Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 78760 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78760 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
“Murder is sometimes necessary…under special circumstances,” I teased her, my heart feeling light for the first time in a couple of days. “Although it can be messy and gross, it isn’t quite as gross as your ex’s woman offering to breastfeed your child.”
She locked her lips.
“I’m fucking over them.”
I could believe it.
They’d done enough to her to make her wary of talking to them. All of which I wasn’t even privy to completely yet, but I would be…someday.
Someday soon, maybe when I stopped acting like an ass and started appreciating Tally.
Though, it should be noted that I did appreciate her ass.
“You still mad at me?” she asked softly.
I shook my head.
No, I wasn’t. I understood, even though I didn’t like it.
“I want you to promise me that when we’re at my club or out of town with some of my fellow members, you won’t freak out and push me away.”
She nodded her head in promise.
“I was sorry I said it almost as fast as it came out of my mouth,” she admitted. “The only reason I left was because Hadley was there, and you definitely don’t want her there. She’s nosy, and she doesn’t care who she offends in the process of finding out whatever information it is that she wants.”
I hesitated to say what I had to say next.
“I don’t think she’s all that great of a friend,” I admitted. “The way she watches you sometimes is enough to make my hackles rise.”
Her mouth twitched.
“Your hackles are always raised,” she countered. “You’re just better at keeping it secret.”
Before I could refute her words, there was a sharp knock at the door.
“Ms. Slater, a word?”
Tally stiffened, and I wanted to groan.
Jesus Christ.
What was Lucia doing here?
Lucia, better known as Nurse Crotchet, who was one of Tally’s teachers as well as the head of the nursing department, wasn’t the nicest of people.
And I could see a million ways she could turn this around on Tally, even though nothing had gotten out of hand as of yet.
Knowing she had nothing to worry about, I opened the door and found myself face to face with the old bat.
“Yes?” I asked.
“I hear that Tally’s in here.” Nurse Crotchet accused, face pinched.
“She is,” I confirmed. “But she’s currently in a very bad state.”
Lucia’s face turned stony.
“Well let me see her.”
That was about the time my little actress turned on the waterworks, letting tears stream down her face in unending torrents.
The moment Lucia saw her, the old bat softened.
“What’s wrong?” she asked in concern, looking over at me accusingly.
“My ex-boyfriend, and father of my child, is harassing me,” Tally wailed.
I rolled my eyes and left the room, unable to deal with the fake show.
I knew that it wasn’t all a complete lie. Though the majority of the tears were likely only being produced to get her teacher on her side.
Something I had a feeling she accomplished as I made my way back into the nurses’ station to busy myself with signing discharge papers and writing out a few prescriptions.
“Can I speak with you?” Lucia asked a few minutes into my work.
I barely contained the urge to sigh.
“Yeah,” I grunted, turning to face her.
Lucia was a pretty woman once, I was sure. Now she just looked rundown and tired, and she could really use a makeover. Though, it was hard to look good when you worked seventy hours a week.
“You being in the same closed room as a student…that’s not a good idea.”
I knew that.
“Yes, I know. She was very worked up, though, and I wasn’t sure what to do.”
Not a total lie, I knew, but a partial one that would satisfy her.
“I had an anonymous tip today that you were being inappropriate with another student.” She finally got around to saying. “That’s why I was here…to investigate.”
My back stiffened, and I stared at her, making her take a step away.
“I would never cross that moral line,” I told her bluntly.
Lies! I was totally lying my ass off!
“I know, Thomas.” She patted my hand, making me feel like complete shit for lying to her instead of telling her the truth.
But I would never be admitting the truth about this, especially with Tally’s career on the line.
Even if this were to end completely between us, I would never wish her ill. Nor would I ever jeopardize her means of putting food in her little girl’s mouth.
“Do you have any leads on who this student was?”
Because I knew it was a fucking student, and I suspected I knew exactly which student.
Even if I didn’t want it to be true.
Because the truth would likely break Tally’s heart.
“No,” she shook her head. “But I have the security guard going through the camera feed that filtered around that time.”
My heart stuttered in my chest.
“Cameras?” I asked causally.
She nodded.
“Got them last month on a trial basis due to a few things missing from the simulation lab,” she nodded her head, leaning against the counter of the nurses’ station. “They’re in the main hall, right at the entrance into the college. In the teachers’ offices, two of the classrooms, and inside and outside the simulation lab.”