DANGEROUSLY HIS: My Ex's Father.

've stay

f every eye on me. Stares that clung like static. Whispers, th

's he

t the party, right i

ed him. P

ke I was walking through a dream I couldn't wake from. The university had never fel

y mother used to teach me before she passed. "If they're w

was cr

ything was b

aves crashing into my skull. I scanned the rows until I spotted Lana sitting near the back, her familiar honey-brown cu

eat beside her, trying

etend you're okay, Be

ng." My voice was

and slid a small packet of tissues onto my d

ned again, an

li

tepped out of a damn perfume ad. And beside him, her. The new girl. Long legs. P

ddle row, right where I could s

even gla

ed into my gu

handle seeing him

ater, balancing a stack of notes,

spe

cke

creetly pointed

th

"This is a university, not a reality TV set. I expect silence and maturi

ell like

notebook, my pen t

dn't b

s were c

he restroom," I

. I stood up and quietly left the hall, my heels clicking ag

m was thank

o the cold toilet seat. For a few moments, I just

it

s shook as I sobbed into my hands, every

d I be

let him do

till want

ed my

that I m

ly, laughing, smiling, while I was h

numb. Until the tears stopped. I wiped my face, cl

red. My cheek

ouched up my lip gloss. Fo

nabelle

f Theodore

't fall

in p

om just in time for the profes

ghing with his

me, it was empty. Like I was a strang

y breath like kn

again. "Do you

No. I want to fini

eft now, I'd n

y notes were a mess of half-written lines and tight, angry scribbles. All I c

ally ended, I stoo

I reached th

abe

fr

nt to turn.

pockets, casual as ever, like he wasn't

ant?" I asked,

sure you're not planning

in front of the entire university agai

ed, just

e ended things quietly. But instead, yo

n for it to g

ed to mak

. "You were...

ords hit harder

t him. "Well, don't worry, Ju

tears burning in my eyes again, but

isper. Let

think I

y'll see me

ay, h

that day i

t's c