CHAPTER FOUR

NICOLE

Cora Hill is a bitch.

There, I said it.

The woman thinks nothing of dragging her paramour around in public and flaunting the result of her affair in front of Professor Hill—Marcus—and she dares to judge him for speaking with me just because I used to be his student.

Like, what the fuck?

“If this is your idea of revenge, showing off your underaged—” Cora starts, but I hold a hand up to cut her off.

“Trust me, you don’t want to finish that sentence. Firstly, because I’m fully of age”—I clasp Marcus’s arm tighter so it dips between my cleavage as I rub against him—“And secondly, you’re the one without a shred of dignity. Who cheats on their husband and then waltzes around with pride after the fact? No one good. No one decent.”

“How dare you,” Cora seethes, her French-tipped nails digging into Coach Morley’s side. To his credit, he looks uncomfortable with our confrontation, but it’s his damn fault for shacking up with a viper like her.

How did Marcus love her for so long?

“Enough, Cora. Your issue is with me, not Nicole, so leave her out of it,” Marcus barks, and I nearly swoon at the protective stance he takes beside me. “Our marriage ended a long time ago, thanks to you. Which means you have no right to judge what I do or who I see.”

Marcus leads us away from a stunned Cora and heads toward a table at the back of the room.

“Sorry about that.”

“You don't have to apologize for her bad behavior. She's just jealous because she knows what she lost.”

A bitter smile warps Marcus's face. “Trust me, she’s aware of exactly what she lost, and it’s not much to write home about.”

He pulls out an empty chair, and I sit before patting the seat next to me. Marcus slowly follows my silent command.

It’s strange thinking of him as Marcus instead of Professor Hill, but it fits. I'm no longer his student. We're both adults.

And I sucked his cock two hours ago to prove it.

God, I still can't believe I did that.

But the chance to show Marcus exactly how I felt rather than verbally spilling my crush on him was too enticing to ignore.

“You don't have to share the details of your relationship,” I say, squeezing his arm. I've always had a thing for muscular forearms, and he has them in spades. “Nothing condones cheating in my mind. You were a kind and thoughtful husband from everything I witnessed, and actions speak louder than words.”

“Just like that, you're on my side? I could have been terrible to Cora behind closed doors.” His brows crinkle to the center of his forehead, and the silver threads in his hair gleam under the room lights.

“I don't think so.” I shake my head. “You can't fake that kind of character, and believe me, I know bad men when I see them. You're not one.”

“Well, thank you… I think. Although I hate to hear you've experienced trouble at the hands of bad men.”

“It’s whatever. The Kennedy men are known for their vices.” Shrugging my shoulders, I sigh and lean back in my chair. Better to get this out now rather than later.

“My dad is an alcoholic who loves sleeping around. My grandfather was a workaholic which led to a business empire, but at the cost of my neglected grandmother and his son, my dad, who didn't turn out great. Then there's my uncle who is addicted to gambling no matter how many times he goes to rehab. Even Liam has a vice.”

“Your brother?” His eyes find Liam and Mae on the other side of the room.

“Yeah, but his vice is love, so I can't fault him too much.”

“And the women in your family don't suffer the same fate?”

“As far as I know… However, Liam would probably say I'm addicted to K-Dramas, so there's that.” My laugh breaks up the melancholic cloud hovering above us.

“Korean shows?” Marcus grins. “I've never seen one.”

“You don't know what you're missing! We're gonna watch one just like I made Liam watch one with me, and you'll fall in love.”

Then, hopefully, you'll fall in love with me, too.

“We'll see.” His gaze trails back to Cora and Coach Morley, both of their hands on her burgeoning stomach.

“This is a personal question, so you can tell me to fuck off if you want to, but how come the two of you never had children? Did she say she was cool with it, then change her mind, but you didn't?”

“More like I'm unable to have children,” he admits, and my heart breaks for the sadness glazing over his dark eyes. “We agreed to adopt after years of going back and forth over the subject, then she changed her mind without telling me. According to Cora, nothing could replace experiencing the pregnancy of a biological child.”

“Wow…” I stare at the couple and contemplate this new knowledge. I don't fault Cora for wanting to be a mom, but the way she went about it was wrong. Adoption doesn’t make a child any less yours, even if you don’t carry the baby for nine months.

“Enough about the past. Do you want to get out of here?”

“What do you have in mind?”

“Let's just say I know a place, but I don't want to take you away from your friends if you've been looking forward to this reunion.”

“Nope, I'm good.” I won't tell him I've been looking forward to seeing him the most.

We exit the party, and he leads me toward a building at the center of campus—the administration hall.

It's the tallest building around, but it's also the oldest, and the stairs creak with each step as we climb several stories to reach the top. The Crow’s Nest. That's what students call it. There's only enough room for two small classrooms and tinier offices for Professors McGill and Finney.

“Don’t look so worried. The climb is worth it.” A boyish smile creases Marcus’s face, and a flutter of excitement takes flight in my stomach.

He's just so adorable.

Yes, he's probably twice my age or near it, but there's something playful about him when he wants to be light-hearted.

We enter a darkened classroom a few minutes later. Desks form perfect rows, and the smell of mildew hangs in the air. Marcus places two hands on one of the large windows on the wall and shoves upward with a grunt. The window pane opens enough for him to stick a leg through, and he straddles the sill, offering a hand to me.

“Come on, let's go on an adventure.”

Trusting him completely, I give him my hand, and he helps me onto the fire escape. We both shuffle to let our legs hang over the metal grate, our arms resting on one of the safety bars containing the small space.

“So, what are we doing up here?”

“Isn't it obvious? Look up.” He points his finger toward the sky.

A blanket of bright white constellations twinkles across a midnight backdrop, and I gasp in awe. Since we're so far from city lights, we have the perfect uninhibited view.

“It almost feels like you could touch them,” I say, reaching outward.

“Right? I discovered this spot years ago after curiosity got the best of me.”

“Space isn’t your forte, but you do teach science. It doesn't surprise me that you wanted to check out this view.” And he wants to share it with me—a romantic evening under the stars.

Maybe he feels a connection between us, too.

Maybe I'm not crazy for believing we could have something real.

Marcus nods then changes the subject. “What were you going to say earlier when you said you had a confession?”

I stiffen with nerves.

Guess it's time to test my theory.

Will he run from my silly crush or stay to see if it can become more?