it


    would be better if you kept that door open.”


    What a fucking asshole. “Really? You didn’t mind me closing it when you were cheating on your wife


    with me.” Oh. Wow. That felt great. Why was I putting this off?


    He blows out a breath. “Merritt told me you came to her officest night. And before you get all high


    and mighty with me, you should understand that I made the decisions I did based on my gauge of your


    maturity level. After the way you handled speaking with her, it’s clear that I made the right call.”


    In this moment, I see George clearly for the first time. Honestly, I’m disgusted with myself for getting


    personally involved with him. I’ve always known on some level that George needed taking down a


    notch, but why on earth didn’t I ever find his ego annoying? Like, vagina-shriveling uneptable. I


    shake my head. “My maturity level? What a convenient excuse that must’ve been for you—to lie to your


    wife and keep me in the dark about your marriage so you could fuck me. You knew I would’ve turned


    you down if you’d told me the truth.”


    He rocks back in his chair, chest puffed up, nostrils ring with anger. “I suppose now you’re going to


    act like you didn’t want to? y the victim card and say I coerced you through the mentor-mentee


    power dynamic?”


    I shake my head. “I never thought that. Your evaluation of my work and guidance of my research


    always feltpletely separate from our personal rtionship.”


    He swallows and his chest caves in. Good. At least he’s been a little worried about it.


    “I didn’t sleep with you for academic favors,” I say, realizing we need to get this cleared up first. “And I


    never felt like you used your position on mymittee to get me in bed.”


    He scrubs a hand over his face, nodding. “Okay. Good, good, good. This is good to hear.”


    “That’s a lot of good in reference to a situation that’s pretty fucked up, George. You’re not off the hook


    for not telling me about your wife. Not with me, at least. If she wants to ignore what you’ve done, that’s


    on her. Even if I wanted a rtionship with you, I wouldn’t forgive you for keeping me in the dark. I don’t


    have the energy to hash out how I feel about your lies right now.”


    He smirks. “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”


    I cock my head to the side. “What exactly did your wife tell you?” Did she tell you I’m pregnant?


    “She told me to get out.” He shifts ufortably. Ass sore, George? “And then she told me I needed to


    talk to you.”


    “She’s right. We do need to talk.”


    He stares at me and when I don’t immediately exin, he says, “Spit it out.”


    “I’m pregnant.”


    He goes pale then seems to shake away the instinctive panic. “The football yer works fast.”


    “The baby isn’t Easton’s.” I stare at him, but when he only stares back with that constipated confusion


    face, I say, “I’m eleven weeks and four days pregnant.” I pull the ultrasound picture from my purse and


    ce it in front of him on the desk.


    He stares at the ck-and-white photo with wide eyes. “Can you be sure it’s mine?”


    What a dick. “Before Easton came to town, you’re the only one I’d slept with in years.”


    When he lifts his eyes to mine, they’re angry. “You told me you were on the pill.”


    “I was. It looks like I got pregnant during that Florida conference. The doctor said if I was that sick, the


    birth control wouldn’t have worked right.”


    “The chances, though . . .”


    I point at the picture. “Right there. There’s the chance.”


    He stares at me for a long beat, and I watch as the possibility clicks into ce in his mind. “I can’t


    marry you, Shay. You’ve been acting weird since you saw that ring, but I’ve never given you reason to


    believe I wanted that from you. I don’t want to lose my wife.”


    “If you think I want to marry you after all I know now, you’ve lost your goddamned mind.”


    “I mean, I’d want a paternity test.”


    “Would you? And what then? What would the proof of a paternity test change for you?” I shake my


    head. “I might not like how this happened, but I’m not upset to know I’m going to be a mother.”


    “Well, at least that’s one of us.” He blows out a breath. “You got just what you wanted, didn’t you? An


    excuse to stay home. An excuse to ignore everything you’ve worked so hard for so you can . . . what?


    How will you support this kid? Are you going to be a fucking bartender?”


    I know that shot is supposed to hurt, but it doesn’t. I don’t care what he thinks of me, of my family or my


    choices. “I’m only telling you because it’s the right thing to do. Not because I expect anything from you.”


    He looks dumbstruck. I wonder how many other women he’s been sleeping with while not using


    condoms and pretending to be single. Maybe even other women at this college who thought they were


    protecting their own reputation by keeping the secret. “I think it would be easier all around if you make


    this decision regarding the baby in the same way I told you to make the decisions regarding your


    career,” he says. “Don’t factor me into the equation.”


    “Would you sign away your rights to the child?”


    He shrugs, as if I’m asking for something meaningless. “If that’s what you want, that’s fine with me.”


    I take a breath. “And when I defend my dissertation, I expect you to do the same. Evaluate me as if we


    were never together, as if we were never involved.”


    “You think I’m going to evaluate you unfairly because of all of this? I have the highest regard for


    academic integrity.”


    Iugh. “Because academic integrity is everything, right? Apparently, for you, it’s even more important


    than personal integrity.” I take the ultrasound photo from his desk, tuck it into my purse, and leave his


    office.


    Maybe it’s not wise to walk away with bitterness between us when the future of my degree hangs in the


    bnce. If I’m going to move away and start over, I’m going to want this degree I’ve busted my ass for.


    But it was worth it.


    Easton


    Me: Everything okay? I missed you yesterday.


    Shay: I’m dealing with some stuff at school. I’ve had some unexpected changes thatplicate things.


    Me: Can I help?


    Shay: I need to do this myself.


    Me: Will I see you at gymnastics tonight? Abi is excited.


    Shay: No, Nic’s taking Lilly.


    Me: You’re avoiding me.


    Shay: I am. Kind of. Give me some space, Easton. We’ll talk, but I need to take care of me right now.


    He grins. “I think so too.” His gaze flicks to the pocket where I just put away my phone. “Was that my


    sister?”


    “Yeah.”


    “She still avoiding you?” Co?tent оf


    I drag a hand through my hair. “Yeah.”


    “Are you gonna do something about it?”


    Do I look like an idiot? “She wants space.”


    He frowns. “What’d you do?”


    “Meaning?”


    “Listen, I’d like to tell you the whole thing, but if you beat in my face, you’re the one who has to exin


    your actions to my sweet, innocent daughter.”


    His eyes go wide. “Oh, hell. We’re gonna need beer, aren’t we?”


    I nod. “We should probably do this at the bar.”