Mad Boys (Blue Ivy Prep, #2)(60)

He sat back abruptly. “Of course.”

“Then let’s discuss language with you and the lawyer over there.” Because now I knew who he was. Of course, an attorney would be sitting in on this. “Whether or not it covers anything regarding incidents such as this and questioning.”

“It does,” the lawyer said as he straightened. “It is why I’m here, to ascertain that everything is followed to the letter. Your statement, in full, will not be presented to anyone beyond myself and the dean. We will in turn answer any questions the board asks, but without any details. Your privacy will remain intact.”

“And if it doesn’t, I can sue you?” Going straight for legal remedies wasn’t always smart, but I wanted the lawyer and I to be on the same page. I had my own lawyers, and it would be wise for them to remember that.

My cramps were increasing, and it was definitely souring my mood further. No matter what else happened today, I needed tacos, a heating pad, and some serious chocolate and caffeine.

“While I would prefer that it doesn’t come down to that, I can assure you, I will say nothing. If you prefer, I can step out then it will only be you and Dean Mayfair. That said, I would prefer to be present because it allows us to provide a united front to the board.”

“Fine,” I said, crossing one leg over the other before I sighed. “Question number one, is that the only time he kissed me?”

“Yes.” The dean actually looked nervous.

“Not quite, because he didn’t kiss me. I kissed him.”

The dean blinked.

“He saved my life and my guitars the night of the fire. He got me out when I collapsed. He saved my grades last year…he’s not horrible on the eyes. I may have developed… an inappropriate attachment and expressed it.” I didn’t have to worry about manufacturing a blush, because my face heated just thinking about how truly accurate the crush had been.

Could still be, save for so many factors, including Mr. Ninja Kiss and Hot Shot.

Clearing my throat, I shifted in the chair. “The point is, I kissed him, he pushed me away. Said I needed to be more focused on school and not on dating.” Not quite a lie, definitely not the truth. “He told me that I might be a rock star out there, but here, I was nothing. A student and absolutely nothing more.”

The dean frowned. “He called you nothing?”

“I suppose when it comes to letting someone down, there aren’t gentle ways. He may not have phrased it as that specifically…” He so fucking did. “But the message was clear.”

“If you kissed him and haven’t before…how did someone snap a picture of it?”

“I don’t know. Ask the Tattler or whoever published it. There have been a number of videos and photographs of me published since I’ve been on campus. Everyone has a cell phone.” It was the cost of doing business.

“So, you aren’t uncomfortable with Mr. Malone?” the dean pressed.

“No,” I said. “At least not because I think he’s going to kiss me.” There were plenty of other reasons to be uncomfortable around him, but I’d handle that on my own.

“Thank you, Miss Crosse. If you would like, we can remove him as TA from your classes.” If I would like… Nice ass covering there.

“He’s a good teacher,” I said, standing. “I would hate to lose out on the expertise because I engaged in a moment of thoughtless stupidity.” Backpack slung over my shoulder, I added, “I’m here for maybe one more semester. Don’t change his schedule on my account. I won’t be going out of my way to kiss him again.”

Both men stared at me.

“That’s it? I don’t need to sign anything?”

The question seemed to shake them out of their surprise. “Of course not,” the dean said as he rose. “Thank you for answering our questions. I’m very fond of Mr. Malone, but we do have a code of conduct. For our staff as well as our students.” The last he said with a firm eye on me.

“Understood,” I told him. “Can I go?”

“Absolutely, go on back to class.” He checked his watch. “The bell will probably ring for transition as soon as you’re back at the academic building.”

I couldn’t get out of there fast enough. As it was, the rest of the day seemed to follow that trend. Not terrible, just decaying into uncomfortable territory. Rumors about me going to the dean’s office were already circulating. Jonas glanced at me when we met in the hall outside our next class.

I braced for the question or the accusation or something. But all he said was, “Are you okay?”

“What?”

“You look…mad? Sad—off…I don’t know the word. Are you okay?” He glanced around the hall then back at me.

“Just…yeah, I’m fine. Did I miss anything in lit?”

“A really boring lecture,” Jonas told me before he opened the door. “Really boring.”

I laughed. Moments like that helped. When Sydney caught me in the hall after my last class, I wasn’t ready for her wide eyes. “Are you in trouble?”

“With?” It had already been a long day.

“The school, I heard you got pulled out of class and marched to the dean’s office. Everyone’s talking about it, and they aren’t sure if you’re getting expelled for conduct unbecoming…”