Reflection (The Chrysalis Series)

by Sallinger, Elene

  ‘I do.’ Bridget’s voice was soft.

  Skyler’s head snapped in Bridget’s direction.

  ‘Why do you believe me, Professor? You’re not even questioning whether I’m telling the truth. Why is that?’

  ‘Are you telling me the truth?’

  ‘Yes, but that’s not the point.’ Her chocolate eyes bored into Bridget’s green ones.

  Bridget made a split-second decision and said, ‘He’s been harassing me as well. He’s already proven that he isn’t above threats and manipulation to get what he wants. So yes, Skyler. I believe you.’

  Skyler launched herself at Bridget, wrapping her in a constricting hug.

  ‘Skyler, sugar, I can’t breathe,’ she gasped even as she laughed.

  Skyler released her and sat back, tears once again flowing.

  Bridget took her hand and squeezed, ‘We’ll figure something out where Dean Whittier is concerned. I promise. But let’s put that aside for the moment and get back to the more pressing issue of your baby.’

  The words sank into Skyler’s brain like water into a sponge. Up until this moment, her pregnancy had been more of an abstract construct in her mind. First, it was a tool she’d hoped to use to get Dale to leave her alone. Then it was about refusing to let him control her.

  She’d never once thought of it as a baby. It was the pregnancy. The foetus. But it was a baby; more importantly, it was her baby. She had always wanted children. It was definitely in her life plan. She had just thought she’d be safely graduated and married before a baby entered the picture.

  She had no excuse for what had happened. She’d forgotten to take her pills. She’d let herself be distracted and had been irresponsible. It was simple as that. Birth control only worked reliably when you followed instructions and she hadn’t.

  Now, though, confronted by the fact that her entire life was about to change, she had to make a decision.

  ‘Skyler?’

  The professor had been so kind to her. She’d come to her not knowing what to expect; certainly not compassion and understanding. She’d expected to be disbelieved. Just knowing she wasn’t alone was so comforting.

  ‘I’m keeping my baby.’

  ‘Have you thought this through, Skyler? A baby will change your life for ever. What about school?’

  Skyler had those questions too and it would be a complete lie to act as if she had the answers, but she knew what she wanted. As the thought filled her mind, so did a conflicting sense of both peace and trepidation.

  ‘I don’t have the answers to those questions, Professor. But I know that I’m keeping my baby.’

  ‘You don’t have to do this, Skyler. You know that, right?’

  Skyler nodded at Professor Ross. ‘I know. But I want to do this.’

  The professor didn’t speak; she just took Skyler in her arms and held her tight.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Bridget poured a steaming cup of coffee and picked up a chocolate chip cookie before heading over to sit with Claire and Mona. Once again, she hadn’t heard a single word of the book club discussion and Jean had given her an earful, to be sure. She almost hadn’t come, but she’d known that would only create more questions. As it was, she could see Claire and Mona chomping at the bit to lay into her as well.

  With a fortifying bite of cookie, she went to face the inquisition.

  Claire didn’t hesitate. ‘Well. What’s going on? Is it Connor?’

  ‘No, it’s not Connor.’ She sighed. ‘Well, not in the way you mean anyway.’ She couldn’t contain a grin.

  Mona leaned forward, interest blazing in her eyes. ‘Ooh, I think Bridget’s got some scoop to tell.’ Setting her cookie and coffee down, she said, ‘Spill. Bridg. Let’s have it.’ She grinned. ‘Tell us something good.’

  ‘Better yet –’ Claire sipped her decaf ‘– tell us something sexy?’

  Bridget flushed, but couldn’t help herself. ‘Sexy was off the charts, darlin’. That man is unbelievable.’

  They burst out in happy laughter with Bridget.

  ‘Well, he must have been good to keep you so distracted. Come on, girl. What good is having friends if you can’t count on getting the dirt?’ Mona said.

  ‘Exactly,’ Claire chimed in.

  Bridget chuckled but quickly filled them in on her night with Connor. They’d spent several evenings together during the week and had made love again. It was just as wonderful as the first time, though she still couldn’t bring herself to truly let it all go with him. She still refused to give in to her urge to go beyond the “norm” and he hadn’t pushed her, but she felt a barrier between them.

