“I’m not allowed to fraternize with students.”
“Cut the bullshit. The way I see it, I’ve got a number on you.” I knew I was putting on my don’t-fuck-with-me face, the one that always made people in Mexico move to the other side of the street, but I didn’t have time for clever conversation. “So tell me if Corabelle is with Jenny.”
“Of course she is. I didn’t go over there last night. She’s apparently strung out completely.” Robert looked disgusted. “You have no idea how to treat a woman.”
“And you’re Romeo. Right.”
Robert rocked back on his heels. “I have a way with the ladies.”
“Where does Jenny live?”
“Not going to tell you that.”
I didn’t have any more time for his bullshit. I grabbed a fistful of his T-shirt. “Fuck your job. I’m going to fuck up your pretty Romeo face if you don’t tell me where Corabelle is.”
I had to give him credit. He didn’t lose his cool whatsoever. “The thing about you over-testosteroned alpha males,” he said, laying his hands on my shoulders. “You just don’t get that aggression won’t get you anywhere with the nice girls. They go for the underdogs every time. So take a piece of my face. It’ll just get me more sympathy, and you will be further from your goal.”
Shit. I let go of his shirt and pushed him away. Little fucker was right. I backed off and stormed across the room.
“Hey, Thor.”
I turned around. “My name’s Gavin.”
“Right. Thor. I’ll tell you this. Don’t bother with Amy’s star party Wednesday. Corabelle won’t be there.”
“What do you mean? Amy said Corabelle had to go.”
“She already switched to mine. And I have no intention of letting you up there. Unless of course you want to get suspended. I might enjoy seeing that.” He smirked, like he had won the round.
I smashed my fists into the door, making it open so fast it rebounded against the wall outside. Corabelle meant more to me than this school. If I got suspended, I got suspended.
Chapter 38: Gavin
I purposefully went to my own star party with Amy on Wednesday to stay on everyone’s good side. We had to map the moon, which was almost full. The morning lecture had been about the lunar surface, and I’d forced myself to focus even though Corabelle’s empty seat distracted me. She probably had convinced the TAs to mark her present and I’d never see her again.
No, I would. I would show up to Thursday’s star party, whether ’90s boy wanted me there or not. Corabelle had to listen to me. She had to hear me out.
Work had been pure misery all day Thursday, but the rest of the crew gave me space. No one teased me about dropping wrenches or tossing boxes around. Bud hadn’t even moved me to throwing tires despite the very real risk that I’d break something rather than fix it.
I checked on Corabelle’s apartment every time I was out. There were never any lights on. The butterflies were thinning out, but I didn’t think she was taking them down. A few had fallen, and others were probably pilfered by neighbors.
Everyone at Cool Beans had to be protecting her. Twice I’d gone up there, but nobody would admit that they had seen her. No sign of her car either, but Jenny could be dropping her off. I couldn’t imagine Corabelle skipping work too. I wanted to crash into the dish room to see if she were hiding, but I hadn’t done it. If I didn’t see her tonight, that was my plan, though. To go in that back room and refuse to leave until I saw her.
As much as I wanted to storm the steps to the star party on the roof, I decided a kinder, gentler approach would serve me better. A few students milled around the base of the dorm where we held the labs. I took the elevator to the top floor, then crossed the hall to the stairs that led to the roof exit. A few other students were heading up, and I mixed in with them, hoping to stall the moment when Robert spotted me. I wanted to get Corabelle alone. To explain.
I knew I was done for when Amy stood at the doorway, checking everyone off as they passed through. They had never done that before. Still, I was committed, so I headed up behind the others, thinking maybe I could somehow push by while Amy searched for names.
My heart was hammering like I was about to head into a street fight, and this pissed me off. This was Corabelle, and a couple TAs. I could get past Amy.
She looked right into my face. “Gavin, what are you doing?”
“You’re here for me, aren’t you?”
A couple of the other students turned around at my tone.
“Robert has your assignment,” Amy said to them. “Go on out.”
I pressed against the wall and let the others pass. Amy no longer made a show of checking them off.
“I’m going out there,” I said.
Amy stood in front of the door. “This is serious, Gavin. It’s stalking. We’re prepared to write you up to the dean.”
Like I gave a shit about that. “Do what you have to do.”
She held out her hand. “Gavin, you know I don’t want to do that. Can’t you two settle this outside of class? Not involve us?”
“I’ve been trying that. She won’t listen to me.”
Amy waited for a couple more students to cross between us and go out onto the roof. “She’s really upset. I don’t know what happened between you two but —”
“A baby.”
“What?” she sputtered, her eyes sparking.