Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 82255 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82255 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
He glances at my phone, and his body sinks into the floor as it occurs to him that I’m recording this on audio. While Charles is generally harmless, he will also do anything to make a buck. I let it slide before because it didn’t affect me, but those days are over, and now he knows it.
“All right.” He holds up his hands. “I’m done. I swear it. I’ll only do my business elsewhere. No students.”
I release him and stuff my phone back into my pocket. Now that I’m satisfied Charles has been dealt with, I have one more stop to make.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
STELLA
AFTER WAKING up feeling like I’ve been hit by a truck, the woman who introduced herself as Dr. Jen takes it upon herself to explain what happened. Though my memory is spotty, I’m able to remember bits and pieces of the night before. The party at the pond. Truth or dare. Taking off my clothes. Feeling like I was weighed down. Ethan.
Oh God.
The thought of him makes me want to vomit, but Dr. Jen just made me a nice breakfast, and I’m trying to keep it down.
“You’re probably going to feel like hell for the day,” she says. “That’s pretty typical. But I’m here if you need to talk. Anything you say to me is confidential, of course.”
“I’m okay,” I insist, and really, I am. What happened was scary, but if Sybil and Micah hadn’t pulled me from that pond, it could have been a lot worse. It was just plain stupidity on my part, and I realize that now. “I think I’ve learned my lesson.”
“You haven’t even come close.” Sebastian’s voice comes from behind me, and when I turn to meet his eyes, a shiver moves down my spine.
“Sebastian,” Dr. Jen chides.
Ignoring her, he pins me with his gaze. His entire body is rigid, and he looks pissed as hell. I know I fucked up, and I expected him to be mad, but this is something else entirely.
“You put yourself at risk last night,” he bites out. “You didn’t even consider the consequences.”
“I know.” I bow my head. “I’m sorry I disappointed you.”
“To be disappointed in you, I’d have to be invested in you,” he answers coldly. My heart drops into my stomach, and now I really feel like I’m going to be sick.
“Sebastian, a word in the other room please?” Dr. Jen taps him on the arm.
His gaze doesn’t move from mine. Not until he’s got his point across. I fucked up, and now he hates me for it. Tears spring to my eyes as he walks into the other room with Dr. Jen, and they argue in hushed voices.
I take the opportunity to gather the clothes that Dr. Jen brought me and slip into the bathroom. Sebastian Carter’s bathroom. I realize it when I shut the door, even though I knew I was in his house when I woke up. Now the scent that lingers in this space is undeniable. Cardamom and sandalwood.
My curiosity gets the best of me, and I start rifling through all his things. In the hamper, I find a damp tee shirt that smells like him, and if I had to guess, he was probably wearing it on his late-night run. Without giving it too much thought, I roll it up to take with me. Then I open his cabinet, seeking out the source of the delicious smell. When I find the dark bottle of cologne, I spray a little on my wrist and then bring it to my nose, closing my eyes as I inhale. Why I find his scent so oddly comforting when the man himself is anything but, I’ll never know. To make matters even worse, I spray it onto my chest and my neck too.
When I reach to put it back, something else catches my attention. A woman’s necklace. The chain is faded, and it looks like it was a well-worn piece at some point. I recognize the symbol from a yoga class I took with Sybil. The Om symbol. It seems odd to me that this would be sitting in Sebastian’s cabinet, and I can’t stop myself from picking it up to examine it. Who does this belong to? And more importantly, who is she to Sebastian?
A knock on the door startles me, and I quickly shove the necklace back into the cabinet, attempting to cleanse the guilty expression from my face even though they can’t see me.
“Yes?”
“We need to get you back to your dorm,” Sebastian says.
“Okay, I’m just changing. I’ll be out in a minute.”
Quickly, I throw on the sweatpants and tee shirt and smooth out the tangles in my hair, briefly pausing in horror at my reflection. I look like death warmed over. Mr. Carter saw me like this, and now I officially can’t deal.