He’s silent for a beat too long, and when I look up at him he’s hyper-focused on putting a straw in Sienna’s water cup. “So I’ve heard.”
“At least it’s not just me.” I sigh and sink back into my seat, relieved. For a second I thought I’d stuck my foot in my mouth, talking shit about his cousin or something.
“Anything I can maybe help with?” he offers. “I’ve been told I’m a pretty great tutor.”
I tap my password into my phone. The assignment is still pulled up, and I slide it across the table to him. “His response to this was simply tofix it. No other feedback, no pointing out what I did wrong on an assignment I spent literal hours on.”
He reads it over, murmuring the words aloud and mindlessly feeding Sienna as he does. “The victims in the case were allyoung women between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five. Targeted because they fit a certain physical profile the offender found attractive. Victims were from various backgrounds and had no apparent connection to each other.”
He refocuses his attention on his baby and offers her another drink before continuing. “Your analysis is too vague. It lacks the depth most professors probably expect from a fourth-year student. ‘Young women between eighteen and twenty five’ and ‘a certain physical profile’ are not specific enough for a thorough victimology. You need to detail their socioeconomic backgrounds, routines, and any other potential commonalities beyond just age and physical appearance. Explore some possible psychological reasons why the offender targeted this specific group. Fix those aspects and yourdick professorwill likely be more than pleased with your revised submission.”
“Damn. Thanks.” I take my phone back and lay it to the side. “Maybe it’s just me. I have so much else on my mind. Hopefully I can shake it soon.”
He nods thoughtfully.
I wonder how he’d feel if I chose now to drop the bomb of things I have on my mind—including, but not limited to the fact that the police found at least seven variations in the pattern of footprints on my dad’s white button-up and bruised into his skin, and me wondering whether or not the long term care facility I’ve chosen for my mother is the right one.
I guess the nurses and caregivers there can make unbiased decisions about her care with my permission, assessing her needs without the emotional baggage I carry. That has to be good enough, right?
“He could still provide better feedback than ‘fix it’,” I pout.
“Yeah, he could. Cut him some slack, though. Maybe he has a lot on his plate too.” He has a point, but I’m not admitting thatout loud. He wipes Sienna’s face clean with a napkin while she tries like hell to wrench herself out of his reach.
“How do you juggle classes and caring for a baby full-time?” I can barely juggle classes and caring for someoneelse’sbaby part-time.
“It’s rough.” He looks at me pointedly. “My mother helps where she can, but I haven’t had any luck finding a nanny.”
My heart skips a beat.
“You mentioned yesterday that your current gig is temporary? OW—” He jerks his hand away from Sienna’s mouth and inspects the indentations left behind by her teeth. She squeals like she’s proud of herself, causing us both to laugh.
“It wasn’t supposed to be,” I finally answer. “But as of next week, I’m jobless. And Kronk is homeless.”
“I thought he was yours?”
“My nannying comes with a stipulation on my part. Kronk can’t stay in the dorms.”
He swallows a mouthful of mac and cheese. “Ah. I see.”
My eyes are drawn to how his throat moves when he takes a long drink of water and I mentally slap myself.
He’s thoughtful for a moment. “I have a huge fenced yard.”
I would be surprised, but there’s a lot of old money in Hallow. It’s not unheard of for students to already have a nice place of their own. That would likely be the case for me if I had parents who cared enough to actually parent me. “Is this an interview?”
“Do you want it to be?”
I look at Sienna. She cheeses at me with all two of her adorable little baby teeth, the corners of her mouth stained purple. “Yeah. I think I do.”
A grin splits his face and my stomach dips again. I can practically feel the pull of his energy, and I wonder what exactly I’m getting myself into.
I spentthe rest of the day revising my paper based on Jack’s very helpful feedback. Once I submitted the fixed version it took all of thirty minutes before I received a response from Professor Douche Canoe:Much improved. Your detailed victimology provides a clearer understanding of the offender’s targeting patterns and psychological motivations. This depth of analysis is essential for profiling and investigation. Keep this level of detail in your future assignments.
Maybe I should give him a nicer nickname.
4
I MIGHT BE LOSING IT
