The Professor's Girl | 18+ | COMPLETE |

+ chapter 21 +

Jay's face was a mockery of concern, a carefully constructed mask over anger that I had learned to tiptoe around for years. Charles, suddenly seeing his opportunity as he wandered by, made a break for the door. I tried to stop him, but Jay shoved me back and Charlie slipped out the door, running down the hall.

"Charles!" I called after him desperately, and Jay slammed the door shut.

"Would you forget about that fucking cat for one minute?" He snapped. "I saw you with our professor, Liz. Mr. Travis? Yeah, I saw him . . ." He paused, as if searching for the words that would dig the deepest. "I saw him molesting you in the parking lot."

Molesting me? I would have laughed if I hadn't been so frightened. The very idea was so absolutely ridiculous, so ludicrously wrong, I couldn't imagine why he had chosen to phrase it that way. But as he towered over me, the cruel spark in his eye told me he knew he was wrong. That was the point.

"Do you think school officials won't take a rape report seriously?" he said, his voice low. He tried to touch my face and I slapped his hand away, making his anger flare. "Your perverted little professor will lose his job immediately Liz. As he should. He's a danger, taking advantage of female students-"

"You're full of shit!" I yelled, trying to shove him away. Instead he grabbed my arms painfully, pinning me back against the wall. Again I wanted to scream, but the sounds were stifled within me, intimidated into silence.

"Don't worry, Liz," he hissed, his breath hot on my face. I couldn't look at him. I was staring at the floor, waiting, hoping desperately he would leave. Just leave me alone. Just leave me alone please. "I'll make sure that perverted asshole gets what's coming to him."

"Leave him the fuck alone," I pleaded, anger and fear making me sick. I couldn't be weak. Don't be weak Liz! But he was stronger. I couldn't move. I couldn't fight him. I couldn't do anything.

"Why should I?" he laughed. "Remember, I still care about you, Liz. I don't want to see you get your reputation ruined."

He was relishing how scared I was. The power he had over me. "Why do you care what I do?" I said, trying not to let angry tears run down my cheeks. "Why does it fucking matter to you? You chose to leave me, Jay. So why can't you just leave me alone? You don't care about me, don't pretend like you do! Just leave me and Kahlan alone!"

"You and Kahlan?" he mocked. This time he forced his hand on my face, stroking along my cheek in a rough, possessive way. "I just don't want you jumping into something before you're ready. I know the breakup was hard on you. I know, if you had the choice, you'd still want me back."

I tried to turn my face away, tried to shrink from his touch as much as I could. "You're crazy," I said, staring at the far wall, refusing to meet his eyes. "You're fucking crazy, Jay."

He jerked my face towards him, his fingers pinching hard into my cheeks. I strained against it, but it was pointless. I stared up into his eyes, vibrantly blue and horrifically cruel.

"You can't just forget about me, Liz," he snarled. I knew what was coming, and I knew I couldn't avoid it. Even anticipating it, it didn't make it an easier when his mouth crushed down on mine. The taste of his saliva was bitterly familiar. I immediately wanted to vomit. The second he let me go, I shoved him hard in the chest and stumbled away. My face was hot with tears.

"Get the fuck out," I said, jabbing my finger at the door. "Get the fuck out before I call the cops."

He left, slamming the door behind him. I rushed to it immediately, throwing the deadbolt and crumpling up into a heap on the floor, my face buried in my hands. There was an overwhelming tightness in my chest that didn't allow me to breath, let alone manage to cry beyond the silent tears streaming down my face.