The Neighbor #4 (The Neighbor Romance Series - Book #4) Read online

  THE NEIGHBOR #4

  Book 4

  By Claire Adams

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2014 Claire Adams

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  Book 1: October 8th

  Book 2: October 22nd

  Book 3: November 5th

  Book 4: November 19th

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  Chapter One

  All I heard were the words kissing and Ryder Curran. It was surreal, the dean stood before me, speaking. I could see his mouth moving but there were no words. A tingle ran down my spine, but it was unlike the feeling I had when Ryder touched me. That had been an otherworldly experience of a different kind. I was worried that I might collapse on the floor in front of Dean Meadows.

  “Can you please repeat what you’re saying Dean Meadows? Am I being accused of something?” I asked as beads of sweat began to form. My workout clothing was meant to wick moisture. I suppose they didn’t test the garment in such extreme conditions.

  “Jenna, this is a serious matter. I would like to meet you in my office at 2 PM. I will give you the opportunity to give me details about why you were seen kissing your professor. I don’t wish to continue this conversation with without witnesses or in a lecture hall. Can I expect to see you in Pratt Hall later today?”

  “I will be there, sir. Do I need some sort of representation?” I felt as though I was being arrested. On television, the accused were advised to consult an attorney. I expected the characters from Law & Order to come barging through the doors.

  “I would suggest you follow your normal class schedule for the day. Further instruction will be given to you at our meeting. I will let you get back to your day, Ms. Walsh.”

  Dean Meadows left me standing alone in the lecture hall. There was no mirror in the musty old room. If there were, I would expect to see all color drained from my face. I fumbled through my bag for an energy bar. I felt faint and panicked. I craved my phone. I had to speak to Ryder before my 2 PM meeting.

  I walked down the front steps of Tobin hall and grabbed the steal handrail. I needed the assistance to steady myself. Then I saw Max standing at the foot of the concrete stairs.

  “Max. I really wish you had not stuck around.” There were small pods of other students gathering as if they expected me to make some sort of announcement.

  “Where else would I be, Jenna? Something went down in there. I heard you were behind closed doors with The Mean Dean. Are you okay? You look like shit.”

  “Thanks for pointing that out, Max. I’m going to skip the rest of my morning classes. I’m not a super religious person, but since you occupy an occasional pew, put in a good word for me with the man upstairs.”

  He snickered slightly. “I’ll call you later,” Max called out as I walked away. Hundreds of eyes were upon me as I walked straight towards Leach Hall.

  ****

  I walked into my room, which was vacant. I was glad because I had no desire to get Kelly Womack involved in my melodrama. I gathered my things for a shower and grabbed Kelly’s robe. I usually threw on an oversized t-shirt, but I wanted to be covered up. I wished I were in a cocoon.

  I reached in the robe’s pocket and there was a note.

  See you at theater at 6pm. Avoir mon amie

  Kelly must have a man—sweet. I crumbled up the note and placed it back in the pocket.

  The deluge of warm water was helpful. The morning made me hurt all over, both physically and mentally. My skin was sore to the touch.

  “Hey, neighbor.” Eric’s hairy arm reached beneath the divider.

  Shit. I wasn’t up for a conversation.

  “Hey.” I couldn’t manage many words.

  “Not very talkative today—something up? You are normally quite cheerful,” Eric said.

  Diane had not joined him yet. I smelled the vanilla body wash I had shared with him before.

  “Not feeling very cheerful today, Eric. I don’t suppose you have seen a stray iPhone?” I said.

  “As a matter of fact. Diane found one in the parking lot, which she turned into the RA.”

  “Did it have a tacky purple case with rhinestones?”

  “Yes, it did. Diane is paranoid about breaking into someone’s shit, so she didn’t even turn it on. Did you activate the kill switch?” Eric asked.

  “No. I’m not exactly a tech-head. I have no idea what a fucking kill-switch is. Thanks, Eric. You at least provided me with a small glimmer of light in an otherwise black day.”

  “Ouch and it’s not even noon. What can be so bad? At least you have a good portion of the day ahead of you. There is time to turn things around.”

  “Thanks.”

  I heard his water shut off and then the door swung open. I was finally alone. At least I knew where my phone was located. I was certain it was loaded with messages from Ryder. Hearing his voice might have managed to sooth me.

  I toweled off and got dressed. I put on a pair of beige linen pants and a silk blouse. I was tempted to wear tight jeans and a fuck-me red tank top. Dean Meadows already considered me a tart, why not dress the part. Instead, I decided to look like a virginal undergrad. I viewed my reflection in the mirror and then raced to the RA’s room.

  “Hello, I’m Jenna Walsh from down the hall,” I said.

  “I know who you are, Jenna,” Ruby, my RA said. It seemed as though she knew that I was fucking my professor. Maybe she had browsed through my phone. Thank god Ryder and I had not been sharing nude photos. Refusing to do so was the only sane decision I had made in the past months.

  “I think Diane dropped my lost iPhone off with you.”

