I threw the rest of my clothes on.
“This is going to be a fight. If Brandon’s bringing out the big guns, we’re going to need some help too.”
“Ashley we’ve only just finished making love…” said Tom. But I was fully clothed now. I hope I didn’t look like I’d just had sex with a Professor… because my next stop was Professor Cantor’s room. I knew Tom would try to stop me if he could, which was why I was in such a damned hurry.
Eleven
I wondered what I looked like as I knocked on Cantor’s door. I hoped I didn’t look too dazed from passion and I hoped my clothes and make up had held up. I didn’t check. I also noticed that Professor Ridgley had sensibly not appeared at my side. We had spent almost a half hour making love, and I felt the familiar sweet ache in my body. It had taken my mind off Cody. But my growing sense of injustice worked best of all, blotting out all other concerns, I was angry that Brandon Lynes seemed to exert such influence over the entire college, even among mature academics.
I had to make some of these people see sense. I knocked on the door, and Cantor opened it so quickly he took the wind out of my sails.
“Ah, Ashley. Just the girl I wanted to see.”
I was on the back foot all of a sudden. I straightened myself out a little more as the old Professor walked into his room and left the door hanging open. I walked into his office and looked behind me. Tom definitely wasn’t joining us then. Scaredy Cat. I closed the door.
“Why did you want to see me, Professor?”
He sat down, and made an amiable face. He put the end of a pen to his lips while he struggled with what to say. He was decked out in more shabby-professor-chic checker shirts and an old looking green tie made of rough material.
“I wanted to talk to you about your situation. But I have to be careful these days. I have to be careful what I say you see. I don’t want to offend you… and I don’t want to overstep the mark.”
I thought about playing dumb on the consequences part, but I respected Cantor by now, and I knew he would see straight through my fake ignorance.
“I wanted to speak to you about those consequences too, Professor.”
“Ah, now, that’s a good thing, maybe.”
“Maybe? Please, you shoot first Professor.”
“Shoot? Ah, well, yes. Here’s the awkward part, and this is not the college speaking. This is me. Because I like you and respect you Ashley. I think I recognise what Cody Barnes sees in you – courage, tenacity, talent and more besides. I want you to succeed Ashley, because I see your raw potential. But events in your life are simply spiralling, Ashley, and you really must take control.”
“Spiralling, Professor?”
Now I played dumb. I knew what he meant, but I wanted him to be clear.
“Yes. Let’s stick to the facts. Please remember that I’m on your side. Others in this institution may not be.”
Dean Jonathan’s face came immediately to mind.
“When you arrived at Smiths you had no means to pay your fees, and you owed them for the whole year, am I right?”
“Yes, Professor. You remember?”
“I do. But within a very short space of time you were in a relationship with Brandon Lynes. Brandon comes from a privileged background. Your debt to the college was then cleared in full. Am I right so far?”
“Yes. But I never asked Brandon to do that. And if you saw how he treats me... He has threatened me, Professor, he’s threatened to get me kicked out of this college, he’s threatened to hurt Cody, and he’s even threatened my family. The only reason I’m still living at his flat is so he doesn’t carry out those threats. Now look what he’s doing!”
“Ashley… please. I’ve heard some of these allegations. It’s all so difficult to prove, do you see? I trust what you’re saying, but it’s your word against his.”
“But you believe me?”
“For what it’s worth, yes. But in your situation... Let me go back a step. Soon after you were with Brandon, you discovered Cody Barnes had affection for you, didn’t you, yes? I knew he was missing you, and provided you with his whereabouts at the York literary festival, yes?”
I nodded. I was feeling impatient, but I had to wait this out, to find where Cantor was leading me.
“I believe you became very close with Cody there. You left Brandon Lynes in London, the man apparently believing you were still his partner…”
“He doesn’t have partners, Mr Cantor. He sleeps around and he is controlling! I told him we were through before I left. I made it abundantly clear.”
