Page 42 of Broken Dream (Steel Legends #3)

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Angie

So Aunt Mel knows Jason.

I really wanted to confide in her about what I’m feeling for him and then also talk to her about Ralph and his threats.

But now that she knows Jason?

God, what to do?

She checks her watch. “I have an hour before I need to leave for the airport. What did you need to talk to me about, Angie?”

I draw a breath. “It’s kind of difficult to talk about.”

We head toward the elevators. I hold my breath but then let it out slowly when I see that Jason has already descended.

Thank God.

As much as I love being in his presence, right now is not the best time.

“We can grab a snack,” Aunt Mel says.

I pat my stomach. “I’m still full from breakfast. But maybe a cup of coffee. There’s a shop on the first floor of the hospital.”

She laughs. “Oh, I know that. I spent a lot of time at this hospital in my day. I was on the board for a long time, and I still come in for special consultations, like I did today.”

“So what’s going on?” I ask. “What did you need to talk to Dr. Lansing about?”

She blinks. “Like I told you, just some board business.”

“I didn’t realize Ja— Dr. Lansing was on the board.”

“No, he’s not.” She looks at me, but her eyes are not meeting mine. “He’s just doing some consulting, like I am.”

Aunt Mel is stuck between a rock and a hard place. She told me earlier that she was seeing a patient about an experimental procedure, making sure his past trauma wouldn’t interfere with his recovery. Thanks to my internet snooping, I now know the details of said trauma.

She knows that she told me that information, and now she knows that I’m acquainted with the man who walked out of the office with her. It doesn’t take a genius to figure it out.

But she doesn’t want to violate doctor-patient confidentiality any more than she already indirectly has, so I’ll do her a favor and lie through my teeth.

“I guess that makes sense. He’s a professor at the medical school associated with the hospital, and he’s a former surgeon who probably worked here.”

We descend to the first floor, and when the doors open, we head straight toward the coffee shop.

“What would you like?” Aunt Mel asks. “My treat.”

“Black coff— No. You know what? I’ll have a skinny mocha.”

She cocks an eyebrow. “Skinny? You could use a little more meat on your bones.”

“Okay. A regular mocha, then.” I’m never one to worry about my weight. All of us Steels seem to have the metabolisms of teenage boys.

Aunt Mel orders my mocha and a latte for herself, and we take a seat at one of the tables.

“So,” she begins, “what can I do for you?”

I have to come up with something. I can hardly talk to her about Jason now that I’ve connected the dots.

Then again, this is Aunt Melanie. I talk to her about everything. I talked to her more than I talked to my own mother growing up. She and I have always been close, and she’s the reason I want to go into psychiatry.

“This is between you and me,” I say.

“Of course.” She grabs my hand across the table, squeezes it. “Everything you say to me is always just between the two of us. You know that, Angie.” She tilts her head. “Something really is wrong, isn’t it?”

“Not wrong so much as…”

“You can tell me. I noticed you seemed a little off at dinner last night and breakfast this morning. What are you struggling with?”

I open my mouth to speak when the barista brings our drinks over.

Aunt Melanie smiles. “Thank you.”

Once the barista leaves, Aunt Melanie meets my gaze. Her own seems troubled.

I take the lid off my mocha and swirl it, letting the steam escape.

“So this is really confidential between the two of us,” I say again. “You can’t tell anyone. And I mean anyone .”

“Of course not, Angie.” She furrows her brow with concern. “What is this about?”

I take a sip of my mocha.

Burn my tongue.

“A couple of things.” I swallow. “This wasn’t going to be easy to talk about anyway, and now it’s even harder.”

“Why is that?”

“Because it involves… It involves Dr. Lansing.”

Aunt Melanie’s eyebrows nearly pop off her head. “What about Dr. Lansing?”

“Well, like I said, he’s my anatomy lab professor.”

“Yes. I know you’re having trouble with lab. With cutting into your cadaver.”

“Yeah, but that’s not the problem. I…” God, my cheeks are burning.

“You can tell me,” Aunt Melanie prods. “You don’t have to, but if you think it will help to talk to me about it, please, tell me. This is a judgment-free zone.”

