the day before.
Jesus. Benno and he hadn’t wasted any time.
“Senna, I can tell you, unequivocally, that the university is honored to have a student like you enrolled.”
What did he just say? Honored? The university was honored? To have me?
“Um, really?” I said in a small voice.
Damn tears were threatening again.
“It’s not every day I see a student who has worked as hard as you to get here, and to remain here. If anything, we need a lot more students like you.”
Was he kidding? Was this some sort of joke?
“And what you do to support yourself, and to cover your tuition, is nobody’s goddamn business. I have a meeting with Ms. Abalone later today and will be addressing this with her.”
Okay, there went a tear, right down my cheek, in front of this provost dude who I’d only just met.
“Thank you,” I croaked.
“One other thing.”
Shit. I’d been waiting for this.
“Benno let me know he’s been seeing you socially, outside of class. That, too, is nobody’s business. The university doesn’t like it because it can leave the student vulnerable, but in this case, I’d say you have the maturity to handle it.”
Holy shit.
“I have your withdrawal papers right here. Would you like to tear them up? Or do you really want to leave Wellshire?”
I broke out in a smile, with a little sniffling from my almost-cry, and lunged for the papers. I glanced at them briefly and noted the spot where I’d signed my name right next to Abalone’s. I made sure to tear the paper right through her signature.
Take that, you nasty woman.
Chapter 42
SENNA
I nearly skipped across campus, both thrilled and humbled that I’d received such strong support from Dr. Gilpin.
I belonged.
I belonged here. Everything the school had to offer was mine for the taking if I wanted it. I was just as entitled as every other student on campus and deserved to be here as much as anybody else did.
It was funny, but his undoing the garbage Abalone had been shoving down my throat since day one made me lighter. I could do this.
I slipped into Jamie’s math class just before he closed the door to start his lecture.
“Glad you could make it, Miss Duncan,” he said with a half-smile.
Shit, I hope no one else had seen that.
“So am I, Professor Carter.”
As happy as I was to be in his class, I barely paid any attention to his lesson, my mind flooded with all the opportunity the school offered now that the kind words of Dr. Gilpin had relieved me of a huge burden.
When class ended, I was still doodling in my notebook.
“Senna, did you hear a single thing I said in the last hour?” he asked after the last student had gone.
I jumped up from my seat and ran to him. “I’m sorry, Jamie. I just had the most amazing meeting with the provost. He’s going to take care of everything with Abalone. He told me the university’s lucky to have a student like me. Can you believe it?”
I thought about pinching myself to make sure I was really awake.
Jamie threw his arms around me. “That’s great news, baby. We have so much to celebrate.”
“What do you mean? Is there something else going on?” I asked.
“Yeah,” he said, shaking his head and smiling. “The department head, who I thought hated me, is nominating me for a full professorship.”
“Oh my god!” I screamed and threw my arms around him again.
Then I stepped back. “Wait. Does that mean you’re not opening the bar? I thought you’d signed a lease and everything.”
“I am. And I have,” he laughed. “I am still opening the bar. In fact, I was heading over there now to meet with the architect. You want to come with? Benno and Chase are meeting me there.”
No need to twist my arm.
“I’d love to come. That way I can share the good news with them, too.”
Holy crap. It was amazing how one day your life could be circling the drain, but the next gave you the opportunity to not only recover, but potentially soar.
Those were the opportunities you had to grab, quickly, before they were gone.
After a drive that didn’t even take ten minutes, we arrived at a nondescript storefront that looked like it had been abandoned for years.
“Wow. What used to be here?” I asked, wondering if Jamie had been taken. The place was a mess.
“Not positive,” he said, getting out of the car. “But I think it may have been a drug store.”
Jesus, it would cost a small