  Tomorrow, he was taking her out to Luna Bella. He’d gotten testy when she’d suggested they didn’t need to go to such an expensive restaurant, telling her he wanted to treat her. She’d agreed rather than argue the point. She didn’t want him to feel he had to go out of his way to impress her. She was already impressed.

  ‘Why would going to Luna Bella matter?’ Mona asked.

  ‘He doesn’t make a lot of money. And I don’t want him splurging on me when it isn’t necessary,’ Bridget said.

  ‘What does he do?’ Claire asked.

  ‘Starving artist, right?’ Mona chimed in. ‘I see him drawing all the time at the café.’

  ‘Janitor, actually,’ Bridget said. ‘At Pinewood, no less.’

  Both women looked stunned at the revelation, but quickly recovered.

  ‘Yeah, that wouldn’t bring in a lot of money, but Bridg, you gotta let a man be a man. If he wants to splurge on you, let him,’ Claire said before finishing off her cookie.

  ‘Yeah, honey,’ Mona said, ‘Connor’s not stupid. If he wants to take you out, I’m sure he can afford it.’

  This was why Bridget loved her friends. They didn’t even blink at what Connor did for a living.

  ‘That doesn’t seem like enough to keep you as preoccupied as you were though. Is there more?’ Claire nibbled at her last cookie.

  ‘Yes, but not with him. It’s one of my students. And frankly, me.’

  Both women waited patiently for her to continue.

  ‘Well, one of my students, Skyler –’

  ‘She comes into the café all the time.’ Mona interjected. Her brow furrowed in concern.

  ‘Yup, that’s her. She’s pregnant, and it’s by my boss, no less.’

  That particular bomb was met by mute stares.

  Bridget just nodded.

  ‘Yup, that was my reaction. But what’s making it worse is he’s harassing me too.’

  Both women exploded at that, talking over each other, their indignation apparent.

  ‘Calm down, calm down.’ She held up restraining hands as her friends continued to rail.

  ‘I think they have the right of it.’ Evan’s deep voice startled Bridget. She hadn’t heard him come up.

  ‘What do you mean?’ she said.

  ‘I mean, I’m two seconds away from shoving my foot up this guy’s ass, that’s what. What are you doing about this? Have you reported him?’

  ‘No, and I’m not going to either.’

  The group exploded again and Bridget practically had to shout to be heard.

  ‘Listen, all of you, or I’m leaving.’

  They quieted down, but not one face was a happy one.

  ‘I’m going to deal with this, trust me on that. But I can’t expose Skyler and I’m not about to risk my own career. The president of the university is so deep in Whittier’s pocket, I’ve got no one to tell anyway.’

  Again, she held up a hand when they all started to speak at once.

  ‘Listen, I’m not going to let him get away with this. And I damn sure am not giving in, but reporting him won’t work.’

  Evan, who now sat on the arm of Claire’s chair, gave her a hard look and said, ‘Don’t do anything stupid, Bridget. You come to me if you need help, understand?’

  ‘Oh, don’t go all big brother on me, Evan. I’ll be careful.’

  ‘I will do as I
please, Bridget, and count yourself lucky that’s all you’re getting from me.’ He stroked Claire’s hair and Bridget flushed a little, given her knowledge of their particular relationship. ‘Does Connor know?’

  She flushed even more. ‘No, and I’d like to keep it that way.’ At Evan’s raised eyebrow she added, ‘I don’t want him worrying.’

  ‘Uh-huh.’ She could tell he didn’t believe her, but she really didn’t want to talk about her resistance to sharing certain things with Connor. It was still too early in their relationship and she had a right to take things slow.

  ‘OK, Bridg.’ Evan’s dark eyes never wavered from her. ‘I hope you know what you’re doing. I wouldn’t want you to fuck up a good thing.’

  The double entendre was not lost on her.

  ‘What can we do?’ Claire asked Evan and Mona after Bridget had gone home.

