Into the Clear Water - B. Celeste Page 0,65

for rain on top of this unusually nice weather that makes winter feel more like spring. But I know it’ll turn back into ice and snow, so I don’t get my hopes up that the season is ending early.

I’m walking toward the commuter lot when I see Carter waving in my direction and calling out my name. Smiling tiredly, I meet him halfway up the path and bury my hands in my jacket pockets. “Hi, Professor Ford.”

He eyes me but doesn’t correct the name. I told him at dinner I felt weird calling him Carter on campus. It slips out of familiarity more than I like, but I always hound myself silently for it after. “Piper. I’m glad I caught you. I was— Are you okay? You look a little pale.”

There’s a headache pounding in my temples that’s overheating my body and making me nauseous, but I smile. “I’m fine. I just have a little headache. Anyway, what’s up?”

He studies me for a moment. “I was wondering if you had time tomorrow to help me grade assignments. I have a few meetings between classes, but I’m free around four.”

Nibbling my lip, I give him an unsure look while I contemplate Ainsley. I’ve been asking a lot of Jenna and my parents over the past couple of months. They always happily help me, Jenna especially. She spoils Ainsley rotten even though she’s always said she’s never been a fan of kids. “How long do you think it’d take? I can definitely help, I’ll just pick some up and grade them at home.”

“Some of them I’d like to look at together.” He shifts his messenger bag over his shoulder and puts a hand in his pants pocket. “I know you’re busy, so we can figure something out. If not this week, maybe on Monday.”

“What about Saturday?” I surprise myself by those words, making myself wince a little and try covering it. “I mean, if you want. We both go to the Rec Center anyway, and there’s a play area for kids while parents go to programs. Not that I expect you to drop your weekend plans to do work. That’s unfair and probably stupid of me to even say. So—”

“Saturday works for me,” he cuts me off, fighting a smile. The corners of his lips twitch upward but neutralize. “What time were you thinking? We could work in the afternoon, maybe grab some food.”

My teeth dig into my bottom lip. “I’ll have Ainsley, so…”

“She could come,” he offers. His head tilts slightly when he sees the uncertainty lingering in my eyes. “Or not. I don’t want to make you or her uncomfortable. I just figured it’d make things easier on you. Work, food.”

“It’s not…” I hesitate, trying to gather my thoughts for a moment. “It doesn’t make me uncomfortable. I just don’t know what the right protocol is for bringing people into her life.”

I think about Easton. I was desperate to get a roommate and went through enough of a screening process to know he wouldn’t murder us, but I still brought a total stranger in our home to live. And while it worked out in some ways, the tension lingers in every room. Easton and Ainsley get along, they like each other. But I don’t know what she’d think of Carter, or what she’d even assume was going on if I introduced them.

“Hey, don’t worry about it.” He must take my silence as something different. “I’m not offended, honest. We can think of another plan. You have somebody else you need to take into consideration. I get it.”

My shoulders ease a centimeter over as I mull over something in curiosity. “Why don’t you? Have somebody else to consider, I mean.”

His eyebrows go up a fraction.

I blush. “It’s none of my business, but you’re…” How do I put this nicely?

“Old?” he guesses.

I roll my eyes. “Older than me. Most guys your age I know have wives and kids. It’s not for everybody, so I get it if that’s why. I’m just curious because you used to tell Jesse you wanted that someday.”

He rubs his jaw with his palm. “You remember that, huh?”

“I remember a lot of things.”

His grin reappears.

Sighing, I give him a knowing look. “You don’t have to pretend like it wasn’t obvious I didn’t like you. Of course I was going to remember what you said, especially about having a family. It was stupid.”

“Liking me was stupid?”

My eyes narrow thoughtfully in consideration even though I knew it wasn’t. “No. It

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