Chapter Fifteen: Wyatt

The seat next to me in biology lab was empty.

I felt Hailey’s absence as if a piece of me was quite literally missing.

At first I thought she might just be late but we were already thirty minutes into the class and she was still a no show.

I pulled my phone out of my bag and sent her quick text covertly.

Hey, where are you?

Even though I didn’t expect her to answer - at least not right away – I placed the phone face down next to my text book.

Yesterday had been great between Hailey and I. A turning point in the dynamic between us I thought.

I had been scared that she would disappear on me – or worse give me the “we can’t be anything more than classmates” speech - like the first two times we had been intimate. After I came, I had actually tried to mentally prepare myself to handle it.

Hailey surprised me though. She had stayed in my arms afterwards. She stayed until we could no longer linger at the very real risk that we might get caught butt naked in the college classroom.

I had walked her to her car afterward. She had even let me to hold her hand and we had shared a lingering kiss before each driving away.

Her eyes had been soft and welcoming with no regret in them and I allowed myself to hope that the romp in the lab had been a changing tide in our relationship.

I meant what I had said to her. I did try to respect her wish for me to keep my distance from her. As much as I wanted her, always watching her turn away from me was killing me and I didn’t know how many more times I could witness it without going totally insane.

However, when she had taken comfort in my arms, I hadn’t been able to curb the urge to feel her lips on mine again. I expected to get slapped and told off. Now I was glad I took the risk in kissing her.

Even after we had left each other’s company in the lab, she had called me late in the night.

I had just stepped out of the shower when I heard my cell phone ring.

I adjusted the towel around my hips – the only thing I wore – as I crossed from the bathroom to the bedroom. I picked up the device from where in had been thrown carelessly on the bed. My heart picked up when I noticed Hailey’s number on the screen.

I swiped to answer and sat on the edge of the mattress.

“Hi, sweetheart,” I greeted.

“Hey.” She sounded breathy and sexy. “I hope I am not calling too late.”

I glanced at the digital clock next to my bed. It read eleven twenty-three PM.

“Not at all,” I told Hailey. “You can call me any time. What’s up?”

A pause, then…

“There’s something I need to tell you but I think I should wait until we’re face to face.”

That made me pause before I answered.

“That doesn’t sound good. Are you going to give me the boot again?”

I made it sound teasing but my heart leapt into my throat at the thought.

She hesitated and the choked feeling only intensified. Shit.

“Hailey?” I asked, so many questions in that one word.

“I’m not giving you the boot. In fact, I think it is something you might like to hear. I’m hoping so anyway. Can we talk after lab?”

Her voice was soft and uncertain and every instinct I possessed wanted to reassure her.

So I said, “Of course we can. I’m sure we can work whatever it is out.”

My mind was turning over the possible scenarios of what she wanted to tell me but there was no use speculating. I would find out soon enough.

Again, she said, “I hope so.”

We just listened to each other breathe for a little while before she asked, “So, Mr. Murphy, what are you wearing?”

I let out a relived breath that things didn’t stay tense between us and let myself fall back in the bed.

“Why Ms. Clarke are you trying to lure me into having phone sex with you because I have to tell you, I really be into that.”

She laughed a low sexy sound. “Of course you would be. Is there anything you’re not into?”

“With you, nothing is off the table,” I told her and meant it.

“Ohhh, I like the sound of that. Now about that phone sex, how long do you think it will take you to make me come with your dirty talk?”

“Is that a challenge?” I had asked, my cock hardening in anticipation. “Because I am more than up for it.”

It had taken ten minutes before she moaned long and low from across the line.

My hand had been beating at my meat and the sound of her gratification sent me over the cliff.

I felt the feeling engulf me and knew I was about to blow when…

“Mr. Murphy?”

I was suddenly thrust out of the memory when I realized that my name was being called.

The professor along with the rest of the class was watching me. Some of the other students were even snickering and I wondered how long I had been out of it.

“Are you with us?” the professor said.

“Yes, Sir. Sorry about that.”

I was sure my cheeks were as red as they felt. It didn’t help my embarrassment that my cock was a steel pipe in my pants just then.

“I would to remind you to pay attention in this class, Mr. Murphy.”

He repeated his question to me and luckily, I knew the answer.

The rest of the class went on without incident and I wasn’t caught daydreaming again.

An hour later, everyone else filed out of the room and I immediately picked up my phone and called Hailey.

There was no answer.

I got the same result the next three times that I tried.

Worry began to settle in my gut. I knew how important passing was to Hailey. She wouldn’t miss class unless something was wrong.

I was about to dial Hailey’s number again when the phone rang in my hand.

The number is not recognized by the device and it is not familiar to me.

“Hello?” I answered.

“Good afternoon Mr. Murphy. I am calling from the campus daycare. I’m so sorry but Noah is sick. Can you come pick him up? We have tried to contact Hailey several times but haven’t been able to reach her, is everything ok?”

“Excuse me?” I was confused and told the other person on the line, “I think you have the wrong number.”

“This is Wyatt Murphy, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“Ms. Clarke has you as the emergency contact on Noah’s form.”

“Hailey?”

“Yes,” the woman on the line answered as if talking to a slow child. She gave me directions without asking anything else.

After she hung up I just looked at the phone, my confusion turning to suspicion.

I headed to the campus daycare, a feeling of foreboding making my stomach cramp.