Chapter 22 - Judge, Jury, and Executioner

Max finally agreed to take Emma back to school three days later. He would have tried to delay her return even longer, but she wasn’t having any of it. She had woken up that morning with a very determined look and after she applied makeup on her face that barely left a trace of the bruise on her cheek, he really didn’t have another argument to throw at her. His little firecracker wasn’t one to give up easily.

The last few days with her had been a dream. Despite everything, they had really managed to connect and become very close. They had spoken a lot about the fight they had coming back from New York, even argued about it several times. But in the end, they both understood each other better and it just made them that much closer.

The bond he had with her was so strong that it made it very difficult to leave her bed every night and sleep on the futon in the other room. He kept reminding himself that she needed space, and as much as he craved it, sleeping in the same bed with her was the last thing she needed. He knew all too well what could happen when they shared the same bed. Besides, she was still injured and needed time to heal.

So when he walked into school with her firmly by his side, he thought nothing could bring him down from his high. Emma was wearing sunglasses to cover her cheekbone and her silky hair was down, covering her shoulders. She had on a white long-sleeved cotton shirt with buttons running down the middle and his favorite pair of snug fitting jeans. She looked amazing as always.

To the average person, you would never be able to tell she had just spent the last few days cooped up in bed or that she had dozens of bruises underneath her clothing. The only thing that would even remotely tip anyone off were that her movements were still very controlled and he was also carrying her bag for her, but that of course could also be written off as him being the gentleman that he was.

When they turned the corner of the school entrance, the last thing he expected was to run smack into Roy. His high immediately crumbled to the floor. It was almost unfathomable how one person was capable of causing such an instant, dramatic change in him. After momentarily coming to a grinding halt, he grabbed Emma by the waist and positioned her beside him.

Roy looked like shit. He seriously looked really bad, like a dispirited shell of his person. The tosser had obviously not slept in days or was on a binge of some sort. Max had thought about confronting him so many times during that week, especially that first day when Emma had been asleep. Over and over he had fantasized about showing up at his doorstep and beating the shit out of him so he could feel some pain.

He had wanted to simply kill him and had found himself plotting his murder countless times. A sniper shot...double tap to the back of his head, choking him with a pillow in his sleep, slipping some rat poison in his whiskey...

But that was the easy way out. This outcome was far better, seeing him hurt like this, the guilt clearly eating at him. Max found something redeemable in that. It was the least of what he deserved.

“If it isn’t the happy couple,” Roy quipped. “Aww, he’s carrying your bag, too? How sweet,” he said turning to Emma.

“Screw you, Roy. He’s twice the man you’ll ever be,” she responded angrily.

“Is that so?” he stopped to look at Max up and down, and then folded his muscled arms in his usual form of display. It seemed fake though, he was obviously putting on a facade and reverting to his stupid tactics. “Doesn’t seem like it from where I’m standing. Seriously Emma, this is a new low even for you.”

Max could already tell Emma was about to throw something back at him in defense, so he spoke quickly before she could. “C’mon, Em. He’s a fucking coward. He’s not worth it,” he said staring into his despicable face.

He pulled her away from him, not wanting to give him any further satisfaction. He didn’t deserve any more of their time. And if he stayed there any longer, he would surely punch him in the face even in the broad daylight of school.

He felt a slight tug, and realized Emma had stopped walking. He turned to see that Roy had his filthy paws around her wrist. “When are you going to drop the act, Emma? So you got to play house with rich boy for a few days. I’m sure you’ve satisfied your rebellious itch by now.”

“Get your fucking hands off of her!” Max yelled at him. He pushed at him using a technique Leo had showed him and he was surprised to see him stumble back a few feet and release Emma. He positioned her behind him, completely out of his reach. He wasn’t going to make that mistake again. “In case you haven’t noticed, she’s no longer yours and she’s not coming back either. So stay the fuck away.”

Emma chose that moment to step up from behind him and interlaced her fingers with his. “To answer your question, the answer is no, I haven’t satisfied my itch yet and never will. You see, I meant what I said earlier about Max being twice the man you’ll ever be...in the most literal sense possible. Your dick is already tiny, but compared to him, it’s miniscule. Max is a big boy and he keeps me going all day. You might want to look into that for your own sake. Goodbye, Roy.”

Max couldn’t tell whose eyes had gotten wider. If his or Roy’s. He didn’t have much time to analyze his reaction further because Emma was pulling him away towards the school building. They soon entered the lobby where the receptionist took attendance, and he burst out laughing.

“Oh my god, Emma. I can’t believe you said that. Are you okay?”

She smirked and took her sunglasses off. Her eyes were mischievous and full of life. “I am now,” she said.

“Why would you say that? Are you trying to get me killed?” he chuckled.

