Page 114 of Taming Grumpy Dr. Beast

Chapter Thirty-One

Jaxon

Aweek had passed sinceI last spoke to Lily. She’d kept in minimal contact with Ms. Ketill, but she ignored all my attempts.

Lily had arranged for Ms. Ketill to have Paul drive her suitcases and Patches to Rhode Island a few days ago, and it was only right for her to keep the dog. It was because of her that we’d had him in the first place. Oddly enough though, I missed the little bugger more than I thought I would.

I’d stayed away for as long as I could, hoping that space and time would help Lily come around, and she’d give me a chance to explain. For the first time since she left me, I was heading back to the city.

Jess, Alden, and I sat in the back of my limo. Jess tapped away on her phone and smiled as she responded to fans on her social media accounts. Alden stared out the window, studiously avoiding Jess no matter how much she tried to engage him in conversation.

I spent the last three hours wishing I was alone with my misery. “You didn’t need to come with me, Jess,” I snapped at her, immediately regretting it.

She didn’t deserve my anger, but I was on edge. I rubbed at my temples.

“With that attitude problem, you should be grateful I’m here with you at all, asshole.”’

I scrubbed my hand down my face. My beard needed a trim, but I honestly didn’t care. I only showered today because Jess refused to get in the car with me otherwise. “I’m sorry.”

“Listen, I’m only here because we don’t need an incident on our hands if you deck Nivens.”

A harsh sounding laugh left my mouth. “What are you going to do? Step in between us if things get ugly?” Jess was five feet nothing.

Jess laughed so hard she had to lean on my arm. “Oh, that would be hysterical. No, that’s what Alden’s here for.”

The man in question grunted. I still hadn’t figured him and Jess out yet, and she refused to talk about him. I didn’t believe for one second he wasn’t important to her.

Alden surprisingly had been a big help this week. When he heard about Gavin’s threat to file a police report against Lily’s father, he contacted associates of his to help. Within a day, he informed me that Gavin had been handled, and Lily had nothing to worry about. Unfortunately, it had been too late to stop Gavin from calling the university.

“Besides, now that my parents have halted my trust fund, I have to rely on my social media sponsorships to pay me.” She pointed to her face. “And I’m not letting my money maker get hurt.”

Having Jess and Alden with me was probably a wise decision. At least then I’d be less likely to become violent around Nivens. Just saying that man’s name had me growling. He was the true asshole, not me. I’d gotten a call to confirm the circumstances with Lily and that her dad had been a no show.

Nivens blamed me for not reporting the situation.

During his tirade, he informed me Lily’s dad’s contract had been nullified, and she’d been kicked out of the program. The university’s lawyers were prepared to sue them for contract misrepresentation.

In that moment, during his blathering commentary, I knew what I had to do. There was no way I’d let Nivens destroy her.

“Are you sad to be giving up the book?” Jess asked, distracting me from my thoughts. She knew what it meant for me to find it.

“If I can save Lily’s degree and her dad’s employment, it’s worth it.” I glanced at the book in my hand, and the contract for Nivens beneath it. “I thought I’d be devastated to find it and have to let it go.” Lily had finished the book the day of the ball. The only thing left was to translate the volume and Nivens could figure that out himself.