“I’m sorry this seems so personal, Ashley. It really is none of my business, but I see your personal affairs could be weapons to be used against you.”
“How?!”
“Mr Lynes says you abandoned him and went off with Mr Barnes. Mr Barnes told me himself how distraught he was when you left him in York. Now, I hear what you say about those threats. I understand that… but now there are further allegations about you and Professor Ridgley. If that is true, Ashley, then there is an undeniable pattern which could be used against you – one half-finished affair, then another, and now you may have slept with the Professor too?”
“So all of this is my fault, is it Professor Cantor? Are you saying the college are going to kick me out?”
The man sighed, closed his eyes and shook his head.
“I’m not saying that at all. What I am giving you is a preview of the picture that could be painted by those who mean you harm. And I recommend right now that you decide to concentrate on your studies rather than any getting involved in any more affairs of the heart. Your attendance has far improved since the beginning of term. You hand your work in on time and it is very good, Ashley.”
“Then that’s all that matters, right?”
“No, not quite. If you are considered to be a disruptive influence here at Smiths, some people could decide to ask for your removal.”
“Some people? Would that be you?”
“No. Not me. Not now. But if you carried on down that path much longer, you will inevitably self-destruct, and I don’t want that for you Ashley. I want you to be settled and well. So please, no more of these muddy affairs.”
I was deeply embarrassed. I wondered if he could see that I had only just been with someone. But I didn’t want any more of this kind of lecture.
“Prof, everything that has happened to me has been my choice… I accept that and I take responsibility.”
The old man nodded, pleased to hear what I was saying.
“But I only made those choices because of what Brandon Lynes has been doing to me. Keeping me captive, beholden to him because of his threats. Cody believed I left him because I was being heartless, is that right? But I only left him because I had no choice. Brandon was going to beat him stupid if I stayed with him. I should still be with him, Professor. I care about Cody…” I heard myself say it, and the emotion almost burst within me. I suddenly saw the Professor was right. I had been trying to avoid becoming like Amanda, an empty space, cheapened by Brandon’s cruelty, but in trying to fight him fire with fire, I had risked my heart again, and I had chosen to be weak. I should have hung on for Cody. Professor Ridgley was simply delicious, yes, but I had made some bad choices, and now they were going to cost both of us. Right on time, another knock came at Cantor’s door.
“Come in,” said the Professor.
Ridgley stuck his head in, made a strained face and looked at both of us with an awkward smile.
“Everything all right?”
“Do come in, Tom. I’m here with Ashley Pearson, and we’re talking everything through. Because as you will know by now, there are going to be consequences for all concerned. But the best thing we can do is decide how we limit the damage.”
My words about caring for Cody still shifted and echoed around my head. I looked at Ridgley and felt warm about his smile and his good looks, but sad that we had been so foolish, both of us. In the light of the allegations against us, it had seeme
d like good sense to enjoy each other’s bodies just as we had been accused. And I still felt a warmth and inner delight from his touch. But I remembered Cody, and I remembered his touch. It was different, more simple, more powerful, more emotive, and the afterglow from him had been even stronger. I missed Cody. Only now did I realise how much. I didn’t think I could ever make love to Professor Ridgley again. Cantor was old and wise, and totally right.
“Ashley, Professor Ridgley has spoken to me at length. He told me what occurred between you. He overstepped a serious boundary in making romantic overtures to you. He tells me nothing physical actually occurred between you, but the student body doesn’t seem to care about that. And neither does the Dean’s office. The Dean draws no distinction between romantic approaches and a sexual liaison in terms of the resulting discipline. Professor Ridgley has crossed a bridge he should not have crossed. I believe you have also made a mistake, Ashley, as you are not in the least a stupid girl. You knew what you were doing. But in this situation, Professor Ridgley bears the greatest responsibility. He will be suspended and the likelihood is that he will be forced to resign or he will eventually be dismissed. If you resign, Tom, at least you can get another job elsewhere.”