She shrugged. “Well it’s true. Why do you think he tries to overcompensate all the time?”

He covered his face with his hand, rubbing his jaw while he studied her. Well, that would actually make a lot of sense. “What about me? It’s not like you’ve actually seen it,” he pointed out. “You made it seem like…”

“Oh please. I don’t need to. I’ve felt it and that’s enough confirmation. Have you forgotten already?” she asked seductively.

“No baby. Believe me, I haven’t. I’m glad you approve though. Maybe we can make it a visual confirmation later? Just so you know what you’re really dealing with,” he winked. He could already feel his pants getting tight at that thought.

“It seems only fair. I mean, how come you get to see me naked but I don’t?” she tossed back at him innocently.

“God, you little minx. I’ll get naked for you anytime you want baby,” he whispered.

He couldn’t believe the turn of their conversation, but at the same time was hopelessly ecstatic. Not only was he bigger than Roy fucking Samson, but Emma had rubbed it in Roy’s face, and apparently now wanted a taste of the goods. He would give it to her alright and he would make damn sure she loved every moment of it.

He then had to remind himself she was injured for the millionth time and was currently off limits. There was no way he would hurt her like that. He would wait until she was ready.

“Mr. Durant and Miss Blake. I see you’ve managed to put your differences behind. Should I expect to see you both in class today?”

Max turned around to see Professor Davis inspecting them closely. Emma’s cheeks were flushed and he had his hands around her waist, and was still carrying her bag on top of it. It sure was a far cry from the last time he had seen them together. Funny how that only was two weeks ago.

“Yes, sir. We were just making our way up,” Max responded.

“Good. That’s what I like to hear. Don’t be late or I won’t let you in. Ask your brother, he knows first-hand,” he smirked. He then shook his head as if remembering something amusing and made his way up the stairs.

Max looked over at Emma. “We’ll finish this conversation later,” he said pulling on her hand to get to class, her giggle ringing delightfully in his ear.

Later that day, he was in the middle of his study hour session with his group, when the receptionist who had taken his attendance earlier called him in. She was probably going to give him shit about missing class the last few days. He had let them know that Emma had been sick, but he really didn’t have an excuse for skipping except wanting to take care of her and spend as much time with her as possible.

“This way, Mr. Durant,” the receptionist told him.

It came as a big surprise when they actually didn’t stop at her office, but made their way to the Dean’s office instead. Holy shit. How much trouble was he in? He had only ever missed a few classes here and there the first semester, so he still had to within the 90 percent attendance limit. Right?

The receptionist knocked on a large wooden door and motioned for him to step inside. He immediately took in an immense room, detailed with mahogany furnishings and lavish decorations. Paintings of Goya and Picasso filled the walls, together with cartography from the pre Columbus era.

The Dean sat stoically behind his desk in a tailor made suit, commanding the room with his intimidating presence. At his side was the director of their program, Professor Davis, and one other professor Max recognized but didn’t know by name.

His jaw opened when he saw Emma quietly sitting in a chair on the other side of the imposing desk, her head down resting in her hand.

Sitting on the opposite side of her was Roy.

Fucking hell.

“Mr. Durant, thank you for joining us. Please have a seat,” the Dean motioned towards the empty chair next to Emma.

He went to sit down and tried to make eye contact with her, but she was looking straight ahead. He couldn’t imagine what must be going through her mind. He couldn’t even make out a coherent thought at the moment.

“Now that all parties involved are in attendance, we can begin,” the Dean continued. “We are unfortunately gathered here today due to an event that took place on Monday morning, which I am sure all three of you are very aware of. Let it be noted that all proceedings and disciplinary action taking place here today are within the jurisdiction of the school and the school only. Any and all additional filings must be taken separately with the Spanish law.”

Max’s palms instantly started sweating, the gravity of the situation beginning to amplify by the minute. He immediately regretted not coming forth with this sooner, if at all, but he had been so wrapped up in Emma and her well-being that nothing else seemed important at the time.

Putting on his glasses, the Dean started reading off of a thick file on his desk. “Professor Bernabe here present reported a disturbance coming from the household of Mr. Samson and of Miss Blake, which occurred the morning in question. For those who aren’t aware, Professor Bernabe is their next door neighbor at the school residence. We take all reports of incidents very seriously, and as such have conducted a thorough investigation over the past few days.”

He stopped for a moment, mainly to look at Roy with heavy disapproval on his face. “Mr. Samson. Of the morning in question, we have surveillance video from the residence of you verbally and physically assaulting Ms. Blake in the hallway, followed by pushing her down a stairwell,” he stated matter of fact. “Do you wish to deny these accusations?”

Roy seemed to shrink in his seat and the room filled with pin drop silence. He eventually cleared his throat. “No,” he said hoarsely.

