Shame (Ruin #3)(50)
Author: Rachel Van Dyken

With a curse, I pulled out my phone and texted Gabe. I grabbed the other notes out of my backpack, stuffed all of them in a large manila envelope, and left it at the post for him to pick up.

The minute the student worker took it from my hands, I felt lighter. I was done. I was so done. For the first time in weeks I felt a smile grow on my face as I thought about going to class. I wasn’t Melanie Faye anymore. I was Lisa. Lisa was strong. Lisa was independent. Lisa didn’t get scared when threatened. She didn’t back down.

Lisa drove fast.

Lisa liked cheeseburgers.

Lisa liked Tristan.

And Lisa… was here to stay.

CHAPTER FORTY

The minute I came to Seattle, I told Gabe I’d changed my name… well, I hadn’t really changed it. My name had always been Lisa, but at a young age, my agency had told my parents to give me a stage name, something about protecting my identity and all that, so they did. And I was so grateful they had done that for me, because now I could go back to being normal Lisa, not Mel, the girl with the dark past and sinful secrets. —Lisa

Tristan

I HATED HOW close Jack hovered to her. Then again, if I wasn’t teaching the damn class, I’d probably be doing the same thing. The quiz went by slowly. The clock ticked in the background, and the journal in my bag may as well have been screaming at me.

I’d finished it.

And I was more resolute in my decision than ever that they were the ramblings of a seriously insane individual. I just wasn’t sure if that made me feel better or worse.

Better because that meant that Lisa was innocent.

Worse, because by omitting my true identity, I was allowing her to live another lie. But if it was to protect her? Then I would keep lying — I had to.

“Pencils down.” I stood. “Pass your papers to the left and leave them on the farthest desk. Grades will be posted this Friday. Dismissed.”

Students filed out.

Jack lingered.

I gave him a pointed stare. Smirking, he lifted his hands in surrender and walked out, leaving just me and Lisa.

“That wasn’t obvious at all,” she said in a reassured voice. “Really, I think it went right over his head.”

I shrugged. “It’s Jack.”

“True.”

“How was your meeting?”

“How was yours?”

“You first.”

She slumped in her seat. “Well, I did get another threat, but,” she said quickly, “you’d be proud to know that I handed all pieces of evidence over to Gabe, and I made a big decision today.”

“What’s that?” I slowly made my way to her desk and sat on the top.

At her grin, my heart almost stopped. Damn, she was beautiful.

“He doesn’t have the right to control me anymore. So, whoever’s sending me that crap is going to burn in hell or prison, whatever happens soonest. Gabe will turn it over to the police. I’ll make a statement, even though it’s the last thing I want to do, and things will go back to being boring.”

I put a hand to my chest. “Ouch! Are you calling me boring?”

“I really, really like boring.”

“Because that makes it better.”

Lisa stood and leaned in just as a throat cleared from the door way. Jack stood there, holding up his notebook. “Lisa? Sorry to interrupt, Dr. Blake, but I think I accidently stole her notebook, same color and all.”

Lisa blushed and quickly grabbed a notebook from her desk and ran it over to him.

“Thanks.” He took it from her hands and sent me a curious look. “See you tonight, then?”

I clenched the desk tightly.

“Sure,” Lisa squeaked. “Tonight.”

Jack closed the door behind him.

I waited for Lisa to say something.

When she didn’t, I walked past her, locked the door, crossed my arms, and asked, “Tonight?”

Lisa cross her arms mimicking me. “Jealous?”

“Let’s call it mild curiosity.”

“Or insane jealousy.”

“A twinge of jealousy. Can hardly even define it as jealousy if it’s a twinge, right?”

“Does that make you feel better?”

“Immensely.”

“Homework.” Lisa gripped my hand. “He’s stopping by for a few minutes to go over some homework from this really sexy professor.”

“Okay, now I’m jealous. You better be talking about me.”

“And if I’m not?”

“Then I’m clearly not wearing the right clothes to show off that tight ass you’re always talking about.”

Lisa burst out laughing and reached up on her tiptoes to place a kiss on my chin. “I think my other professor has gout.”

“Sexy.”

Lisa kissed my mouth, her tongue slowly dipping between my lips, touching mine with languid smoothness.

I groaned and pushed her against the door, pinning her arms above her head.

“And after?”

“Wh-what?” Out of breath, she panted beneath my assault as I trailed kisses down her neck.

“After you meet with him?”

“I have a private tutoring session with you?”

“Damn right you do.” I kissed her harder. All the passion I felt inside was going to explode if I didn’t do something about it. I wanted her so bad it hurt. It hurt to control myself, and I hated that I had to. Hated that she needed me to.

“Mmm…” She rimmed her lips with her tongue when I pulled away. “That felt good.”

“Go to class.” My voice cracked. “Before I throw you across my desk and take advantage of you.”

She winked. “At least I’d earn an A.”

“You’d earn way more than an A.” Visions of her body underneath mine plagued my thoughts. Cursing softly, I turned away. “Yeah, you really need to go. I’ll see you tonight?”

“Six?”

I still didn’t turn back around since I was trying to hide a very physical and obvious reaction to my little image of her on my desk naked. “Yup.”

“Thanks, Dr. Blake.” Her voice was low, sultry.

I cursed again as her laughter floated out of the room.

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

Finally things were normal my freshman year… I’d met Kiersten and Wes, and things felt… happy. So happy that I should have known the other chips would fall. Soon Gabe’s secret was out… and then, mine was too. —Lisa

Lisa

FOR THE SECOND day in a row, I skipped back to my dorm. Not surprising, I found both Wes and Gabe waiting for me again when I got to my room.