Ridgley stroked his chin. “Maybe,” he said quietly. “But what about Ashley and Brandon Lynes? Whatever happens here, we can’t let Lynes get away with what he’s doing to this young lady. It’s terrible, Professor. It’s a form of abuse.”
“Yes. I agree. That young man is out of control. I’ve noticed it for a while now. Speaking of spiralling, Ashley, Mr Lynes has been in a tailspin since the beginning of this year. No matter which family Brandon Lynes hails from, I will insist on impartiality on how this matter is dealt with.”
“What will happen to him, Professor Cantor?” I asked.
“I’m sorry, Ashley. I don’t know. It’s not in my hands. But I can tell you this, and this is strictly confidential and must remain so… From his attendance to his grades, Mr Lynes is sinking fast. He’s on course to fail at least two modules at present so I am going to recommend that Mr Lynes is to undertake counselling and that he should be withdrawn from his degree course for the rest of this academic year.”
“You’re going to kick him out?” I blurted in happiness. But I still wondered about the other consequences.
“No. I don’t have those powers, but as part of a committee, yes, we can make that happen and if he is to undertake counselling, the way he has treated you will have been acknowledged. It will be on paper as a college record. Which means Mr Lynes could never get away with that ever again.”
“I’d also suggest that the college owes Ashley some practical support to get over this trauma. Smiths should provide her with some safe accommodation free of charge while she gets back on her own two feet.”
Cantor made a whimsical face at his colleague. “Tom, don’t push it. But I will try.”
“Think about it, Ashley. If Professor Cantor is able to have Brandon Lynes withdrawn not only can he never feasibly harm you again… but all those threats about his influence will be meaningless. He will never have any influence at Smiths ever again.”
I smiled and I hoped it would come to pass as they both said. But revenge didn’t inspire me, not any more, not after seeing so many of my mistakes, and not while I was missing Cody as much as ever, knowing we were still so far apart…
As I stood to leave, Professor Cantor said. “Now, remember what I said.”
“Yes, I’ll remember, Professor.”
I left the small room, with Tom Ridgley following suit.
“I had to wait or he would have been suspicious,” he whispered, the door closed behind him.
“Cantor is a good friend to you, Tom.”
“Yes, yes he is. At least if I leave this place we can be together…” he smiled.
I tried my best to look happy about that. “I’ve got to go,” I said.
“Of course,” he said, beaming.
But the future for Professor Ridgley and me looked like a brief one. I wasn’t looking forward to breaking the news to him but I knew now more than ever that my heart was for one man. I hoped very much that Cantor and Ridgley could force the Dean to remove Brandon from the college, but I still doubted they could. I don’t think Cantor was sure about it either. But whatever happened, I had to get away from him. In more ways than I had imagined, Brandon Lynes was ruining my life.
Twelve
I couldn’t take any chances with Brandon. Even though his words sounded convincing I knew I had heard doubt in Cantor’s voice. There was a very real chance that Brandon Lynes would get off scot free, and Cantor’s guess that the Dean and Brandon would instead destroy my character along the way seemed a very good bet. But I couldn’t allow that to happen. As far as I knew this was my best chance of getting rid of Brandon for good, and I was determined to take it. But if there was a chance that Brandon and the Dean were going to smear me, I had to make sure Brandon was a wounded animal before the committee made their decision. I considered my options and saw I had a hard choice to make. I could set Brandon a trap forcing him to show his true colours, or I could do nothing and hope the committee made the right decision. It was a risk either way. If I did what I was thinking of doing then there was a distinct chance Brandon would go ape-shit long before the committee meeting. And what would happen then? Who knew? I’d been trapped for so long, and I was so enraged with Brandon that any real choice had long since gone. I had to do this. I’d avoided speaking to him for well over a week and so now there was a mile of arctic ice between us. For my plan to work I would have to thaw it with a flamethrower.
Amanda looked at me across the kitchen table. Tonight she’d done something with salmon and cous-cous. I thanked her and ate some but I ate lightly, and picked at it with my fork, because I knew what was coming with Brandon.