I purse my lips. “Are you saying you’re acting as my therapist?”

She chuckles lightly. “No, I’m acting as your aunt. Your aunt who cares very deeply about you and does not like to see you troubled.”

“Can you say you’re acting as my therapist? That way I know you’ll be bound to keep this between us.”

She laughs uneasily. “I’d do that for you anyway, Angie. You know how things are between us.”

I look down at my mocha again, swirling the dark liquid in its paper cup. Aunt Melanie waits patiently, sipping her latte. She’s good at hiding it, but I can tell she’s worried.

“Okay,” I say, taking a deep breath. “It’s about Dr. Lansing… Jason.”

“Jason?” Aunt Melanie repeats, surprise coloring her tone.

“He told us to call him Jason,” I say. “In class, I mean.”

“I see.” She takes another sip of her latte.

One thing about Aunt Melanie—you can never tell exactly what she’s thinking. I suppose she’s had to learn to hear just about anything from her patients and not react.

“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.”

Aunt Mel gives me a reassuring smile. “Age difference does not define the success or outcome of a relationship. However, the circumstances differ with your parents and you. Jason is in a position of authority.”

Her words resonate with clarity. I look down at my cup, the mostly untouched mocha now cold and unappealing.

“Angie,” Aunt Mel says, “this is a complicated issue. It’s important to understand that this isn’t just about romance or feelings. This is about ethics and professionalism too.”

I nod, biting my lip. My heart sinks as I realize that we have indeed crossed lines not meant to be crossed.

Of course, I always knew that. But every time that thought popped up, I relegated it to the back of my brain. Now that I’ve told someone else about it, the reality of the situation has come crashing down.

“Maybe you should talk to Jason, discuss these things openly,” Aunt Mel says.

“But what about Ralph?” I ask, blinking back tears. “He could ruin everything.”

“Ralph is attempting to blackmail you. That’s illegal. He’s the one who should be fearing consequences.” Aunt Mel leans back in her chair, folding her arms. “We’ll figure out a plan to deal with him.”

I manage a weak smile at her words. Aunt Mel always knows how to handle tricky situations with grace and tact.

“But before anything else,” she continues, “you need to have an honest conversation with Jason. Understand his perspective and make sure he understands yours. This isn’t just your problem. It’s his too.”

Tears prick my eyes as I nod. Despite everything, the weight of it all seems a little less daunting now that she knows.

“But promise me something, Angie,” she adds, her gaze sharp and serious.

“Anything,” I whisper, meeting her steady eyes.

“Promise me you won’t lose yourself in this mess. Hold on to your values, your dreams, and your future. Don’t let anyone—not Jason, not Ralph—dictate who you are or what you will become.”

I blink at her. “I promise. I won’t lose myself.”

I only hope I can keep that promise, because all I want to do is lose myself in Jason, in what I feel when I’m with him, in the passion and desire between us.

Aunt Mel smiles. “Good girl,” she murmurs.

We sit quietly together for a few moments, the hum of the coffee shop around us becoming muted background noise.

Finally, Aunt Mel breaks the silence. “And Angie,” she says calmly, “you must also remember that you’re not alone in this. You have a family that cares about you, a family that will help you navigate these waters.”

I nod. “Okay, Aunt Mel,” I say, wiping away the stray tear that has managed to escape from my eye. “But please don’t tell them about this. At least not right away.”

She nods. “I’ll keep this between you and me as long as your safety isn’t compromised.

Lord knows your father and your brothers—not to mention your uncles and cousins—would speed down I-70 and kill Dr. Lansing with their bare hands if they found out about this.

” She gives me another comforting smile.

“But don’t forget. Sometimes the hardest decisions are the ones that need to be made.

It may not seem like it now, but this will pass, and you’ll come out stronger on the other side. ”

“Thank you, Aunt Mel,” I reply, finally managing to give her a genuine smile.

She raises her coffee cup toward me. “To strength, courage, and tough choices.”

I raise my own cup in response.

Strength.

Courage.

Tough choices.

I have to give Jason up.

And I just don’t want to.