  ‘Nothing, sweetness.’ Evan said. He’d grabbed a cup of coffee and was sitting with her and Mona. ‘We have to let Bridget handle this as she sees fit.’

  ‘I think there’s more going on than she’s saying,’ Mona said, worry creasing her brow.

  ‘I agree,’ Evan said. ‘I’ve known Bridget a long time and she doesn’t let people in easily. Where her boss is concerned, I’m sure she’ll work it out. It’s this thing with Connor that’s bothering me.’

  ‘Why, baby?’ Claire asked. She knew her husband was very protective where Bridget was concerned. She was like a little sister to him.

  ‘Bridget doesn’t let men get close. I heard her first comments about him. She’s never said anything like that about anyone else she’s dated, but yet she hasn’t told him she’s being harassed.’

  ‘I’m not following,’ Mona said, looking back and forth between the two.

  ‘She has a man who she is really feeling, but she’s keeping him at a distance,’ Claire provided. ‘So she’s setting herself up for failure despite having the opportunity for a real relationship. Finally.’

  ‘Exactly.’ Evan nodded in agreement.

  ‘Yeah, I see what you mean. Connor’s great,’ Mona said. ‘He comes into the café regularly now and we chat. He’s definitely into her.’

  ‘I’m worried that Bridget is going to screw up because she holds herself too aloof and refuses to trust the people who’ve proven themselves worthy of being trusted.’ He held up his hand as the women jumped to her defence, ‘I know about her history and I’m not judging, but everyone has to let down their guard and trust sometime.’

  Claire’s heart squeezed when his eyes met hers. They would know. They’d both had to take a leap of faith and trust in each other to come together.

  ‘If she doesn’t tell Connor and he finds out, it might blow up in her face.’

  ‘You really think so?’ Mona asked.

  ‘Yes, I do,’ he replied. ‘No man worth his salt wants something like that kept from him.’

  ‘Bridget can take care of herself,’ Mona protested.

  ‘Of course she can,’ Evan said, ‘but as the man in her life, Connor has a right to know when she’s being threatened by another man even if he stands back and lets her handle it. Right now, Bridget has introduced a secret into their relationship and secrets are poison.’

  Claire knew he was right, but she also knew that nothing would move Bridget before she was ready.

  ‘Shit,’ Mona said.

  ‘Exactly,’ Claire and Evan said simultaneously.

  Connor tossed his CleanSlate aside in exasperation. Normally, he was able to work his frustrations out through drawing, but tonight the subject of his drawing was his frustration.

  Bridget’s image stared out at him from the screen. It wasn’t the drawing that was bothering him. It was the woman.

  This past week had been an exercise in self-control. Not just in bed either. Being with her was like being just out of reach of a beautiful diamond. There was a distinct wall between them.

  Whenever he tried to talk with her about her job, she always steered the conversation toward her students. She never spoke about her colleagues or her boss. He’d told her all about Sam and his co-workers. That’s what people did. They talked about their day, about their lives. But Bridget doled out information in dribs and drabs and rarely volunteered anything that wasn’t safe.

  It made him feel like he was only getting what she wanted him to see rather than the whole picture and that didn’t sit well with him at all. He wasn’t one for secrets.

  Add in the fact that she was still very controlled during sex and he was growing frustrated. It wasn’t that she needed to let him tie her up and whip her – though his body tightened at the idea of her bound and helpless. No, sex was about vulnerability and connection, and she always felt just out of reach.

  When they’d made love the second time, she’d been obviously uncomfortable any time he tried to push her even a little. It was enough to make a man want to forget the whole thing altogether.

  He was a firm believer that how something started was how it ended and he didn’t want to go any further with this wall between them. He understood that trust was earned, but part of earning that trust was taking risks and he felt like he was the only one doing that.

  Sighing in frustration, Connor grabbed a Guinness out of the fridge. Sipping the brew, he almost tripped over Lotus, who’d followed close behind him. She nudged one of the drawers and, good master that he was, he fished her bone out for her. She grinned and wagged her tail, happily snatching it from him and flopping down on her bed to chew.

  ‘At least one of us is happy,’ he said to her before taking a long draw on his beer.

  She looked up at him, a huge doggy grin on her face.