“You’re way too quiet tonight Ashley. Which man are you pining over now?”
Amanda had become too familiar with me too soon. I was getting to like her, but Amanda wasn’t yet a friend. I still didn’t trust her, but I was trying.
“That’s for me to know and you to find out, Amanda.”
“My bet is Ridgley. He’s going to get sacked, isn’t he? How does that affect our little escape plan?”
“It affects Professor Ridgley a hell of a lot more than it affects us, Amanda. Jeez. The guy is going to lose his job because of…”
“Because of who? Maybe a little because of you but maybe a lot because of his dick, Ashley. He’s supposed to be the grown up, after all.”
“You make it sound like we’re school girls, Amanda. We’re all adults. What I did or didn’t do was up to me as much as him.”
“Yeah? But he was the one on the payroll.”
“You sound like you’re on Brandon’s side again.”
She stopped chewing her salmon and looked at me. “Are you serious?” she said eventually.
I believed her. “Just checking.”
“You’re hard work at the moment, Ashley.”
“No more kisses for me then, eh?”
Her face softened into a smile, but the door opened with a clunk and a creak and my sense of humour disappeared altogether. The boys were back, talking and laughing. I could smell beer breath as soon as the front door opened.
Brandon passed the door without a greeting. He looked at Amanda and nodded. He looked at me and said nothing. My heart was speeding along in anticipation.
“Evening ladies. Look at you. You’ll be taking up crochet like a pair of old spinsters soon,” said Luke with a laugh.
“Get screwed, Luke,” said Amanda, but the smile on her face said she was joking. Luke snickered and followed Brandon.
“What is it, Ash?”
I’d somehow drifted off, lost in the subterranean world of my pounding heartbeat. I looked up. “I need to talk with Brandon.” Before I could take care of Brandon, I made a visit to the bathroom. Partly to get my head straight. Partly to make sure I was ready for all event
ualities. I pressed the app on my Smartphone, and slid it into my skirt pocket. I was ready. I came out and passed Amanda again in the kitchen. She saw where I was headed.
“Is this all part of your plan?”
I didn’t know whether it was going to work, so I didn’t say a word. I headed down the hall for Brandon’s room.
“…she had the most massive rack you’ve ever seen, I mean she was stacked!!” said Brandon. I heard him doing the loud drunken guy thing all the way down the hallway until I walked into his bedroom. He had a bottle of lager in his hand and I saw he was happy-drunk. Until he saw me that is. For a split second I felt like the jealous housewife, wondering which girl had the giant rack. Then I remembered I really didn’t give a shit whose body Brandon had been looking at.
“What do you want?” He said.
“I want to talk to you,” I said.
“Now?”
“Now.”
Brandon looked at Luke. Luke looked at Brandon. Which way would the wind blow? We all waited, and then Brandon turned to me and laid his beer on his desk.
“Well it’s about time, sweet cheeks.”
Luke stood up to leave the room.
“As far as I’m concerned Luke can stay. My whole life is an open book right now, so what’s the point in anyone pretending otherwise. I don’t mind if Amanda hears too.”
“Yeah? So what is this? You want to cause a scene?” said Brandon.
“No, that’s your speciality. I just want to talk to you about what you’ve done.”
“Snap, Ashley. I want to talk to you about fidelity and betrayal.”
“What the hell?” I was dumbstruck. “You want to talk to me about being faithful? Get the hell out of here.” I laughed.
“No. As far as I remember we were a couple. Lovers. And then you ran out on me for Cody. Then you go and dump that poor sucker and come back here. Then you go and fuck Ridgley. I mean who the hell haven’t you been screwing?”
“That’s the official line, right? That’s the story you’ve cooked up and you’re sticking to it? Do you remember beating that ‘poor sucker’ half to death, and threatening to break him in half? Brandon, you tell so many lies these days you don’t know which way is up and which way is down.”
Vengeful Heart: Fighting Heart Erotic Bad Boy Romance Series Book 3 Page 8
