Page 110 of The KING Review

“All that proves is that you mailed something,” she says, voice gentling. “Until we see the contents, our hands are tied. We have to proceed with the review as if there was no disclosure.”

I exhale through my teeth, trying to stay measured, but my insides are going up in flames. “You’re kidding. I have tenure, and you know I’m not trying to hide anything. I put it in writing. Yes, there’s been a relationship—” I don’t bother to couch it in euphemism here, when I’d rather be anywhere else but in this glass-walled HR panic room. “—and there still is a relationship. I’m not going to pretend otherwise. But it’s not a secret or some illicit thing I’m trying to cover up. I did the disclosure. I followed the policy.”

James shrugs, giving me the “it’s out of my hands, man” look. Amy’s mouth twitches, like she wants to feel bad for me, but it’s strictly against the HR handbook.

“I’m sorry, Grant,” she says, and I think she actually means it. “We have to complete the review. When the letter arrives, we’ll add it to the file. Until then, the policy is clear.”

I drum my fingers on the table. Slow, controlled. The old me would have thrown up his hands and walked out, but the new me has too much on the line. Sera. Neve. The life I’m trying to build despite Marie’s best efforts.

I’d put money on this being her doing.

“Fine,” I say. “You get the letter, you forward it straight to my attorney. Her name’s Ellie Aspen at Pierre, Aspen, and Kincaid.” I rattle off her email address and direct line number, watching as Amy scrawls them on her notepad. “As soon as you receive it, please send it there. It needs to go into my custody review.”

James nods, trying to hide how his eyes widen, but I see the sympathy there. “We’ll be in touch. For now, you’re on administrative leave. Off campus until further notice.”

The words hit, but not as hard as I expected. Probably because I’ve been braced for disaster since the second I opened Neve’s first message.

I collect my jacket and briefcase from my office, then head for the library before I leave. I’m pretty sure that’s where she’ll be.

Neve sits at a carrel by the window, brow furrowed as she highlights lines on a printout for one of her classes—looks like Intro to Human Sexual Attraction, which I know she’s been auditing. She looks up when I approach, and the look she gives me is this soft, wide-eyed worry that immediately makes something tectonic shift in my chest. She can tell something’s up immediately, and it almost sends me to my knees.

“Baby, what’s wrong?” Her voice is so gentle. “Are you okay? Is Sera okay?”

Fuck, I love her.

Not just the way she sees right through me. Not just the way her brow furrows and her hands flutter unconsciously toward me, like she’s ready to catch all the pieces as I fall apart. But the fact that the second item in her triage list is my daughter.

I never thought I’d be this gone for anyone after what Marie did to me. Neve has rewritten my brain. I’m not even embarrassed by how much I want to wrap her up, tuck my face into her collar, and just… exist, knowing I’ll be okay, as long as I’m with her.

I force a smile—it’s small, but it’s all I can manage. “Come with me? We need to see Ellie. Now, if you have time.”

She doesn’t ask for details. Just packs up her things in record time and is by my side with this wild little flash in her eyes—all storm, empathy, and bracing for impact.

It’s raining harder by the time we step out and cross campus to my car, which feels like foreshadowing. The kind that would be on-the-nose if this were a movie, but it’s not, so I just let it soak through my jacket and into my bones.

Ellie’s office door is half open when we get there. She looks up, sees us together, drenched, and doesn’t even bother with the poker face.

“Sit,” she says, nodding at the two chairs. “Something happened?”

I rub my hands over my thighs, unsure of how to start, so I just spit it out. “Somebody sent an anonymous tip to HR. Said I was fraternizing with a student and hadn’t disclosed it. They’ve put me on leave pending review. I told them I sent the disclosure letter three days ago, but it hasn’t arrived, so they’re treating it like I’m lying.”

Ellie’s mouth tightens. “Marie.”

It’s not a question.

I nod, staring at the water pooling under my shoes. “She’s the only one who’d do it. She’s the only one who knew how it’d look.”

Neve’s hand finds my knee, squeezing. I could probably cry if I let myself.

Ellie sighs, long-suffering. “I can’t do anything until the letter shows up. If I push back on the review now, it’ll look like I’m colluding, and I could lose my license. If the letter arrives in time, it’ll prove you were trying to disclose, but until then, we have to wait it out.”

I nod again, the weight of it pressing down, shoving me into the chair like gravity’s been dialed up just for me. “They’ve banned me from campus. I can’t even teach my classes.”

Neve is quiet, but her leg presses close against mine. Her warmth might be the only thing holding me together.

“Am I allowed to see you?” she asks, voice bright and brave. “Or did she file some kind of archaic by-proxy restraining order, too?”

Ellie barks a laugh, but then her face sobers. “You shouldn’t.” She tips her head to me. “Especially not while he has Sera. Not with all this up in the air. I’m sorry. I can’t… tell you what to do. But with Marie clearly in such a… volatile state, I wouldn’t risk it.”