Page 53 of Wish You Were Mine (Kings of Eden Falls #3)

OWEN

I clicked through the last slide of the lecture and glanced toward the back of the room, scanning the rows of students as they started to pack up.

Still no sign of Lucy.

I’d been looking for her since the second I walked into the room. I kept telling myself she was probably just running late, that maybe she’d sprint through the doors with that breathless smile and flushed cheeks. But the hour passed. No Lucy.

Had something come up?

Had she gotten hurt at practice?

Was she sick?

I finished the lecture with more autopilot than focus, my brain already drafting a text by the time I shut my laptop.

Me: Hey, I missed you in class today. Hope everything is okay.

I stared at the screen for a beat, waiting for the typing dots to pop up.

Nothing .

I had another lecture starting in ten minutes, so I slipped my phone back into my pocket and hoped she’d get back to me soon. We hadn’t been able to see each other yesterday—both of us buried in school and work. But still…this was the first time she’d ever missed class.

Halfway through the second lecture, my phone buzzed. I kept speaking, barely missing a beat as I pulled my phone out of my pocket and casually glanced down at the message.

Theo’s sister: Sorry. Had a bad fever and threw up last night. Thought it was the sushi Nora brought home. But then the sore throat kicked in and it turns out I have strep.

Ah, dang.

Strep wasn’t just a casual sick day. I’d had it a few times in the past and it always knocked me flat—fever, chills, the fire-in-your-throat kind of misery.

But at least Lucy was alive and able to text… which was more than I could say for some of the scenarios that had been running through my head during the past hour.

Ones involving dark alleys and hulking, nefarious men.

Yeah…apparently, I still wasn’t over what happened to her a month ago.

I wanted to text her back right away. Ask if she was okay. Offer something—anything. But I was still mid-lecture, standing in front of a lecture hall full of students with all eyes on me.

The second I got back to my office, though, I shut the door and fired off a response.

Me: Do you need to go see a doctor? Get an antibiotic?

Theo’s sister: Just got out of the doctor’s office. My mom took me. She’s in the pharmacy picking up my prescription right now.

Me: Thank goodness for moms who live close by and can help.

Theo’s sister: Seriously.

And I knew I shouldn’t be disappointed that she hadn’t called or texted me first…but part of me was.

Not because I thought she should have since I understood why she went to her mom.

Mrs. Archibald struck me as the nurturing type. The kind of mom who’d drop everything to take care of her kid, even if that kid was technically an adult.

Besides…it wasn’t like I could do much.

I had lectures to teach. Labs to run. And there was still the inconvenient truth that I was her professor.

Taking care of a sick student didn’t exactly fall under my job description.

Still…I couldn’t shake the ache in my chest that wished I was the one sitting beside her.

Holding her hand.

Making her chicken noodle soup.

Me: Are you going back to your dorm to rest?

Theo’s sister: My mom is taking me home with her since it’ll be easier to take care of me there.

Me: Sounds like a good plan. I hope you get feeling better soon.

Theo’s sister: Me too. Hopefully, the antibiotics will kick in fast. I don’t have time to be sick. (I may be panicking slightly about missing practice and all my classes. I really can’t miss the Nebraska meet on Saturday.)

She was probably spiraling. All week, she’d been stressing about how slim the odds were of her team making Nationals.

Sure, she and Nora had been rock solid all season, but the team had lost some really great gymnasts last year, and the team wins weren’t coming like they had the year before.

Lucy had been pushing herself to the brink trying to carry the weight of that pressure, saying that if the team didn’t make it, she at least wanted to qualify on her own for the all-around.

But with her getting sick, I wondered if she’d been pushing herself too hard.

Her body could only do so much, and she was running herself ragged.

I’d say that at least we have spring break next week and she could hopefully have some time off to relax.

But when I’d asked her if her coach might lighten their load in honor of spring break, she just laughed and said that with only one meet between spring break and the conference championships, there was no chance of that.

But hopefully this forced rest would at least let her body catch up on some sleep.

Even if I knew her mind was probably racing, trying to keep all the spinning plates from crashing down.

Me: Just get your rest. I know it’s easier said than done, but I’ll help you catch up on your chemistry assignment and tomorrow’s lab. So no need to worry about either of those things.

At least I could help her with one of the stressors in her life.

Theo’s sister: Thanks.

I was updating grades at my kitchen table on Thursday night, staring blankly at my laptop screen, when a knock sounded at the door.

I glanced at the clock. It was too late for deliveries. And being a hermit professor, I didn’t have too many friends showing up unannounced these days.

Maybe someone knocked on the wrong door?

Curious, I stood and made my way to the door. When I checked the peephole, I had to angle my gaze down. And when I saw who was there, my heart thudded.

Because it was none other than Lucy—bundled up in an oversized hoodie and knit beanie, her cheeks flushed, either from the cold or the fever that still lingered.

I opened the door fast and tugged her inside.

“What are you doing out in the cold?” I asked, wrapping her in a hug the second the door clicked shut behind her. “Aren’t you supposed to be resting?”

“Probably,” she said, melting into me, her voice still raspy. “But I was sad you couldn’t come to me. So I decided to sneak over.”

"You must really like me to brave the cold like this,” I mumbled, kissing the top of her head. “But I’m glad you did. I missed you in lab today.”

“I wanted to be there.” She groaned. “But the doctor said no public places until twenty-four hours after starting the antibiotic. Technically, that was around three, so I could’ve come an hour late…if my mom hadn’t held me hostage. ”

“You’re not really great at staying down when you’re sick, are you?” I asked, liking her determination even though I knew she needed the rest.

“I don’t have time to be sick,” she muttered. “I can be sick after I win Nationals and graduate.”

