Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 76436 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76436 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
Burn my tongue.
“A couple of things.” I swallow. “This wasn’t going to be easy to talk about anyway, and now it’s even harder.”
“Why is that?”
“Because it involves… It involves Dr. Lansing.”
Aunt Melanie’s eyebrows nearly pop off her head. “What about Dr. Lansing?”
“Well, like I said, he’s my anatomy lab professor.”
“Yes. I know you’re having trouble with lab. With cutting into your cadaver.”
“Yeah, but that’s not the problem. I…” God, my cheeks are burning.
“You can tell me,” Aunt Melanie prods. “You don’t have to, but if you think it will help to talk to me about it, please, tell me. This is a judgment-free zone.”
I purse my lips. “Are you saying you’re acting as my therapist?”
She chuckles lightly. “No, I’m acting as your aunt. Your aunt who cares very deeply about you and does not like to see you troubled.”
“Can you say you’re acting as my therapist? That way I know you’ll be bound to keep this between us.”
She laughs uneasily. “I’d do that for you anyway, Angie. You know how things are between us.”
I look down at my mocha again, swirling the dark liquid in its paper cup. Aunt Melanie waits patiently, sipping her latte. She’s good at hiding it, but I can tell she’s worried.
“Okay,” I say, taking a deep breath. “It’s about Dr. Lansing… Jason.”
“Jason?” Aunt Melanie repeats, surprise coloring her tone.
“He told us to call him Jason,” I say. “In class, I mean.”
“I see.” She takes another sip of her latte.
One thing about Aunt Melanie—you can never tell exactly what she’s thinking. I suppose she’s had to learn to hear just about anything from her patients and not react.
“We… Jason and I… We’ve sort of been…spending time together,” I say, avoiding her eyes. “Outside of class.”
Aunt Melanie doesn’t immediately respond, but when I glance up at her, her expression is unreadable.
“I see,” she says after a moment. “And how is this affecting you?”
“Well…” I hesitate, unsure of how to put my confusion, my longing, my fear into words. “It’s…complicated.”
Aunt Melanie raises an eyebrow but waits for me to continue.
“The thing is… He kissed me after the first day of anatomy lab and—”
“Wait, wait, wait,” she says. “He kissed you? That’s completely inappropriate.”
“I know that. He knows it too. But he… He’s been through a lot, and—”
She leans in, lowering her voice. “Please tell me this hasn’t gone any further than a kiss, Angie.”
My cheeks are on fire.
Can I lie to Aunt Mel? God, no. She’ll see right through me. She’s like a human lie detector.
“Well…” I start hesitantly, “We… It wasn’t just a kiss.”
Aunt Melanie’s eyes widen. “Angie…”
“I know, Aunt Mel,” I say quickly, wishing to God I could take it back. “I know it was wrong. I’m not trying to justify what happened. But it was…” I close my eyes. “It was amazing. For both of us.”
She is quiet for a while, taking in my confession. The bustling coffee shop seems to melt away, and all I can see is her concerned gaze, her furrowed brows.
“I can see why you’re so troubled.”
“It’s more than that.”
She sighs. “All right. I’m here for you.”
“This other student in the lab saw us. Then he came on to me, and when I made him stop, he said he saw the kiss in the lab—”
“Dr. Lansing kissed you in the lab?”
“Well…yeah.”
She tents her fingers in front of her face. “Dear Lord…”
“Anyway, Ralph—that’s the other student—threatened to go to the dean and have Jason fired.”
“But he hasn’t done that?”
“No. Not yet, anyway. I think he wants me to dig up information on Jason. Since we’re…you know…intimately acquainted. And I… I don’t know what to do,” I say, my voice cracking. “I could try to pay him off, but I don’t want to give that snake a penny.”
“That’s a difficult predicament,” Aunt Mel says. “But paying him off isn’t the answer. That would only be a temporary solution, and it’s morally wrong.”
“I know.” I sigh, rubbing my forehead. “Just… I don’t want to see Jason get into trouble because of me.”
Aunt Mel reaches over the table and gently pats my hand. “Angela,” she says softly, “I’m sure you care a lot about Dr. Lansing, but you must remember that he is an adult. He understood the consequences when he crossed that line with you. It’s not just about your actions. It was his choice too.”
Her words hit me like a punch in the gut. She’s right, of course. I’ve been so wrapped up in my own fear and guilt that I hadn’t considered that part.
“Yes,” I murmur, swallowing hard against a sudden lump in my throat. “You’re right. I’m also an adult, even if we are thirteen years apart. My mom and dad are thirteen years apart.”
Aunt Mel gives me a reassuring smile. “Age difference does not define the success or outcome of a relationship. However, the circumstances differ with your parents and you. Jason is in a position of authority.”