Page 23 of Twilight of Embers
HAYDEN
“Oops,” Delaney muttered as my pile of books tumbled to the floor.
Her lips twitched as she headed to the door, not bothering to pick up what she’d so clearly meant to knock over.
I sighed as I crouched to pick up the books and papers. Delaney had made it clear over the past twenty-four hours that I was on her shit list. That was fine, but this petty, mean-girl crap was already getting old.
Shoving everything into my backpack, I zipped it closed. Or I would’ve if the zipper hadn’t caught halfway on its path. I worked it with my fingers, but it wouldn’t budge. The cheap pull snapped free, and I let loose a few creative curses.
I really hoped this wasn’t an omen for my first day of classes. I tugged the zipper with my fingers, even though the pull was missing. It worked okay. But I knew I needed a backpack. It was also a reminder that I needed a job ASAP.
Sighing, I pushed to my feet and slung my backpack over my shoulder. My hand hovered over the sweatshirt folded on my desk. There’d been a big part of me that had wanted to put on Knox’s hoodie as a source of comfort and armor. But I wasn’t sure what he would’ve thought if he saw me in it.
I shook the thought free and headed for the door. When I’d gotten to my advisor’s office yesterday, there’d been a note rescheduling our meeting for this morning. While it was slightly annoying, I didn’t mind that I’d been pulled away from Knox and Maddox.
Everything about them was…intense. As if being too close in proximity to both of them at the same time made my body go haywire.
I shook my head as I opened the door and stepped out into the sunshine. I guessed I wasn’t used to being around such gorgeous guys. There must have been something in the water in Ember Hollow.
I hurried through campus, thankful I at least knew my way, thanks to Knox’s field trip yesterday. While campus was now crowded, most people didn’t pay me any mind. I did catch a few girls glancing my way or whispering to their friends as I passed. The actions made my stomach cramp. I really hoped Delaney hadn’t spread some ugly rumor out of spite.
Picking up my pace, I headed up the steps to the science building. The outside had the same brick façade as the others, but the interior was much newer and brighter. I couldn’t wait to see what the labs looked like.
I slipped in behind another student and made my way to the hallways that housed the 300 offices.
Checking each one as I passed, I finally came to a stop before an open door. I peeked inside and saw a middle-aged man typing away on a computer.
I lifted my hand and knocked on the door.
“Come in,” the man said without looking up.
I walked toward an open chair opposite his desk. “Professor Brent?”
His typing slowed, and he finally looked up. He was probably in his mid-fifties, with brown hair and a bit of salt and pepper woven through it. His hazel eyes swept over me.
Something about the way he assessed me sent a shiver down my spine. “Hayden Parrish?”
I nodded. “Yes, sir.”
Those hazel eyes flashed. “Sit.”
I did as he instructed, sliding my backpack from my shoulders and placing it next to my chair.
Professor Brent pulled a file from his stack, scanning the first page quickly. “Quite the scholarship you snagged.”
I didn’t say anything. It wasn’t exactly a question, so I wasn’t sure what he was looking for.
His gaze lifted. “You’re going to have to keep your average above a 3.5, and you’re taking a heavy load this semester.”
“I know. My classes are my number one priority. So, I don’t think it will be an issue.”
Brent traced a hand over his lower lip as he studied me, and I fought the urge to squirm. “I like to do more frequent check-ins with my scholarship advisees. I want to make sure we catch any slip-ups before it’s too late.”
I swallowed hard. The idea of losing my scholarship was just about the worst thing I could imagine. “Okay.”
“We’ll start with every other week for now. Adjust from there.”
That seemed like a lot of check-ins. But if it would keep me on track, that was all right with me. “Sure.”
