Chapter 63

Tessa’s POV

I hadn’t seen or spoken to Brian since I told him to leave me alone. I thought that I had finally gotten through to him when I told him that our relationship was never going to continue.

Brian and Amanda never came to the library, which meant they saw us through the window and decided to come in to harass us.

I looked up at Joseph who was staring at Brian with an expression I couldn’t read. He was calm though and I don’t think he was very worried.

Amanda’s red lips were thinned out in a line as she folded her arms across her chest.

“Are you really hanging out together publicly at school? Shouldn’t you be doing this more privately? Considering your relationship is a secret after all,” she sneered. Her icy blue eyes narrowing at me.

I swallowed the solid lump that formed in my throat. I wished I could be as calm and collected as Joseph, but I could feel my body trembling.

Before I could say anything, Brian stepped around her, shielding her view of me.

“Is what Amanda tells me true?” Brian asked, eyeing me carefully.

I furrowed my brows together, unsure of what he meant.

“Are you and this professor seeing each other??” He finally asked, and I could tell he was hurt from his eyes.

“Why does Amanda think we are seeing each other?” I asked, glancing behind him at Amanda who looked like she wanted to laugh.

“It’s obvious,” she said through her teeth. “I can see the way you look at one another. Plus, I’ve been hearing you brought him lunch the other day. Only someone romantically involved with someone else would do that.”

I looked back at Brian, pressing my lips firmly together. Amanda had no real evidence of anything happening between Joseph and me.

“She’s lying through her teeth,” I told him, shaking my head. “Professor Evergreen is simply my professor. He’s currently helping me study, so if you’ll excuse us.”

I turned back to the computer, but Brian placed his hands firmly on the table, lowering himself so he was at eye level with me.

“Tess baby, if he’s hurting you—”

“Brian, what the hell are you talking about?” I stopped him before he continued that sentence. “What makes you think for a second that he’s hurting me?”

“Obviously he’s not hurting her, Brian,” Amanda said, rolling her eyes. “She likes everything he does to her. She’s in love with him.”

My face warmed at her words, causing her to laugh.

“See? Her face is all red.”

“It’s red because you are making me mad,” I muttered. “Amanda, you have no idea what you are talking about, and you are riling Brian up. When will you stop? You already got what you wanted. Just leave me alone.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about,” she shrugged. “I’m only trying to make Brian see you for what you really are. A slut.”

Before I could say anything, Joseph was standing to his feet.

“This is a library,” he said in a low and threatening tone, shutting them both up. “If you aren’t here to study or read, you need to leave.”

“Oh, we are studying all right,” Amanda said, narrowing her eyes at him.

I held my breath. She was daring him.

She had a lot of nerve. “We are studying your behavior with your student. Isn’t that like…against the rules or something? What would the board think if they knew about your relationship.”

“What would the board think when they find out you are making up rumors about your superior?”

“With all due respect, Professor, you are not my superior. You are not even my teacher,” Amanda shrugged. “I don’t have to answer to you.”

“Look at me,” Brian seethed to me, completely ignoring the conversations going on around us. “Are you sleeping with him?”

“No,” I said, meeting his eyes. “I’m not sleeping with my professor, Brian. What kind of person do you think I am?”

“I don’t even know,” he said, shaking his head, and I could still see the hurt flashing through his eyes. “I don’t even recognize you anymore.”

“You don’t recognize me because you never saw me,” I said, leaning back in my seat. “You never wanted to see me, Brian. You painted the perfect image of me and that’s who you saw. But it was never me. I hated everything about that life. I did it because I loved you. But that love is gone now. I don’t see that person in you anymore.”

“Is he richer than me? Or he tricked you into sleeping with him by complimenting your miserable writing? Is that what it is??” Brian asked, completely ignoring my previous words. “I bought you everything you asked for. I could introduce you to the best editor in the city if you want. You can even publish your stuff. My father owns the most successful business in the world, and you are throwing that away for some random teacher?”

“It’s not about the—”

“With money, I can give you everything, baby…” he said as he pulled out his wallet. A wad of cash was visible, and he pulled it out, throwing it on the table like it was worthless.

It must have been thousands of dollars.

Why was he carrying that around?

“Take your money, Brian,” I seethed, taking it, and throwing it at him. I was angry now. “I never wanted your money. I only wanted you. But now I don’t. I asked you more than once to leave me alone. I will take legal action next time you harass me.”

He took a step back. He was breathing heavily, and Amanda glanced at him.

“She isn’t worth the time,” she said to him, batting her long lashes at her. “I told you I would show you the truth and now you see it. I hope you can finally forget about her and move on.”

Amanda placed her hand on his shoulder, peering up at him.

She was doing this so he would leave me alone and be with her. She was trying to hurt him to get him away from me. She was so incredibly selfish, and it was infuriating.

“Let’s leave that bitch alone,” she pleaded. “She’s busy with her new boyfriend. We could get him fired.”

“I’m surprised in you,” Joseph said calmly, and he was now looking at Brian. “I thought you cared about your father’s business. I had once told you that if you didn’t stand down and leave Tessa alone, I could have his business ruined with only a single text.”

Joseph proceeded to take out his phone and I saw the color in Brian’s face fading. He was as white as a ghost. I knew that Mulligan was on the other side of that phone and the Nightwalker police had crazy connections. They could destroy Brian’s father’s business in a matter of seconds.

Joseph already proved that to him once.

If his father’s business got ruined because of Brian, his family would never forgive him. He would be blacklisted and shunned by his family. He would be cut off entirely and he would have nothing.

Joseph was only seconds away from making that a reality.

“I’m sorry,” Brian finally sputtered, much to Amanda’s shock. “Please don’t call those police officers again. I will leave Tessa alone.”

Joseph kept his phone firmly in his hands, eyeing Brian carefully.

“You will make sure your friend here leaves her alone as well,” Joseph said keeping his tone even.

Brian looked at Amanda.

“Apologize,” he snarled.

Amanda looked at him, still in shock and she swallowed the hard lump in his throat.

“I said… apologize,” Brian repeated through his teeth.

Amanda narrowed her eyes at him before turning to us.

“I apologize Tessa and Professor Evergreen. It won’t happen again.”

“See that it doesn’t,” Joseph was quick to say, keeping his eyes locked on hers.

“We will go,” Brian said, taking Amanda by the arm. “Bye Tessa…”

I saw the sadness in his eyes, but I said nothing more to him. I watched as he left the library with Amanda.

I looked up at Joseph, raising my brows.

“Did you mean what you said? That you would destroy his company?” I asked.

He took his seat and smirked at me.

“No,” he answered, showing me his phone screen. He was still on his home screen. “I was bluffing.”