I chuckled and tugged her farther inside so we could sit on the couch. “So…did you really come here as soon as your mom dropped you off at your place?”

“Pretty much.” She nodded, scooting close to me on the couch. “She fed me homemade chicken noodle soup, made me promise to go straight to bed, then let me go.”

“And instead of resting, you came here?” I arched a brow.

Hopefully, she drove here instead of walked. It was the second week of March, so it was warming up a bit as the earth was slowly transitioning from winter into spring, but still, not something a person with strep should be doing.

“Nora wasn’t home, and I already slept most of the day.” She gave a shameless shrug. “So I thought I’d come bug you. I even have my backpack in my car in case you’d want to help me figure out the chemistry assignment I missed.” She studied my face. “That is, if you’re not too busy.”

“I could do that.” I nodded toward my laptop on my kitchen table. “I was just finishing up some grading.”

“Let me guess. My lab grade went down today?”

“Just for now,” I said, smiling at the cute way her nose scrunched up. “But once you make it up, it’ll be back where it belongs.”

“If only you were the kind of professor who made special accommodations for the girl he was sneaking around with,” she said, narrowing her eyes playfully.

“I’m just a mean professor, aren’t I?” I gave her a teasing look .

“Totally…” She grinned. “But better a mean professor than a mean boyfriend, I guess.”

The moment the words left her mouth, she froze, her smile faltering, like she hadn’t meant to say that part out loud. Like something had slipped.

Had it?

I studied her, quieting the urge to joke back as a knot slowly formed in my chest.

Better a mean professor than a mean boyfriend.

Not a joke. Not really.

Especially not when I thought about the things I’d seen—Josh’s temper at The Garden, his fight with Brody, the way he’d shouted at the refs on the ice.

Had he hurt her? Was that why they’d broken up?

“Have you had a mean boyfriend before?” I asked quietly. “Someone who…didn’t treat you well?”

Her gaze dropped as she twisted the edge of her sweatshirt between her fingers. Then, after letting out a soft sigh, she said, “Yes.”

A sharp ache settled in my chest. “Did Josh hurt you?”

I tried not to tense, not to betray the way my pulse suddenly surged. But I already knew. The hesitation in her silence said enough.

“I, uh…haven’t really told anyone,” she said, voice barely above a whisper. “Wasn’t sure what might happen if I did. But…things got physical a couple of times. The worst being right before Nationals last year, when he pushed me really hard and I got bruised ribs.”

I went still as a wave of shock rolled through me. Followed by a sharp wave of fury that locked up every muscle in my body. But I needed to keep my anger in check. Seeing me become too upset might trigger her, and the last thing she needed to worry about was my reaction .

So I took in a few deep breaths before I asked, “Are those the same bruised ribs Nora mentioned when you were talking about gymnastics injuries in the hot tub? Were they not actually from gymnastics?”

“They’re the same bruised ribs.” Her big blue eyes met mine, raw and weary. “I told the doctor, and everyone else, that I got hurt from a bad dismount on bars. But…it happened at Josh’s apartment when he was drunk. I said the wrong thing, I guess…and he slammed me into the counter.”

“I’m so sorry, Lucy,” was all I could say as a sick heaviness settled in my stomach. “I’m sure that was terrifying.” To have someone who claimed to love her treat her like that.

She nodded, and when her hand came up to wipe away tears, she gave a self-conscious smile. “Sorry. I always get more emotional when I’m sick.”

“Come here,” I murmured, drawing her gently into me.

She hesitated. “I might give you strep, though.”

“I’m not worried about that.”

She let herself lean into me, and I wrapped my arms around her. We sat like that for a while—her curled against my chest, her heartbeat soft and steady beneath my hand, the weight of her confession sinking deeper into my bones.

I never would’ve guessed she’d been through something like that.

That someone so strong, so talented—a ray of sunshine who lit up every room—could be carrying the kind of scars no one ever sees, left by the person who was supposed to love her most.

But that’s how it was sometimes. Abuse doesn’t care how bright someone burned.

“I broke up with him for good after that,” she said eventually, voice muffled against my shirt. “Finally realized we were actually too broken to fix. That I deserved better.”

“I’m glad you did,” I said. “Not everyone has the strength to walk away. Especially not with love tangled up in the pain.”

“Yeah...” She let out a soft breath. “I still wonder sometimes…if I should’ve told someone. Reported him.” Her fingers fidgeted with the hem of her sleeve. “Because…what if he hurts someone else?”

“I get that,” I said quietly. “That fear’s real.”

She nodded slowly. “But Brody said Josh stopped drinking after their fight. That he seems to be getting better. So I want to believe that. That maybe he realized what he was doing hurt me and ruined us, and maybe he’ll try harder to avoid that in his future relationships.”

“I hope so,” I said, meaning it, too.

“But…do you think I should’ve reported him?” She looked up at me, eyes wide and vulnerable.

“I don’t know,” I said honestly. “It’s hard. Especially when it’s someone you care about. It’s human to want to believe they’ll change. That it won’t happen again.”

She gave a small, solemn nod.

“But you did the most important thing,” I added. “You got out. You protected yourself. That’s not nothing.”

“Thanks,” she whispered.

After a beat, she pulled back just enough to meet my gaze. Her eyes were still watery but steady now. “And thanks for not freaking out. I haven’t told anyone before. And it was…nice. To just say it out loud. Without having to manage someone else’s reaction.”

“I’m glad you felt safe telling me.” I gave her a soft smile. “That means more than you know.”

She nodded again, then curled back into me, her body sinking into mine like she was finally letting herself be held.

As we sat there, I considered suggesting she tell her family, since I was sure it had been hard keeping it a secret from them .

But that conversation could wait for another time.

Right now, she didn’t need advice.

She just needed comfort—maybe even me .

And I wasn’t going anywhere.