Page 120 of Broken Dream

“We… Jason and I… We’ve sort of been…spending time together,” I say, avoiding her eyes. “Outside of class.”

Aunt Melanie doesn’t immediately respond, but when I glance up at her, her expression is unreadable.

“I see,” she says after a moment. “And how is this affecting you?”

“Well…” I hesitate, unsure of how to put my confusion, my longing, my fear into words. “It’s…complicated.”

Aunt Melanie raises an eyebrow but waits for me to continue.

“The thing is… He kissed me after the first day of anatomy lab and?—”

“Wait, wait, wait,” she says. “He kissed you? That’s completely inappropriate.”

“I know that. He knows it too. But he… He’s been through a lot, and?—”

She leans in, lowering her voice. “Please tell me this hasn’t gone any further than a kiss, Angie.”

My cheeks are on fire.

Can I lie to Aunt Mel? God, no. She’ll see right through me. She’s like a human lie detector.

“Well…” I start hesitantly, “We… It wasn’t just a kiss.”

Aunt Melanie’s eyes widen. “Angie…”

“I know, Aunt Mel,” I say quickly, wishing to God I could take it back. “I know it was wrong. I’m not trying to justify what happened. But it was…” I close my eyes. “It was amazing. For both of us.”

She is quiet for a while, taking in my confession. The bustling coffee shop seems to melt away, and all I can see is her concerned gaze, her furrowed brows.

“I can see why you’re so troubled.”

“It’s more than that.”

She sighs. “All right. I’m here for you.”

“This other student in the lab saw us. Then he came on to me, and when I made him stop, he said he saw the kiss in the lab?—”

“Dr. Lansing kissed you in the lab?”

“Well…yeah.”

She tents her fingers in front of her face. “Dear Lord…”

“Anyway, Ralph—that’s the other student—threatened to go to the dean and have Jason fired.”

“But he hasn’t done that?”

“No. Not yet, anyway. I think he wants me to dig up information on Jason. Since we’re…you know…intimately acquainted. And I… I don’t know what to do,” I say, my voice cracking. “I could try to pay him off, but I don’t want to give that snake a penny.”

“That’s a difficult predicament,” Aunt Mel says. “But paying him off isn’t the answer. That would only be a temporary solution, and it’s morally wrong.”

“I know.” I sigh, rubbing my forehead. “Just… I don’t want to see Jason get into trouble because of me.”

Aunt Mel reaches over the table and gently pats my hand. “Angela,” she says softly, “I’m sure you care a lot about Dr. Lansing, but you must remember that he is an adult. He understood the consequences when he crossed that line with you. It’s not just about your actions. It was his choice too.”

Her words hit me like a punch in the gut. She’s right, of course. I’ve been so wrapped up in my own fear and guilt that I hadn’t considered that part.

“Yes,” I murmur, swallowing hard against a sudden lump in my throat. “You’re right. I’m also an adult, even if we are thirteen years apart. My mom and dad are thirteen years apart.”