B0161IZ63U (A) (25 page)

Jack raised his eyebrows from where he leaned against his desk, facing her.  His legs crossed at the ankle, hands still in his pockets.

Lila’s eyes ran his body.  His arms, pushing against the fabric of his white button down, his legs, so long they seemed never-ending.  “I could…”

“What?” he pressed.  “What could you do?”

Suddenly, she froze.

“You’ll be lucky if she doesn’t press charges and sue you,” he said.  “She would win, and you would lose your job.”

Lila couldn’t care less.  She’d already been arrested once, so her record was already fucked, and with each second that passed, she hated Harvard a little more.  She wasn’t even sure she could stomach finishing out the summer semester at a school that could spawn heathens like those cheerleaders, let alone fight for a promotion at said school.

“In the unlikely event that she doesn’t destroy you, the university certainly will.  The quarterback of the football team, one of the students you’re gunning for, is Andrew Sodomyer’s son.”

Lila jammed her eyes shut.

“Yes.” Jack nodded, because her reaction was appropriate. “The President of this University. The same man who must sign off on every promotion that
any
employee receives at this school. If you keep pursuing this, you can kiss that promotion goodbye.  Hell, you can kiss Harvard goodbye.”

“Then so be it.”

“You haven’t changed.”

“Likewise.”

He pressed his lips together.

She sighed, looking off. “Whatever happens, happens, but I will never be sorry for ripping that t-shirt off that miserable little cunt’s body.”

He lowered his head, gazing at her from under his deep-set, hooded eyelids, a slow smile spread on his face.

“How did you know I was on the field?” she asked.

“I came to your office to see you.  The door was open, but you weren’t inside.  I happened to catch a glimpse of you assaulting the head cheerleader outside your office window.  Hell of a view up there, by the way.  You could sell tickets.”

“One of the perks of working in the tallest building on campus.”  She was aware he was trying to distract her, and was thankful it was working.  “Why did you need to see me in my office?” 

She was almost afraid of the answer, and when the last encounter they’d had in her office popped into her mind, she jammed her eyes shut to get it out.  Thankfully, it worked, faster than it had in a long time.  She reopened her eyes and inhaled deeply.

He inhaled too, and was silent for a long while, taking the time to uncross his legs, just to re-cross them again.

Apparently, the girls at The Safe Space weren’t the only ones afraid to talk.

Finally, Jack found his courage.  “Did you call my house?”

Lila lifted her head.  The moment he asked the question, she understood why he’d gone to her office that day, out of the blue.  Apparently he’d fought the urge to seek an answer to that question for two long weeks, and had succumbed to the curiosity just that morning.  She looked off. She’d called his house two weeks earlier, promptly hanging up when Kelly answered the phone, but it felt like it had been
years
ago. She’d actually forgotten about it completely. So much had changed since then.  It blew her mind how much had changed.

Chase, the biggest change of all, was the first thing she thought of, and she smiled.

Jack smiled, too.

Lila was sure that smile wouldn’t be on his face for long if he knew the thoughts running through her mind--Chase tugging her bottom lip between his own, and then her top, tasting her hard nipples with his tongue, wetting them languidly before taking them between his lips, sucking fervently.

She sighed, trying to focus, even as her center reacted to her wandering thoughts.  To Chase.  “I woke up in the middle of the night, and saw the video of Julie had been removed.  I dialed your number without thinking.”  She was embarrassed.  She kept allowing herself to forget Jack had a fiancé now, and she couldn’t just call him at three in the morning. “I just wanted to say thank you is all.”

“I told you I would take care of it, didn’t I?”

“No. You said ‘I’ll see what I can do.’  That’s usually a brush off.”

“When have I ever brushed you off?”

“Do you have a scroll?” 

“Okay,” Jack accepted that.  “When have I ever brushed you off, since the moment I stopped pretending I could brush you off?”

Lila thought back to their days in New York, and couldn’t help a smile.  “Never, I guess.” She ran a hand through her hair.

“I’d like to help.”

Her eyes went to him.

“I’d like to meet Julie.  If she wants to move forward and pursue this, I’ll help her.  Maybe if she knows real people are on her side, she’ll be more confident to speak to the authorities.”

