Page 60 of Love on the Ice

He hums but doesn’t say anything else immediately. Then he touches his lips to my forehead and lets out a heavy sigh.

“I know we need to go down to the courthouse this morning. You want to tell me what was and wasn’t in that police report?”

I don’t want to talk about any of it. But he’s right. He needs to know. So, with a heavy sigh, I stare at his muscular chest as I tell him everything. His arms squeeze at the part about him watching me, then again when he cornered me in the laundry room, but then they relax when I make it very clear that he didn’t hurt me in any way.

“I am very serious, Lorelai. That man is dangerous. I don’t want you alone anywhere. This piece of paper that we file for will not keep him away if he wants to hurt you.”

Tilting my head, I look up at his face from my place on his chest. “I know, Reid. I was living in denial, but I’m not anymore. Not about anything.”

I mean it, too. I am accepting the way he feels about me, the way I feel about him, and I’m accepting the fact that Professor MacDonald is not only scary but dangerous, too. The papers have to be filed, the restraining order needs to go through, and I will also be filing a report with the school.

I don’t know if anyone else will come forward, but I hope Jill will. Even if she doesn’t, I need to do it for the future girls who just want to make a life for themselves. They don’t need to be caught alone in the classroom with that asshole.

Chapter

Twenty-Five

LORELAI

With all my paperwork in hand, I stand in front of Reid, tipping my head back to look up into his eyes. He smiles down at me. He’s helped me navigate everything. I’ve done the courthouse thing, which included receiving an ex parte temporary restraining order until the hearing so the judge can rule on the case.

Without delay, Reid drove me straight to the college campus, where I went before the dean and told him what happened to me and showed him the police report, along with the temporary restraining order.

He was stony-faced, and I have no idea if he even believed me. He took copies of everything and said he would meet with the board to discuss this further. I’m not sure if that means anything much at all, but I tried.

And if they don’t do anything, I probably can’t go back there and finish my certificate, so I need to think about something else.

Reid's fingers slip beneath my chin as he gently guides my face upward so I can look directly into his eyes.

“Believe me when I tell you that you did the right thing, and you have nothing to worry about, baby.”

“Nothing except the fact that I’ll probably never finish this certificate,” I mutter.

He shakes his head. “I got you, Lorelai. As your man, it is my duty to help you figure this shit out.”

My heart slams against my chest just thinking about the fact that he does, indeed, have me. I want that. I’ve never been cared for or taken care of, and I want it. All of it. There is no denying that I crave stability in my life. It’s why I love numbers as much as I do.

I think Reid could be that stability for me, numbers in human form.

He touches his mouth to mine in a brief, chaste kiss, then takes a step backward. He holds out his hand, palm up for me. When I slip my fingers in his, he curls them around mine, and hand in hand, we walk toward his SUV before climbing inside and buckling in.

I feel lighter than I have in years, but there is still that niggling feeling in the back of my head that I need to have a plan. I need to have a way to start my career. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to go back to work at the hotel. Just thinking about stepping into that building makes me feel nauseous.

“Are you hungry for anything?” Reid asks.

My lips twitch into a smirk, and my thoughts fade away as I start to think about food. I haven’t eaten much since everything happened, and my stomach growls, giving away my desire for food. Thinking about it has made it suddenly become very important.

“You’re hungry,” he says with a laugh.

“I am. Breakfast?”

Sinking my teeth into my bottom lip, I glance at his profile and watch as his mouth curves up into a smile. He jerks his chin and shifts the car over into the left turn lane. He turns his head and looks at me, his eyes sparkling.

“I know exactly where we’re going. Hopefully, you like it well enough to eat it all.”

Laughing, I reach over and wrap my fingers around his forearm. “I’m suddenly starving, and I don’t think I would care if it even tasted good or not at this point.”

“Luckily, the place I’m taking you, the food tastes phenomenal. And later, I can have something sweet.”