Chapter 7

Kendal

The hangover I was struggling with was well deserved after losing myself in a bottle of jack the night before. Between Damon being a dick, the situation with Heather joining the university, and my sister's condition worsening, I was lost. Emotionally I wanted to crawl in a ball in the closet and hide for a week or so, but it wasn't going to happen. Over two hundred students were showing up in the next few hours to learn about the weaknesses in inventory systems, and I was the guy teaching it.

For the first time in a long time, I didn't wanna teach anything. My passion was tucked behind the dark cloud of shit life was kicking my way once again.

"Hi Dr. Tarrington. How are you?" Jake opened the door and gave me a warm smile as I moved past him. Bethany's best guy friend from college was my second TA for the semester. The poor kid had been through hell recently. The other part of their friendship trio, Bethany's roommate Krista, had fallen in love with Jake and not taken it so well when he rejected her. The boy had multiple stab wounds in his thin chest to prove it. That he was up and moving around after a couple of weeks was a miracle itself.

The memory of having to walk through his apartment right after it happened washed over me, and my knees grew weak. Something about massive amounts of blood always left me crippled.

"I'm great, Jake. How are you feeling? You look good." I reached over and gripped his shoulder lightly as we walked toward the auditorium where my first class would be held that morning.

"I'm feeling better than I have in a few weeks for sure." He opened the door and walked into the oversized room.

I reached over and turned on the lights. "That's great news. Any more trips to the doctor’s office, or are you cleared now?"

"Not just yet, but soonish." The boy walked toward the stage and slowly made his way up the stairs. I could see the struggle he was having, which he'd hidden quite well in the hallway. It still shocked the fuck out of me that love could cause someone to go ape and stab someone else, but it was on the news all the time. Having it hit so close to home was eye-opening.

"Well, let me know if you need my help." I pulled out my briefcase and emptied it before putting my glasses on.

"If you were offering help for my advance tax class, I'd totally take you up on it. That class is eating my lunch." He chuckled as I glanced up.

"You know that Bethany is a tax wizard, right? She loves all of that stuff." I wasn't trying to not help the kid, but rather put him in a situation where he felt more comfortable.

"Why are you telling my secrets?" She walked up to stand beside me, jolting me with her presence.

"I didn't even hear you come in." I smiled sheepishly. She looked good, almost too good, as if her breakup with my best friend wasn't dragging her in the dark hole it was him.

"I'm stealthy like that." She brushed her long brown hair off her shoulder and turned to face Jake. "You need me?"

"I always need you." He wagged his eyebrows as she scoffed.

"Please... Let's talk taxes, which is the only thing we might have in common." She moved up to the edge of the stage, and I hated myself for listening to their conversation, but it was my classroom, and they were both aware that I was standing there.

"I think we could have more in common now that you dropped that jackass you were dating." Jake walked slowly to the edge of the stage, the poor guy obviously didn't know that I was Damon's best friend.

"Hey, I don't want to talk about that right now." She pressed her hands to the edge of the stage and hoisted herself up to stand beside him. She turned and glanced down at me. "I don't think of him as a jackass."

I shrugged. "None of my business. I'm just glad you're still talking to me."

She laughed. "This is true."

"What are you guys talking about? What am I missing here?" Jake glanced between the two of us.

"Damon and Kendal are best friends." Bethany smirked as she poked Jake in the side.

"Oh shit. I'm so sorry, Dr. Tarrington." He lifted his hands.

"It's no matter. I'm rather pissed at him right now too. Jackass works." I smiled and busied myself with getting notes together for my lecture.

Bethany hopped off the edge of the stage and handed me a file as her expression clouded with worry.

"Why are you two fighting?"

"We're not." I took the file and glanced down at it. "We've been friends for a long time. We don't fight. One of us acts like an asshole and the other ignores it. It's his turn this week."

"So you're not speaking?" The softness in her voice left me not able to believe her 'everything is great' attitude. She was hurting... just like he was.

"Why does it matter?" I glanced back up and smiled. "He's not your problem anymore, right?"

"He's still my stepbrother. He's family."

"Right. In that case, no, we're not speaking." I closed the folder and moved around her to join Jake on the stage. The door opened to my right and Heather walked in, looking like sin in a black skirt and white button down. The woman was going to cripple me with lust if I wasn't careful. I didn't wanna be that guy anymore, but she was going to push and push until I broke. I could almost taste the depravity on my tongue.

"Dr. Tarrington. Are you all right with me sitting in today? I want to watch your lecture style." She gave me an innocent smile before introducing herself to Bethany and then Jake.

"Of course not, Heather. Make yourself comfortable." I turned and kept myself busy until class started. I was going to have to talk with Mark. Another strike on my record no doubt, but it was better than being caught half-naked with a fellow co-worker because I couldn't deny myself any longer.

I needed to find someone - anyone who could help me remain the type of man I could respect.

I could be him... I had been since college. Damon and I both had been.

"And look where it has both of you," I mumbled under my breath before turning on my mic and starting the lecture.