“You’re Deputy Counsel at this university; the very university Julie is up against.  You’ve held that position for less than a month.  You can’t afford to stand behind her.  You’re the face of Harvard’s legal department. This is the football team we’re talking about, Jack. Starting players. You just said yourself; the President is the quarterback’s father.  If you publicly stood behind Julie, it would obliterate the millions of dollars in funding this school’s been salivating over all summer.  The funding they’ve yet to lock down, by the way.”

“I know all about the funding.” Jack held up a hand. “I said I would help her.  I didn’t say I would stand behind her. You’re right.  My position wouldn’t allow it. I
can’t
stand behind her.” His eyes traveled her body.  “But I know a lot of people, outside of Harvard, who can.  Lawyers who won’t just go after the team...”

She understood finishing that sentence was another thing that, thanks to his position, he
couldn’t
do, but Lila didn’t need him to finish. She heard him loud and clear.  A lawyer on the outside looking in wouldn’t just go after the members of the football team.  They would go after the school too.

She was skeptical.  “Why would you do that?  You don’t even know Julie.”

“I know you.”

“All the more reason for you to turn your back.”

He flinched.

She wondered how she still had the power to wound him.  “I can’t afford an outside lawyer.”

“The outside help is just for show. I’ll handle it myself. I just need them there for appearances.”

“A lawyer for show costs money, too.”

“Lila, I know people.  It’ll be pro bono.”

“Pro bono.” She had to smile. “Do you even know what those two words mean? Who are you right now?”

He sighed a defeated sigh.

“Pro bono.  Put it in a sentence,” she demanded.

“Can you just shut the hell up for once? For two seconds?  Please.”

She raised an eyebrow.  As always, coming from him, the word
please
sounded much more like an order than a request.  She crossed her arms over her chest.

He watched her from under his eyes.  “We got a deal?”

She blinked slowly, knowing there was no way she could turn down his offer.

“We’ve definitely got a deal, Jack Almeida.”

--

The next morning in her office, Lila’s seven-chair circle had dwindled down to three.

“Do you remember any of the events that occurred before you entered the bedroom at the party that night?”

Julie scoffed at the question and rolled her eyes.

Jack held his hands out from where he sat on the edge of his chair, wondering what about the question he’d just asked was eye roll worthy. They were half an hour in, and the pad in his lap was still empty.

Julie cringed across their three-chair circle, held his eyes, and then made a disgusted sound.

Jack blinked slowly, looking bored to death.  “I can’t help you if you won’t help me.”

“Look at you,” Julie spat, eyes running along his body, his long limbs.  He’d come to Lila’s office a little late that morning, having gotten held up in an early meeting, and Julie hadn’t let up on the lion’s grip she’d had on his balls since.  “You look just like them.  The pieces of shit that raped me.  Some uppity, buttoned-up, pretty boy
asshole
that thinks he knows better than everybody else.  Wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve forced yourself up inside a few girls in your time.  I bet you’re just like all the others.”

Jack was unmoved.  “As much fun as this is, it’s unfortunately not
getting
us anywhere.”  He said it again.  “I can’t help you if you won’t help me.”

“I can’t help you if you won’t help me,” Julie mimicked.  “What the fuck does that even mean?  You sound like a bad self-help book.”

“Julie.”  Lila finally jumped in from where she sat in the third chair of the circle.  “Jack is on your side, and trust me, that’s where you want him.  He’s a brilliant lawyer.  One who’s taking a pretty serious risk being in this office with us, at all.”

Jack’s eyes moved to Lila, and grew softer in moments.

Lila didn’t notice. “You should listen to him,” she said to Julie.

“Like hell he’s on my side.  He doesn’t give a fuck.  He’s here because he’s trying to figure out a way up your skirt, just like every other dick swinging on this campus. Or maybe he already has.  Are you screwing this one, too, Professor James?  Good
god
do you get around!” Julie’s eyes flew to Jack.  “You know she’s had your brother too, right?”

Jack licked his lips, smirking down at the files in his lap.