  “Yes, Diane dropped off a phone. Can you identify it? I know that sounds absurd but I try my best to protect everyone’s privacy.”

  “It is in a purple case that’s decorated with rhinestones.”

  “That is the one. I will grab it for you.”

  I tried to be cool but I pulled the thing out of her hands. It felt good to have the device. Shit—I discovered the battery had died, of course. I raced back to my room and connected it to my charger. It was hooked up behind my pink golf bag. I resisted the temptation to fling my clubs across the room. Kelly would consider having me committed if I was to pull that shit again.

  Five new texts were from Ryder. I opened the messages.

  Drive safe

  Call me when you get home

  See you in class. Gd nght.

  No sleep. Miss U

  MissU

  The last message had come in on Sunday night. He had not attempted to reach me on Monday. There were no call attempts before or after class. What the fuck. I dialed his number—I was sent directly to voicemail.

  “It’s me. Something is going on. I’m desperate here Ryder. I will have my ringer on. I’m meeting with Dean Meadows at 2 PM. Pratt Hall. Call me ASAP. I can’t go through this without speaking to you first.”

  I left the message and called Ryder several times more. I left no more messages, but wit
h 10 extra phone calls on his phone, he would get the hint.

  I had hours until my meeting with the dean. Having taken a shower, a run wasn’t an option. I needed something to relax. Ryder was something that made me relax, but that was also off the table since he was nowhere to be found. I did the only thing I had left. I pulled a can of frosting from Kelly’s stash. Ew—butterscotch. It was better than nothing, so I dove in.

  With my mouth full, Kelly walked in the room.

  “Hello. At least you didn’t hurl your golf clubs around this time. What’s up? You are eating butterscotch frosting, so I know you must be desperate.”

  “My life is crumbling down around me. You may end up with a single room if things go as I predict. I don’t need to tell you that this involves my golf instructor slash professor.”

  She rolled her eyes. “We have been sharing this shoebox for almost an entire semester. I may be from Kansas but I’m not stupid. There is something going on between you and Ryder. Whatever is going on has dictated your moods in recent months. I can tell by your demeanor that this thing has hit rock bottom. I have offered my assistance and I don’t mind being left out but this time, I’m worried. You look like a goddamn school teacher—what is up with that?”

  With Kelly standing before me with her arms akimbo, I lost it. The damn broke and I shared everything with my roommate, who had known all along. While sobbing, I recounted everything from the night we were first together to the night we first made love. Nothing seemed to surprise Kelly.

  “This may come as a shock to you but I went through something similar back home. Why the fuck do you think I chose to attend school 2,000 miles away? “

  My eyes popped.

  “Oh, I would not have guessed.”

  “I’m not going to fill you in on the details. It was my piano teacher. It was particularly sticky because I was 16-years-old. I made it through and my parents stuck by me. You have supporters even when you don’t think there is anyone on your side. I thought I was in love. He did not do anything lascivious and I didn’t have sex with the guy in his office. You have certainly taken it a step beyond what happened with me, but I get it.”

  “I have been walking around thinking that I was the only one who ever fell in love with an older guy…teacher. It’s damn tiring, living a double life.”

  She grinned weakly. “Can’t help but notice, you mentioned you love the man. That sets it apart from anything I experienced.”

  “Did I say love?” I said. Even saying the word aloud scared me.

  “Yeah, but I think you’re saying it to the wrong person,” Kelly said.

  My conversation with Kelly took time and it was approaching 2 PM; Ryder had not called. Kelly left for class and I took a deep breath and departed for my meeting with the Dean.

  ****

  I walked up the marble steps of the stately administration building. I had never expected that I would enter under such circumstances. In my fantasies, I expected I might be there to receive an academic honor. An ample woman seated behind a desk greeted me when I walked in.

  “You must be Jenna Walsh. The dean is expecting you and he’ll be with you in a few moments. You can take a seat to the left. I have this for you to read before you meet with the dean. I know you have seen it before since it was one of the many things you signed at registration.”

  I sat on the green leather couches. They were unlike the vinyl seats I had seen before. I wondered if they were meant to intimidate. If so, it worked.

  I opened the booklet.

  University Code of Conduct

  I knew I was screwed without even reading further. I rolled up the pamphlet and used it to tap the armrest as I waited. The fat chick at the desk was staring daggers at me. She knew exactly why I was there and seemed to enjoy my predicament. I wished I had gone with the tight jeans. They thought I was a slut anyways and I was fooling myself trying to look sophisticated.

  “Hello, Jenna. Come into my office,” Dean Meadows said as he gestured for me to enter. “Please sit down and make yourself comfortable.”

  I took a seat before his large mahogany desk. “As stated earlier, you were seen kissing your freshman human sexuality professor at the Seven Wonders putt-putt establishment.” The sentence sounded so absurd that, combined with his formal delivery, I was tempted to laugh. However, I held it together out of fear.

  “May I ask who the witness was?” I asked.

