Her Anatomy | DAERIN

T W E N T Y S I X

Danielle felt a tightening in her stomach as she stood outside her boss's office. She was accustomed to being on the other side of this situation, with nervous students coming into her office and looking at her as if she were the devil. Maybe she was.

Leaving Haerin in bed this morning had made her feel sick. The brunette was out cold, no matter how much Danielle wanted to wake her up, even placing small kisses along her back. However, Haerin just wrapped her arms around Danielle and mumbled those three words that made Danielle's heart flutter. Now, her heart ached deep in her chest.

She regretted scheduling this meeting with her boss late last night, but she knew her options were limited. Some little bitch on campus was out to get her, and Danielle needed to speak to her boss first.

"Danielle, are you going to hang around out there all morning or actually come in?" her boss snapped, causing Danielle to flinch at the words. She took a deep breath before closing the open office door and smiling at her boss.

Lana Dillons was, well, what some would call scary, and others would call really fucking terrifying. Originally from somewhere in America, even Danielle was too afraid to engage in small talk with her boss about where the grey-haired woman was from. Lana was passionate about her work within the University and spent a lot of time researching many studies involving health science.

"Morning, Professor," Danielle said, closing the door of the office and walking over to the large seats vacant opposite her boss. As scary as Lana was, she also seemed to be a woman who didn't judge anyone from what Danielle had witnessed in the past with other faculty members and students.

"Well, Miss Marsh, seeing your email this morning, what has you wanting to see me so urgently?" the grey-haired woman asked, folding her hands over one another as she looked at Danielle over the top of her reading glasses.

This was it. She was jeopardizing her career for what she was about to say, but then again, as soon as she kissed Haerin all those months ago in her car, she had put her career on the line. She needed to face the facts and consequences of her actions.

Danielle sighed as she looked her boss in the eye. Allowing her fingers to run down the rigid pattern of her necklace Haerin had given her for Christmas, she felt sick as she bit the bullet and opened her mouth.

"I've been involved with a student," Danielle sighed. She felt a sudden sense of loss, like she had lost Haerin with her confession, but her boss's face remained unchanged as she continued to glare at her over her glasses.

"You have come to me before about your...ahem, sexual relations with other students in the university," Lana replied dryly, looking over at Danielle who shook her head.

"I mean with one of my students," Danielle mumbled and winced as she watched her boss's palms lay flat against the table as she groaned loudly.

"Daaanieeeelle," Lana groaned.

"Pardon my French for a moment," she added, pointing a finger at the lecturer.

"What the fuck are you playing at...there are twenty thousand students in this university alone, and a hundred per year you teach that the policy specifically says you are NOT to get involved with in the University policy. Plus, the first-year Med students and Nursing students you teach...that's not a lot adding up out of twenty fucking thousand," Lana stated, irritated that she was even quoting her own words as she huffed, looking over at the dark-haired woman who continued to wince with each word.

"I'm sorry...I tried so hard for it not to happen...honestly I did, but I think...no, I...I love her," Danielle said, feeling guilty that she was admitting her true feelings to her boss and not the woman she actually loves.