Chapter 13 Somehow, I managed to keep my cool through the night and into the next morning. I dreamed of them and woke up with my entire body thrumming, hot, and tight. If not for the soreness between my legs, I might have thought I imagined the whole thing. But even my imagination wasn't good enough to pull off the things they'd done to me. My face flamed when I pulled open the theater room door and caught sight of Matthew standing near the stage. I darted into the women's bathroom at the back of the room and jumped into the first open stall to check my makeup. My pale cheeks always gave away my blushes, so I'd resorted to makeup to cover the telltale flushes. Digging into my bag, I found the small mirror and held it up, revealing smooth, pale skin. The heat remained in my cheeks, but with the makeup, it looked natural. I took a breath and stared at myself in the mirror. My nerves jangled worse than on my first opening night, and I clenched and unclenched my free hand until the tingling stopped. How much would things change now that we'd had sex? This class was my first test of nerves since leaving them last night. I'd taken a huge risk by sleeping with them. I knew it but couldn't bring myself to regret a single minute. I'd felt safe with them, safer than I'd ever felt with anyone. There was no coercion, no threat of retribution. They'd asked if I wanted to, and I had been more than happy to say yes. All I had to do was figure out how to deal with the fallout and control my reactions. I couldn't go around blushing and stuttering every time one of them looked at me. Though it wouldn't be unusual in Stephen's class. Fuck. I had to get that under control. Professor. He was my professor. They all were. I was not allowed to say their names out loud, especially not in front of my classmates. It was too conspicuous. I took a deep breath and smoothed a tiny bit of powder over my cheekbones. They'd brought me pleasure multiple times. Incredible pleasure. The kind that was addictive and made me wonder how I was ever going to have regular sex ever again now that I knew what was possible. I ran a hand down my stomach, lightly touching that sensitive place between my legs. Maybe ... maybe I could get myself off before seeing Matthew. It might help. The bathroom door banged open, and two girls rushed in. Their laughter and excited voices ruined the moment, and I pulled my hand away. The unsatisfied ache intensified. How could I want to have sex again already? Sighing, I snapped the mirror closed and dropped it into my bag. "Did you hear about last night?" One of the girls leaned her shoulder against the brick wall and tossed her hair over her shoulder. I stopped breathing. What about last night? Had someone seen us? Shit. I covered my mouth and tried to remember how lungs worked. The first rasp of breath scorched my throat. My gaze snagged on a long scratch that marred the metal door keeping them from seeing me. Beneath the scratch were two sets of initials. L.S. and M.B. Matthew Bellington? No. Well. Maybe. But not for the reason implied. What if I was wrong? The way they'd acted last night brought a rush of doubt. They admitted they'd shared a woman before, back in college. Was that a lie? What if I was one girl in a long line of girls? The way they acted in class could be an act. They dismissed every advance shown in public. What about in private? No. I couldn't let myself go down that route. I might not be special to them, but I'd be damned if I let a bunch of insecurities ruin the night we'd shared. The second girl leaned in close. "You mean the fight on the quad? Oh yeah, it's all over campus. I heard that Brian was trying to ask Miranda out, and Phillip pushed him. It turned into this whole thing." My knees went weak. Thank fuck. Another fight on the quad. It was an almost daily occurrence. Get it together, Harmony. You can't act like that every time you feel guilty. Someone will notice. Stephen, Roberto, and Matthew had been concerned for my well-being when I left them last night. They'd asked if I was okay, and I'd said yes. Of course, it hurt my feelings that we only had one time together. But their reputations were on the line, so I understood the concern. Everything would be fine as long as I could keep our secret. I controlled my expression, flushed the toilet, and walked out of the stall. Both girls looked my way, and a moment of hesitation turned into recognition. "Hey, Harmony." "Hey." I washed my hands, humming the opening bars to Les Mis as I dried my hands and walked out. The lights dimmed in the seating area, leaving bright lights aimed at the stage where Leighona stood with the script in her hands. She tented a hand over her eyes. "Harmony, you're finally here. Come run lines with me." I had nothing better to do, and considering Leighona was my sorority sister and I was her understudy for this class, saying no wasn't an option. I dug my script from my bag after dropping it on the front seat closest to the steps and climbed onto the stage. Warm light wrapped around me when I stepped into the spotlight with Leighona. "Where do you want to start?" I flipped through the pages. I loved the entire thing, but Leighona had a favorite scene that she loved to "practice" in class. Show off was more like, but I didn't bother calling her out. It wouldn't do me any good. She wanted to impress Matthew, and anyone who might show up to offer her a spot on Broadway. Same thing I wanted. My time would come. I knew it deep down in my heart. I was meant for the stage. "Here." Leighona showed me the top of her page, and as I expected it was the scene that showed off Leighona's vocal range. She tossed her red hair over her shoulders. "Ready?" I took a step back and ran through a quick scale. Most