  He laughed. Who could hold on to frustration in the face of that look? Picking up the CleanSlate again, he looked at his most recent portrait of Bridget. She was all he’d been drawing lately.

  As if summoned by his thoughts, his phone rang and her picture popped up. Frustrated or not, he couldn’t help but smile. He was falling for her. He knew it. He wasn’t fighting it. But he felt alone in it.

  Grabbing up his phone, he connected the call. ‘Hey, gorgeous.’

  Her sultry laugh through the phone had him wishing she was there where he could take her to bed.

  ‘Hey yourself.’ She sounded tired.

  ‘Everything OK?’

  ‘Yeah, tired. I’m about to go to bed, but I wanted to call you and give you my address.’

  Connor sat bolt upright. This was so unexpected.

  ‘Your address?’ He was shocked. When he’d agreed to take things slow, he hadn’t realised she’d make molasses look lightning-fast.

  ‘Yes, sugar.’ He could hear her smile. ‘My address. Meet me here tomorrow night. OK?’

  ‘Definitely.’ He took down her address.

  They chatted a bit more before signing off. Maybe things were turning around.

  Chapter Sixteen

  ‘Why are we here?’ Bridget whispered, trying to draw Claire’s attention, but not that of the other customers in the store.

  Claire didn’t appear to hear her. She was flipping through a rounder of bras as if they’d offended her in some fashion. The clink of hangers was enough to make Bridget flinch.

  Something was off. Very off. Her friend, usually so open and charming, was so – she struggled to find the right word – so … tense. Like a rubber band pulled tight.

  ‘Claire?’ Bridget tried again.

  Silence.

  She didn’t know what had spurred this impromptu shopping trip and she was beginning to feel uneasy.

  When Claire had called, Bridget had been all too happy to skip her usual Saturday morning chores. A quick run with Daisy had satisfied the little pocket pit bull terrier and she’d left her happily snoozing while she went to meet her best friend.

  She’d expected gossip and fun. Some light-hearted teasing about her upcoming date with Connor. She was getting eggshells and silence.

  She’d hoped they’d hang out, window shop, maybe go buy some
maternity clothes for Claire now that she was starting to show. Instead they were at Intimate Moments.

  Owned by Victor Matthews, a designer who’d made it big in New York only to walk away and come back to his home town, it was River Rock’s answer to both Victoria’s Secret and EdenFantasys.

  In addition to exquisite lace and satin creations, many of which were personally designed by Victor, there was the “spice shop”, where latex and neoprene joined satin corsets and other fetish gear. Those items were by request only, though.

  In short, if you didn’t know to ask, you didn’t get to buy.

  Claire knew to ask. In fact, Bridget had bought her first and only toy from Victor courtesy of Claire.

  It had been one of Bridget’s most embarrassing experiences. It didn’t matter that Victor and Evan were friends and Evan gave him a thumbs-up as a great guy. It didn’t matter that she was quite sure Claire had bought much racier stuff from Victor. Bridget had been tomato red from head to toe the whole time she and Claire had been browsing.

  Victor had put her at ease with a kind word and some light teasing. She’d liked him at once. Despite his height – he had to be well over six feet tall – he was quite unimposing. Slight of build, though clearly well-muscled, tall and yet stooped in a way that made him seem shorter – he was a contradiction in terms. Right down to his clothing and appearance. He had to spend more time getting ready than Bridget did.

  His raven-black locks were always immaculate, as were his clothes. There was never an errant crease or hair out of place.

  As stereotypical as it was, Bridget thought he was gay. She’d never seen or even heard a rumour of him dating a woman. Evan was mum on the subject, saying it was Victor’s business and to ask him if she was that curious.

  She’d never been that rude. He was a gentle soul and she’d never insult him with such a prying question. She did wonder, though.

  After that first trip, they’d become quite friendly. He never made her feel stupid for purchasing simple cotton rather than all the feminine frippery that seemed to be expected of women these days. He always tempted her with promises of custom designs if she’d try something different, but he acquiesced with grace and made her feel just as sexy in cotton as she was sure he did the other patrons of his shop.