“I agree, but be that as it may, I unfortunately can't ignore what I saw and will have to act accordingly. I was also told the student sent you the video after being blackmailed with the threat to fail him. Is this true?”
My brows shoot up and my face heats in anger. “Of course not. I would never blackmail a student. I can assure you this is all a misunderstanding and if you bring Taylor in here, he will tell you the same thing.”
“You mean he will say what you want him to say?”
Shaking my head, my throat feels raw as the next words come out of my mouth. “I'm not sure who came to talk to you, but how are you so sure it's one of Taylor's friends?”
“I believe they work together at a gentlemen's club called The Seville.”
My hands tighten around the arms of my chair and I'm suddenly seeing spots. It wasn't Rhys at all. It was Taylor's best friend. Why would he lie like this? Or maybe he really does think he is protecting his friend and Taylor really did tell him these things. How else could he have gotten that video? I've heard about students getting angry when professors suddenly end things with them, but this doesn't seem like something Taylor would do. Then again, I've read people wrong before. “I don't know where this is coming from, but I have messages between Taylor and I that I can show you that will prove it was definitely not one sided. I met Taylor way before I even found out he was my student.”
“Wait a minute, I thought you said you hadn't started seeing each other yet. You made this seem like something that just happened. If you knew him before, why would you let him join your class?”
“I didn't know he was a student when we first met at the club. It wasn’t until he came into my class the next week that I found out. I promise this isn't what it seems, and I can prove it.”
“Please do because the story seems to keep changing.”
I pull out my phone and my heart stops when I can't find any of the messages between us. I must have deleted them and forgot. “I don't know what happened to the messages but perhaps I can restore them somehow.”
“I think I've heard enough for now and until I can investigate further and have a talk with Taylor, I must ask you to pack up your desk and take a leave of absence until this is all straightened out.”
Swallowing hard, I nod, and my throat grows tight and suddenly the room is too warm. “I understand. Thank you, Dr. Tinsley.” I stand from my chair, unable to move my legs.
“Let's hope for your sake it is nothing more than a misunderstanding. Although there is nothing in the rulebook against you dating a student in general, it is still discouraged for these exact reasons.”
I nod again, pushing in my chair and turning around.
“Oh, and Castro, you aren't allowed to contact the student in question in any way until this situation has been cleared. Am I understood?”
“Yes, I understand completely,” I respond, even though contacting Taylor is all I want to do right now. I need to know if this was his doing, and if it is, I will have no issue ending contact with him all on my own.
It figures the minute I trust someone enough to let them in again, my heart gets stomped on and I'm once again left alone with my world turned completely upside down. I walk slowly to my car, completely numb.
I'm not ready to let everything fully sink in. I'm not ready to feel again.
22
Taylor
My heart isa fluttering mess and I'm practically skipping my way home through the snow. The warmth filling me from Jamie's last words is enough to get me home unaffected from the cold. I'm so used to spending Valentine’s Days alone and I was worried this would be another year I would be, but it appears things are finally looking up for me.
Jamie is the kind of guy I can picture spending all my holidays with, even the ones I don't often celebrate. I'm usually spending this one either working or sitting in front of the TV stuffing my face with an absurd amount of Girl Scout cookies. My phone rings and when I pick it up off my desk, I scrunch my face in confusion when I see it's someone from campus calling. I hit answer on the second ring, expecting to hear Jamie's voice on the other end.
“Hello.”
“Hello, is this Mr. Jenson?”
“Yes, may I ask who is calling?”
“This is Mr. Tinsley, from the University. I'm calling in regard to your relationship with a teacher we recently hired. Would you be willing to meet in person tomorrow?”
I swallow hard, unsure what to even say. “I'm not sure what you mean, Mr. Tinsley. I don't have a relationship with any of the teachers at the school.”
“Mr. Jenson, Professor Castro already admitted to everything, so there is no need to cover for him.”
He said he was going to let his boss know about his interest in taking me out on a date so maybe this is what this is in regard to. “Will I be transferred to another class?”
“We have yet to make that decision but as of now a transfer isn't necessary since Professor Castro has taken a leave of absence until the investigation has been resolved.”