“We also have a report from Professor Davis here indicating that you appeared to be inebriated during class that same morning. He also believes there have been other occasions where you have shown up to class in a similar state. These allegations have also been corroborated by some of your classmates. Do you wish to deny these accusations?”

“No,” he quickly repeated.

“Lastly, we have an eye witness account from a student who wishes to remain anonymous, in which they saw you physically assault Mr. Durant during an end of year event sponsored by our school in December. Do you wish to deny these accusations?”

Max heard Roy scoff and then he shook his head. “No.”

“Very well. Let it be noted that Mr. Samson has acknowledged to all three accusations,” he stated filing away some papers.

His gaze shifted to a new stack of papers and turned to address Emma. His stance seemed to soften and he looked at her sympathetically. “Miss Blake, the office of registry shows that you have since changed your home address and are no longer residing at the school property with Mr. Samson. It also appears that you have terminated your relationship with Mr. Samson. Is this correct?”

“Y-yes,” Emma answered.

“Can we assume that your new housing situation has been adequately taken care of and you are living in a safe environment?”

Max could see the Dean’s head slightly tilt towards him when he asked that question. They obviously knew she was living with him, as they now shared the same home address.

“Yes,” Emma repeated more confidently this time.

“Miss Blake, we also wanted to make you aware that we have counseling services available on campus. We would highly encourage you to take advantage of those services. Ms. Rodriguez here can provide you with the necessary information.”

“Yes, thank you.”

“Very well. Does anyone else wish to make any further statements at this time?” the Dean asked, lifting up his glasses and looking around at each individual.

The same silence from earlier permeated the room. The Dean exhaled and addressed Roy again.

“Mr. Samson. As you know, every student in this school has a duty to be an ambassador of our values beyond the campus walls and adhere to a set of principles in all facets of student life. In light of these accusations and your testimony contrary to these principles, it is my duty to expel you from Madrid Business School, effective immediately. As such, your student visa as a foreigner is also being revoked and you are to return to your country of origin within 14 days. You can contact the registrar's office for any necessary paperwork and in the event that you transfer credits to another institution. At this time, we would also recommend that you seek counseling for your flagrant issues with abuse and alcohol. We wish you better acumen in your future endeavors and hope you learn something from this occurrence.”

“That will be all for today. You are now dismissed,” he said with a certain finality in his voice.

Max stood up, waiting for Emma as the crowd in the room dispersed. She remained firmly seated in place as if in shock. Roy got up from his seat, calmly walking by her. “I’m sorry, Emma. I really am,” he whispered as he passed by and made his way to the door. He nodded slightly to Max on his way out as if saying he was sorry too, and then without ceremony, he was gone.

Max went to lean down next to Emma, her face pale and eyes gleaming. “Sweetheart. Let me take you home,” he said gently. Home. To their home. It was the only thing he could offer her at the moment.

She nodded and he helped her stand, grabbing her bag and tossing it over his shoulder. As they exited the room, Davis passed them by. He gave them both a smile and shook Max’s hand.

“Hang in there, Emma. You ever need to talk, just let me know.”

“Thank you, Professor. I appreciate your help,” she responded.

Max was about to lead them away when Emma stopped him. “There’s someone else I need to thank. Can we wait until he comes out?”

“Of course, whatever you need.”

Professor Bernabe walked briskly out of the room then and her eyes flew towards him. “Samuel,” she called after him.

He had barely turned when she leaned up into him and gave him a tight hug. It caught him off guard and he slowly wrapped his arms around her, an almost confused look on his face.

Max stayed behind, giving them some space. She obviously knew him pretty well by the first name basis and he seemed to mean a lot to her.

“Thank you,” she told Professor Bernabe.

“It was the least I could do, Emma,” he said shaking his head. “I didn’t know it was that bad. I had just heard yelling and a lot of commotion that day. I didn’t want to intrude but I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

She nodded at him. “I guess I didn’t realize it was that bad either. Thanks for looking out for me. I’m glad you said something when I obviously should have.”

“I’m glad I’m not the only one looking out for you,” he said motioning behind her towards Max. “I think he’s a better match for you,” he grinned.

“Yeah, I think so too,” she said shyly.

“Take care, Emma. You know where you can find me.”

“I do. Bye, Samuel.”

He quickly waved to Max before taking off, which he returned in farewell. At that moment, he had never been more grateful towards an almost complete stranger.

He went to meet Emma where she stood, and she had a relieved look on her face. “I was so wrong about him. If someone would have told me this would end up happening, I never would have believed it,” she mused. “Remind me to invite him to my wedding.”

“Getting hitched, are you?” he teased.

“Yeah, eventually. Someday,” she shrugged.

“Well I hope I’ll be there, too,” he smiled.

At the altar, right next to you, he thought.