I sat on the floor in front of Alexis watching the news just a few hours later. The reporters had been right the entire time; Mrs. Paxton was to blame. She poisoned her husband in her home when he stopped there after going to the club. According to all the news reporters she was a murderer and I was off the hook. I felt sorry for the judge; he had seemed like such a nice gentleman. I really didn’t even think she had anything to worry about.

But I was safe, at least for now. I still had to face the fact that Hudson working for some type of pharmaceutical mob, and that they could come after me at any moment, but I trusted Monique that my connections would keep me safe. I still didn't understand how Hudson could think that turning me over to the police would keep me safe, but, somewhere deep down, I believed that he thought it was the only way. Like maybe if he hadn’t made me so angry, and if I hadn’t left France so quickly, that they would've come after me. They would've known how much he cared about me. Alexis sat behind me on the couch, braiding my hair, and it was comforting.

“So, it's over. You’re in the clear.”

I wanted to nod, but I knew it would hurt with her fingers through my hair, so I didn't. “Yup, it's over.”

“Did you think what Monique said about Hudson is true? That he was just doing it in some weird way to protect you?”

“I guess I'll never know. I ended things last night with him at the club. I don't think I'll ever see Hudson James again. The court case is over; everything's over.”

“Maybe it's for the best. You can move on. Are you going to keep working at the club?”

I changed the channel on the TV to some reality show that was mindless. Other people's drama suddenly seemed to make me happier than my own. “Yeah, I think I might. I don't think Hudson will come back for a while. I can still work there, make really good money, and put it away for grad school.”

Alexis stopped braiding my hair. “Grad school?”

“Yeah. I'm going to become a lawyer. Everything I've ever wanted and I'm not going to let anything stop me now. As scary as it was to be in a courtroom, it was also a rush. It's what I want.”

“Good for you. At least you know what you want.”

“What about you?”

“Girl, I don't even know what I want tomorrow, let alone in four years. I do know though that I want to call Josh.”

“Oh?” I ran my fingers back and forth over our hot pink rug.

“Yeah, he’s cute. I want to give him a chance. Even if it's only for a little bit.”

I rolled my eyes. “You are such a mess.”

“Look who's talking, girlfriend. Hey, you have that economics class tomorrow right?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Well, I forgot to mention that the old geezer had a heart attack. Supposedly, he's going to be fine, but will be out for a few weeks. They hired some new guy to take his place, but I heard that he's not a professor, so he probably can't teach. I just wanted to warn you.”

Shit. Econ was already one of my worst classes. If the new guy couldn’t teach, I was screwed. “Great. I hope that I won’t have to retake it.”

“Hopefully he's easy because he doesn't know what he's doing. But, just in case, pay attention tomorrow.”

I turned around to look at her. “You act like I don't focus in class. I’d like to remind you I have amazing grades.”

“Well, you’re whooping my ass in physics, but in Econ, I've got you beat.”

“True. I guess we'll see tomorrow.”

It was nice to just talk about school. To be relaxed for the first time since the judge had been murdered. I was really free.

* * *

I arrived to class early, on the off chance Alexis was right that this new guy really had no idea what he was doing. I wanted to make a good first impression just in case I needed to go to office hours or ask for extra help. But when I got there, he was already busy working on papers with his back turned to us. He was definitely younger than I was anticipating, which concerned me even more. I watched him from behind, his crisp gray suit outlining broad shoulders. I found a seat near the middle of the rows, and I sat down. He still didn’t look up at me or the other ten students that had already arrived. I checked my emails to see if Hudson had gotten in touch with me again, but there was nothing. I had ended it, and he listened. But there was a part of me that just wanted him to reach out. For him to touch me again… the roughness of his skin on mine. The class around me grew quiet, and I opened up my notes on my laptop just as the professor was clearing his throat. And then I looked up.

I saw his face and my breath caught in my chest.

Those chiseled features. That strong jaw and dark eyes. They always drew me in like that.

“My name is Hudson James. I'll be your guest lecturer for the next three weeks while your professor is out on medical leave. I'm a business executive and a self-made millionaire.”

It seemed like he wanted to say more. But that's when our eyes met. He stopped and looked directly at me without being able to move his lips anymore.

“Calla,” he breathed, nodding at me knowingly. Apparently he wasn’t giving up that easy.

Everyone in the hall looked in my direction.

Shit. And I thought I was free.