of the scene was dialogue, but we might make it to the singing portion before Leighona moved on. I nodded. "Let's go." The distraction was exactly what I needed to get my mind off Matthew. I hadn't seen him since leaving the bathroom, and I refused to look for him. As Leighona's understudy, I had an obligation to the college, to Leighona and Matthew, to put my best effort into learning. We ran through the scene once, with Leighona stopping me several times to correct my phrasing or how I stood. I hid my annoyance behind a smile. I was playing Marcus in the scene, and it mattered to Leighona that I get everything right. "Is Vincent out today?" I asked when we took a break. Leighona tossed her head. "He's busy in the back. Something about his costume. I couldn't wait on him." She sat on the edge of the stage and kicked her feet back and forth. "Professor Bellington said there's going to be an agent here on opening night." I swallowed wrong and choked. Tears burst into my eyes as I coughed and pounded a fist against my chest. "Really? That's great." It was the kind of news we'd hoped to hear. My heart dropped to my toes, then further. They'd take one look at Leighona and have a contract drawn up by the end of the night. I had no right to be jealous. It was my second year at school. No one wanted a second-year theater student. "I know." Leighona made a pouty face and primped her hair with exaggerated head movements. "It's going to happen. I have a good feeling about this one." "I'm happy for you. You deserve it." I unrolled my script. "Want to go through it again?" I refused to let jealousy eat through me. Patience, practice, and priorities. Those were the three things that would get me through college and onto the big stage. A rustle of footsteps on the maroon carpet sent a shiver along my spine. My throat convulsed, and I barely resisted closing my eyes as a flash of memory stole across my mind. The sight of Matthew walking our way conjured the image of him standing at my shoulder last night, his cock in hand as he leaned over me. My mouth filled with saliva, and I could almost taste his skin when I breathed. Control. Where was my fucking control? "Good job." Matthew stopped in front of us. He wore black slacks, a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and a thin black tie. "You're getting better every time I hear that scene." His gaze caught mine for a millisecond before he blinked and looked at Leighona. "Thank you. I'm looking forward to wowing the audience on opening night." She did her famous head toss, the one that made boys' eyes go glassy. Matthew's lips tightened, his eyes going hard as steel. "That's good to hear. The story is worth telling, and we want to make sure we're giving it our best effort." With a nod for both of us, he took a step backward and to the right. The heated feeling returned to my face, filling my cheeks with so much warmth it was like I'd walked into a volcano. Sweat beaded on my hairline, and I reached up to dab it away. More gathered under my arms. Nothing I could do about that but hope my deodorant and the dark blue shirt wouldn't give me away. My heels banged against the kickboard at the edge of the stage, and I blew out a slow breath. Leighona leaned forward, grabbing my arm and pulling me around to face her. "What the hell is that all about?" "What?" I used the script to fan my face. "I'm melting under these lights. It's a good thing you're lead on this. I'd have to put on more makeup every time I walked off stage." I meant for it to be a compliment and a distraction. It almost worked. Leighona preened, but her narrow-eyed glare remained. "I thought you had a crush on Professor Rossi?" I warned her with a frown. "What about it?" Students shouted from behind us as they wheeled out new props for the musical. They'd been working on a rolling scene setup that could be taken on and off stage with Leighona standing in the middle of it, and they practiced rolling it back and forth while one of the guys jumped on and off. "Why are you blushing so hard?" Leighona's grip on my arm tightened to an almost painful hold. "I've never seen you this flustered around Professor Bellington." "It's the musical. Even though I won't be on stage, I'm nervous about the production. I want everything to be perfect." All true. All a distraction meant to remind Leighona of her prowess on stage. She took the bait, but only after a long examination of my face. "I'm not nervous. I was meant for this role." The cold way she swept a glance around the room reminded me of her tenacity and relentless pursuit of her career. It was the motto for our entire sorority, a motto I'd been more than happy to uphold. Sleeping with my professors changed nothing. They could only break my career. Matthew stopped at the back of the theater. He stood on the edge between light and shadow, his hands on his hips and his face obscured by the light shining in my eyes. I spun around and stood. "Again?" "Sure." Leighona followed me up. If she noticed Matthew watching us, she ignored him. That was exactly what I should be doing. Our one night together was over. I would remember it for the rest of my life. The way they'd made me feel was now my expectation. Didn't I deserve to feel that way during sex? Heat swept through my body. Damn it all. Leighona was right. I was flustered, and all the man had done was look at me. He'd barely even done that. This was going to be harder than I thought. If I was this out of sorts in my easiest-and favorite-class, how was I going to make it through the others? A single mother returns to the city she left seven years ago after breaking up with her ex to seek treatment for her son’s leukemia. Upon learning of her return, the ex immediately searches for the lo...