Lila pressed her head into her hands.  She really wanted to help Julie.  The young girl was struggling tremendously, but she’d just cracked open a shit can that Lila herself hadn’t even figured out how to close, and it
stunk
.

Julie rolled her eyes.  “Fuck this,” she grumbled, snatching up her bag and storming out.

Lila watched her go, looking to Jack in embarrassment when the door slammed closed behind her.

“Found yourself a real ray of sunshine there,” Jack said, sitting up tall.

“She’s hurt.  Angry.  Probably traumatized.”  Lila stood from her chair, crossing her arms over her chest.  “She’ll come around.”

Jack began putting away his things.  “It’s nice to know Harvard hasn’t changed.  Still crawling with self-righteous little shit-bags who think they know everything.”

“Sounds like someone I know,” she smiled his way.

He took the blow.  “Yeah?  Likewise.”

She looked away from him, once more, fighting a smile as she crossed the room. Her heels clicked to a stop in front of the window.

He watched her move, slinging his briefcase over his shoulder. “I was actually relieved when she finally stormed out.  I knew it was coming.  It just took her longer to get there than I’d planned.”

She stared out the window.  The cheerleaders were having practice on the field again, but this time, none of them had those disgusting t-shirts on.  “She’s improving. It used to be a meltdown every minute.  Now we’re down to one a day.”

“She’s a hell of an actress.”

Lila’s eyes snapped to him.  “Excuse me?”

“Lila, I’m sorry, but I can’t help her.”

“Why the hell not?”

Jack took in her distressed face, and looked toward the door with a deep breath.  When he looked back at her, his eyes were faint with regret.  “Because she’s lying.”

“Come again?”

“She’s lying, Lila.”

“How can you say that?  Jesus, Jack.”

“Confronting, rebuking, and then deflectin
g
.  I’ve seen this movie a hundred times, Lila. I’ll give you three guesses how it ends.”

Lila was hurt, wounded.  It showed on her face.  “Jack, not you, too.”

“Look, I’m not exactly on a one-man crusade to save every victim of rape in this country, but I’m also not desensitized to the difficulty of going public with something like this. I was willing to help her when I thought she was telling the truth, but she is
not
.  And while she’s out here lying her ass off, playing her part, she’s putting both our jobs on the line.”

“Why the hell would she lie about this, Jack?”

“Why not?” He smiled.  “People lie.  Accept that truth, and watch how fast the world around you changes.  How quick the movie takes an unexpected turn. Not everyone has the energy to be inherently good, or righteous.  The real truth is in the bad. Most of the time, people are really, really bad.  Not the other way around.”

“So now Julie is no longer a victim, but a liar, who is
inherently
bad?”

He sighed, holding his arms out at his sides in surrender.  “Aren’t we all?”

Lila rolled her eyes.

“Lila.  I know when someone is lying to me.”

His words held many different meanings.  So much so that Lila visibly readjusted her stance.  “Well, I guess it doesn’t matter that you won’t help her.  I think she called it a day for us, anyway.”  Lila kept her arms crossed over her chest as he moved toward the door.  “And Jack?”

He stopped at the door, hand on the handle, and turned to her.

“I believe most people are inherently good.
 
Not the other way around.” She shook her head, taking in his pompous smile, looking like he was in on a secret she never would be.  “I’m not giving up.  But if you won’t help her, at least keep an ear out for me, would you?  Watch my back.”

Jack’s eyebrows rose.  “I wouldn’t know how else to be.”

“Thank you.”

He turned the handle of the door.

“Tell Chase I said hi,” he called, as he opened it.

Lila’s smile vanished.  She went to say something, but he’d closed the door behind him before she could.

14

He tugged her bottom lip between his teeth, wet it with his tongue, and then moved to the top lip, giving it the same slow, tender attentions.

Everything outside of that garage, that car, completely faded for Lila.  He was the only human being alive that could make the rest of the world wash away.

With a small smile, eyes fluttered shut, she whirled her tongue with his. 

He leaned over the gearshift the moment the kiss grew wet, desperate for more.  He pushed in deeper, covering her mouth with his, holding the back of her head as he took her.