  “No, everything is confidential. It is for your protection as well as that of anyone else involved. You have the right to know that this conversation is being audio recorded. We have received several anonymous complaints over the past several months.”

  “Several complaints? Ryder Curran is my professor but he’s also my golf instructor. I don’t recall kissing Ryder Curran, if there was physical contact, it was congratulatory. We have worked hard on my game. You see it all of the time in professional golf. When Tiger Woods or Rory McElroy wins a golf tournament, they hug their caddy.”

  “I’m sorry if this seams indelicate, but it was noted that a tongue was involved.”

  “Yeah, that qualifies as indelicate. I’m sure that this misunderstanding will be cleared up easily. I will watch my P’s and Q’s from now on.” I started to leave.

  “I’m afraid it’s not that simple, Ms. Walsh. Our freshman human sexuality program is known throughout the country. We are the first large university to have a class of this nature as a freshman requirement so this is a black eye on the university. We will be conducting a full investigation.”

  “Fine. What does that mean for me?” I asked.

  “You will be suspended from the university immediately. You won’t be allowed within a half mile of campus for the duration of our investigation. If you’re reinstated, any costs incurred, such as finding alternate housing, will be reimbursed.” Dean Meadows neatly folded his hands as if he was adjourning the meeting.

  “Are you saying that I cannot return to my room?” I said.

  “We will give you 24 hours to collect you things. You can have the majority of your belongings sent to you.”

  “This is bullshit, sir, and you know it,” I said as I was leaving.

  I couldn’t believe that I had just said bullshit to the dean. It took resolve not to flip off the rotund secretary on the way out. I scraped the bottom of my bag in search of my phone; when I found it, I still had no messages from Ryder. There wasn’t even a reassuring text. I dialed Ryder.

  “It’s me again. I just faced the gauntlet. It wasn’t pretty, and I’m suspended, so I imagine you were treated similarly. I’ll be heading back to Lewis Ave. I will be waiting for your call.”

  I walked back to Leach Hall to fill up my suitcases; I felt like I had just unpacked them. I took a second to survey the room then walked out and then threw the suitcases in my car. I would call Kelly on the ride back. With my tail between my legs, I headed home.

  Chapter Two

  I was desperate for some advice. I needed help and Ryder was pulling some type of disappearing act. Where did I always turn? I dialed Sayler.

  “Hey, I remember you. You are my best friend who only calls me in a state-of-emergency. What’s up, Jenna? The doctor is in,” Sayler answered.

  “I’m heading back into town, Sayler.”

  “It’s Monday. What’s up with that?”

  “I have been suspended. I think they call it a self-fulfilling prophecy. I’m not going to throw a fit. I really need to hang out tomorrow, if you have the time. I will come over at about 11 AM. Will you be there?”

  “I will have to check my appointment calendar and get back to you, Jenna.”

  “Oh,” I muttered.

  “God, Jenna – I’m fucking kidding. Of course, I will be here. Bring some coffee and tread lightly, because Juliet will probably be sleeping.

  I pulled on to Lewis Ave. Of course, I looked to Ryder’s house first. The lights were out and the blinds drawn. I pulled up alongside my mother’s house and paused. I picked up my phone and dial
ed Ryder again. I was thinking he would hear my car and feel I was nearby. I was waiting for some movement of the blinds. I thought back to the time when I thought Ryder was my mother’s mystery man and I camped out on my front porch to sneak a peek. I felt like a stalker then, now I had confirmation. I sat in my car for a moment. I was embarrassed to enter my mother’s home. Things had turned sour in my life very quickly. Finally, I departed my car.

  The ten steps to the front door felt more like one-hundred.

  I found my mother and Claude Simmons sitting in the kitchen nook when I walked in.

  “Hey, Mom. Mr. Simmons.”

  I stood before them with my plum duffle bag, which was hefty.

  “Hi, Jenna,” my mom said.

  She looked stunned to see me.

  “I know this is unexpected. This is the only place I could come—home.”

  Tears gathered in the corners of my eyes and slowly flowed down my cheeks. I remained standing in my mother’s kitchen, when she gave me something, I didn’t know I needed. She stood up and gave me a long motherly hug. It was the type of all-encompassing embrace that only a mother could give.

  “Come sit down and tell us all about it. Claude, get us two cups of coffee and be a dear and get fresh sheets on Jenna’s bed,” my mother ordered in a wife-ish sort of way.

  I laughed.

  “Well, I see you’re getting Mr. Simmons broken in.”

  “Oh, he’s learning quickly. There isn’t much that I ask that he won’t do. I spent years taking care of your father. It’s nice for a change.”

  “Mom, I was suspended. You were right and it probably pleases you.”

  “Jenna. Nothing could be further from the truth. I didn’t want you to go down this road, but you did. My own mother advised me not to marry your father, but I did. And guess what? She and my dad were still at the wedding and we had three great kids. Where affairs of the heart are concerned, it’s a personal choice.”

  “Yeah, but suspension from school. Graduating from college was my dream. I fucked everything up.”

  My mother sipped her coffee.