My Professor's Secret

41|

"Night, Wyatt. Get home safe."

Once I've made it into my room and unwound from my unexpectedly good day, I finally have enough time to check my phone. There's a message from Sawyer advising me to be up early tomorrow morning for a birthday surprise that I reply to with a thumbs up.

Besides Sawyer's mention of my birthday, there are a few more from others. Avery, Keenan, and distant family members that we never hear from unless it's a birthday or a tragedy. Trevor also sent one in a request for my presence tomorrow, thirty minutes before the start of our lecture, for an "urgent" conversation. Despite how nervous that makes me, I refuse to let it ruin the remainder of my night.

I reply to them all and then connect my phone to its charger to go to sleep. It almost carries me away, but before it can, my phone rings with a call.

Lorelei—the caller ID reads. There's no disposition on whether or not to pick up the phone. My dad could've woken up from his coma. That would be the best birthday present.

"Hello?"

"Alex, hey," It's not hard to miss her uncertainty, and it's no secret that my hatred toward her is the cause. "I apologize for calling you this late, but I just remembered your father telling me your birthday was today. I figured it would be better to call late than not at all. I'm here at the hospital with your dad. I thought it would make this more authentic, so you're on speakerphone. I wish I had good news regarding his condition, but I don't. There hasn't been much change since the last time I updated you both. I know if he were conscious, he wouldn't miss the opportunity to tell his child happy birthday, so I thought I'd do it for him. Happy birthday. I hope you've had a great one despite all that's going on. I know it's not easy."

The line goes silent for a moment—apart from the chirping of the many machines connected to dad. I allow her words to sink in, making it harder to pretend to hate her. Who would've remembered my birthday or thought of wishing me happy birthday after how I'd treated them the way I had her? Something about it pricks my heart.

"Thanks, Lorelei. Not only for calling but for making sure to do it with my dad close by. It means everything," I stop to prevent my emotions from escaping in a cry.

To my surprise, the call lasted longer than expected. I tell them both about the scholastics competition and the upcoming play. I almost let the news of my brother slip from my lips, but I don't. It wasn't my news to tell. All in all, we converse for thirty minutes before ending our call.

That night I went to bed with the biggest smile spread across my face.

Per Sawyer's request, I wake myself early enough to catch the ringing of my phone with a call from him. He insists on me being ready for his arrival in less than ten minutes. I use his time restriction to my advantage. The showers didn't start piling up until eight o'clock, which wasn't rolling around for another forty-five minutes.

I'm showered, dressed, and downstairs in fifteen minutes, gratefully managing to beat Sawyer's expected arrival.

"So what's this about anyway? I'm not opposed to spending time, but what's the urgency?"

He turns to me from the driver's seat with a smile.

"You'll see."

Luckily, today was my day off from the restaurant, so besides needing to meet Trevor thirty minutes before the start of our lecture, nothing else claimed my attention. The ride was much longer than I anticipated as we headed off campus.

"You never told me how you did with those gummies I gave you."

There was a reason I kept it from him. The night Taylor and I went to Lynn's dorm with the pot gummies, the three of us were high off our asses. One moment we're spread across the bed having an intense conversation about political science, and the next, we're successfully picking the lock to the Aquatic Center for a late-night swim—which Taylor and I cross off our bucket list.