Chapter 26: Only You Can Save Me

~“Without you, I’d crumble. I’m safe when I’m in your arms. Only you can free me, only you can save me.” —Darin.~

Chapter Theme Song: “Only You Can Save Me” by Darin.

HARMONY

I follow him into the faculty lounge, hoping to find it bustling with teachers. But it’s empty. The room is a typical teachers’ lounge, cluttered with stacks of books and papers scattered across the desks.

“Where is everyone?” I ask, scanning the room. He doesn’t answer right away, instead heading towards the back of the room. The only sounds are the hum of the ceiling fan and his footsteps.

“They’re at a meeting. A meeting I should be at, but your sharp tongue landed us here, Ms. Skye,” he finally says, opening a door to what appears to be his office.

The door creaks as it swings open, and he steps aside to let me in. “After you.”

I hesitate, causing him to glance at his watch impatiently. “I have a class soon, Harmony.”

I’m uneasy around him, but I tell myself he wouldn’t try anything with the possibility of other teachers returning at any moment.

His office is small and drab, filled with a few pieces of worn furniture—a wooden desk with a chair tucked under it, a discolored ceiling fan, and a few pieces of art on the cream-colored walls.

Normally, I’d be drawn to the art, but not today. I’m too uncomfortable to pay them any attention.

A picture of a woman and a little girl sits on his desk—presumably his family. I notice the silver ring on his left hand.

I step into the room but stay near the doorway, rubbing my arm nervously.

He follows me in, standing so close I can feel his round belly against my back. I quickly step aside as he shuts the door.

I stand awkwardly as he takes off his gray jacket, the room filled with a heavy silence.

The uneasy feeling I get whenever I talk to him intensifies, and I wish he’d just say what he needs to so I can leave.

“Um, Mr. Jones—”

“Your work from last week,” he interrupts, clearing a spot on his cluttered desk to sit. “You didn’t do well, Harmony.”

He picks up the picture frame of his wife and child and turns it face down. ~What’s that about?~

I tear my gaze away from the picture and look back at him as he leans back in his chair, hands in his pockets.

How can he say I did poorly? Is he talking about the French Revolution assignment?

I’m sure I did well on that. I even shared my notes with Blaze and helped him with his work. He must be mistaken.

“Are you sure?” I ask, raising an eyebrow. “I know my abilities, and I don’t think I did poorly. Do you have the paper? Can I see it?”

I’m always ready to fight for my grades, especially if I think I’ve been graded unfairly.

“No, I didn’t bring it with me. But you got a C, and I’m disappointed.”

He stands and walks to the door, turning the lock. I frown, feeling a sense of unease.

Anxiety can make you jump to conclusions, but he wouldn’t try anything in a faculty lounge, would he?

“Um, I-I don’t think I was graded fairly,” I stammer, my voice less confident than I’d like. ~Why did he lock the door?~

He smiles as he walks towards me. “Well, you were. I told you hanging out with Blaze Xander would affect your studies.”

“Blaze has nothing to do with my grades,” I say firmly. “I’m not easily distracted.”

I won’t let him blame Blaze for something that’s not his fault. I won’t let anyone badmouth him.

And I don’t believe a word he’s saying. I know I did well on that assignment. My history teacher in high school gave us a similar assignment and I got an A+.

“I want to see the paper,” I tell him.

He steps closer and I instinctively step back.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” he whispers. “I know how you can improve your grade, Harmony.”

I squint at him. “What?”

“A lot of girls do it.” He shrugs, his voice barely above a whisper. “When girls are failing a class in college, they often...sleep with their professor.”

My jaw drops. ~What?~

“Excuse me? I need to go—”

I try to leave, but he grabs my arm and pulls me back, his face inches from mine. I try to pull away, my eyebrows furrowing in disbelief. ~How dare he touch me like I’m his wife!~

“What are you doing, Mr. Jones?”

“Don’t you want that ~A~, Harmony? Don’t act so high and mighty. It’s not a big deal to accept the offer and I’ll make sure you get an A on all your assignments.”

“Let me go!” I demand.

“Come on, the deal isn’t that bad. If you don’t take the offer...” He shrugs, a look of indifference on his face.

“I might just give you a D for the whole semester. Then you’d have to retake this class next year, and maybe then you’ll take my offer. Or of course, I’ll fail you again.

“And English is your major, right? You don’t want to fail your major.”

Tears well up in my eyes. ~How can he be so disgusting?~

He lifts his hand to brush my cheek, but I jerk away.

“Don’t.”

“Harmony, please. That’s all I’m asking.”

I’m so repulsed, it’s almost too much to bear.

I shoot him a glare, hot tears streaming down my face. “Aren’t you married?”

His jaw tightens at my words, and I know I’ve hit a nerve.

“And you have a child.” I watch his face tense at the mention of his family. “You have a daughter. A ~daughter~. How would you feel if someone did this to her?”

He glares back at me, silent.

“How would you feel if someone tried to seduce her? How would you feel if she had to deal with a man like you? How can you be so disgusting?

“Do you have any shame at all? You’re revolting! You make me sick!”

~Slap!~

His hand smacks my cheek, the force of it snapping my head to the side. I clutch my stinging cheek in shock, my body trembling.

“Did...did you just hit me?”

He sighs. “I’m still your professor. Show some respect!”

He shoves me against his desk, and I cry out as the items on it crash to the floor.

I try to sneak my hand into my pocket to grab my phone, but he grabs my wrist, forcing me to drop it.

“Don’t. Call. Anyone.”

“Let go, you’re hurting me!”

“Shut up, Harmony!” he yells in my face, his spit landing on my skin. I cringe as he presses himself against me.

“Did you cry when that punk Blaze touched you? Because I know you let him. What can he offer you? Nothing but good looks and heartbreak.

“Me? I can guarantee you’ll pass this class with flying colors. I can make you a star. Your future is in my hands!”

Suddenly, the door swings open, and I look up, my eyes filled with tears, to see who it is. I gasp when I see a pair of familiar blue eyes.

~Blaze. He found me.~

It feels like time has stopped. His presence is like a beacon of hope in the darkness. ~How did he find me?~

My face crumples at the sight of him, tears streaming down my cheeks. “Blaze.” His name is a whisper, my heart so full of relief it feels like it might burst.

His eyes are dark as he takes in the scene, his eyebrows furrowed. Then he smirks—a chilling smirk.

I remember that same sinister smile from when Mr. Jones provoked him in English class. I remember what he said that day.

~If he ever tries anything with you, I’ll slit his throat.~

“Well, well, well. Mr. Jones, caught in the act of harassing a student.”

Mr. Jones grits his teeth, and the fear in his eyes tells me he knows he’s in trouble.

“H-how did you get in here?”

Blaze holds up a hairpin. “Well, my ~delinquent~ self knows how to pick a lock. I used to do it a lot when I was trespassing.”

Mr. Jones backs away from me, nearly tripping over his own feet. “Get out now!”

“Oh, I will, after I have a little fun...” Blaze’s smile vanishes, replaced by a terrifyingly cold look that sends a chill down my spine.

“I don’t think you understand how much this upsets me, Mr. Jones,” he says, pulling a knife from his pocket and twirling it on his fingertip.

“Who the fuck gave you permission to touch her?”