Chapter 248

WILLA

"Here," I said as I handed Theron the file the next day. 

He flipped it open. His lips grew thin as he read what was on the inside. I hadn't even opened it but I guessed there would be a part about Lucian Drayton being my supervisor.

I told him about my talk with the dean.

"I asked the dean, begged him to give me anyone else but Lucian," I finished. "He said there was nothing he could do about it. But that's not true, is it?"

I looked hopefully at Theron. Having gone through the system before me, if there was a way to get out of this he would know. What I saw in his face was only reluctant acceptance.

"It's actually true," he said. "The dean is right. You're stuck with Lucian. In my time, I was told that..."

He went on about what Dean Freeman had told me earlier, about the computer randomly pairing the students with their supervisors.

I sighed and told Theron I had been told the same thing.

"So I'm stuck with Lucian then," I said sadly. "Gosh! I hate the sound of that."

"There's another solution though," he said. "You could just drop out or say to hell with your GPA."

I glared at Theron. He grimaced and said, "I'm sorry. Bad joke. Was just trying to lighten up your mood."

He started to give the file back. I refused to take it.

"There's another problem. I still have to get my form signed. I can't think of a way to get Lucian do that." I bit my lip. "He would probably just accuse me of rigging this semester assignment to throw myself at him again."

"I think I understand what you mean," Theron said slowly. "You need my help to get it signed."

"Yes."

He got off his chair. checked his watch. It was still half an hour before his next class. I had checked before going to see him.

"How will you get him to sign?" I called after Therom as he walked out. "I think he hates your guts."

"Oh I have my ways," was Theron's reply. "I'll get him to sign it even if I have to smash his hand down on the damn paper."

He grinned to show me was joking.

As he left I had a happy thought. What if Theron and Lucian got into a fight about the form?

Then I could report to the dean, tell him that my supervisor was being uncooperative. Didn't want to sign my form. Didn't even want to be in the same room with me. Would that let me off the hook?

These happy thoughts lasted until the end of my next class when Theron popped in to say Lucian had signed my form.

I thought of asking Theron had managed that but decided I didn't really want to know. The thought of seeing Lucian again made me feel a little ill and nervous. Worse I had to start working with him today.

"He didn't look happy about it though," Theron said. He studied my face. "Anyway good luck."

"Thanks," I said with feeling.

I felt I really needed it.

No matter how slowly I walked to the botany lab at the scheduled hour on my file, I still got there in plenty of time.

I took a deep shaky breath, pushed open in the glass door. At another time I would have been impressed by the size of the lab, by the neatly labelled plants, lots of them- most of them- species I didn't recognize.

Now all my attention was on the boy sitting in front one of the work benches. He was gently fingering the leaves of a plant but his muscles, clearly visible from under the sleeves of his rolled up shirt told a different story. He looked like he was this close to squashing the plant in one big fist.

I made my way around the stools, nearly stumbled over my own feet on my way to a seat at what I judged to be at a safe distance from him. All the time I moved, I had to resist the urge to just veer around and throw myself into his arms.

I didn't sit down. I wouldn't give him the chance to say I was already acting like I would be slacking off on the job.

Though he must have heard me come in, he didn't look around.

"Hello," I said, hating how out of breath I sounded.

I hoped he would put it down to me hurrying down here. Lucian didn't answer.

He picked up a pair of gardening shears. With it carefully cut off a few thorns on the sides of the plant he was handling.

A minute passed, then two. Then four. Still Lucian did not say anything.
Bound to Three: The Omega’s Redemption
Detail
Share
Font Size
40
Bgcolor