“You have me for now,” Sylvie tapped a line of kisses on her fingers, “if not forever.”
“That can’t be enough.” Tears pricked at Ade’s eyes. Had she found the love of her life only for it to be fleeting?
“It might have to be, darling.” Sylvie kissed her lips.
Ade dropped her gaze. “That makes me so sad.”
“Why? You’re the one that tells me to live in the present, not the past, nor the future. We can enjoy every single moment from now until you go home.” Sylvie walked her fingers down the buttons of Ade’s shirt until she reached the waist of her jeans. “Every. Single. Moment.”
Sylvie was right. If this was all they had, Ade couldn’t waste it. It’s not like she could uproot her life and move to California. And Ade couldn’t fathom a permanent move away from her support network. She leaned into the welcome kiss and tried to banish the future from her mind. The present was here to be enjoyed.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Shieldingher cheeks from the bite of January’s wind, Sylvie shrank from the harsh truths of last night. The walk to work had been longer than usual, as she went over their conversation. She entered the cocoon of the staff room grateful for the sharp change in temperature and the familiar aroma of milk and burned coffee. With everything else up in the air, the coziness of the staff room was like a warm hug.
She checked her watch: the faculty meeting was due to start in ten minutes. Hoping to keep a low profile, she made for the corner. With the meeting done, she could retreat to her classroom to overthink.
She didn’t regret what she’d said to Ade, but she wished it were different. If only it was a lie to protect both their feelings from the eventual hurt. Deep down, she knew that Ade would leave, and that would scar her heart. She’d held Ade extra tight after a night of satisfying each other’s desires, but there’d been a hint of sadness. Despite their promises to live in the moment, Sylvie had started to grieve the loss already.
“Damn.” She burned her tongue on the university’s poor excuse for coffee.
At the other end of the room, Isa’s raised voice attracted Sylvie’s attention. She straightened to see what the matter was and caught the undeniable fear in Ade’s eyes as she stared upwind into Isa’s torrent.
Sylvie sighed, curiosity simmering beneath her wish to stay put and stay out of it. She risked another glance in their direction. What was Isa talking about? Was it about her and Ade? It couldn’t be.Even Isa wouldn’t risk the whole faculty listening into their private affairs.
Ade froze, as if she was unable to process what was happening. Sylvie had seen that terror before, when Ade was new to the city and every conversation had been a strange encounter for her.Christ. She had to do something. The urge to rescue Ade from what looked like an impossible-to-read situation was too strong, and she strode across to them.
Isa regarded her with a strange mix of concern and irritation. “Don’t get involved, Sylvie.”
“What are you talking about?” Sylvie whispered, not wishing to attract any more onlookers. “I’m Ade’s supervisor. If something’s wrong then I need to be involved.”
Isa rolled her eyes. “Oh, really? You’re Ade’s supervisor today?”
“Isa, please.” Sylvie couldn’t say anymore without drawing more onlookers. She begged Isa to tone it down with a pleading glare.
Ade stared at the floor, shuffling from foot to foot as if she was waiting outside the principal’s office.
“What’s going on, Ade?” Sylvie asked, resisting the temptation to take Ade’s hand.
Isa crossed her arms. “I didn’t want to embroil you, but if you must know, I was enquiring about the faked attestation that I’ve just received reports of.”
So this was faculty business catching up with Ade and not their personal lives. Relieved, Sylvie almost laughed.Damn it.Did Isa think that Ade had encouraged it? Sylvie had a split second to weigh the ethics. She’d known about the risk of faked reports and had decided not to do anything about it. Did that make her as guilty as Madison, who’d obviously gone through with the forgery?
“Did you know about this?” Isa asked, already reading Sylvie’s silence as guilt.
“Why don’t we go somewhere quieter?” Sylvie asked, desperate to take the sting out of the moment.
Isa’s face reddened with her obvious fury. “Don’t try to protecther, Sylvie, just because you two are?—”
“Please.” Sylvie grabbed Isa by the arm and led her into the corridor. It was no less busy, but the hum of activity masked the volume of their emerging scandal. “It’s not like that.”
Ade followed, still rendered mute by the accusation.
Sylvie took a breath and steeled herself. This was going to take some ironing out, especially if Ade was unwilling to explain herself. “Ade told me that one of her students had suggested something about faking signatures to pass their modules, and she explicitly told them not to do it.”
“How come there’s a rumor that Ade encouraged it?” Isa asked. “Well?” She turned back to the wide-eyed statue of Ade.
“Madison…” Ade cleared her throat. “Madison mentioned it. She was clearly distressed and needed some support. But I told her not to do it.”
