Page 5 of Forbidden Professor

I have a crush on my half-brother’s adopted sister.

ChapterThree

Eve

A Month Later

I standon the rooftop deck of my brand new house, staring over the river that separates my place from the buildings just on the other side. I rented this house sight unseen, so I wasn’t really prepared for the view.

The University of Washington Medical School stares back at me, set apart by a mere quarter of a mile and a little bridge. I knew that my new house was close to where I’m going to school but… the realtor really undersold just how close. I feel like I could bring a rock up to the rooftop here andhitthe medical school on a good day.

Looking out at the school fills me with a burst of hope. Things are definitely going to be different here, that’s for sure. It’s late afternoon in early August, the weather hot and humid. But things are looking brighter now, especially for me.

My controlling father is three thousand miles away. I have this nice new house in a hip neighborhood, to live in and explore. And I’m finally going to start med school, albeit a semester later than all my peers.

If only my mom could see me now… I think she would be proud. A little knot of sadness forms in the pit of my stomach at the thought. Losing her changed everything. It changed me. Watching her suffer from uterine cancer before she died, and not being able to do anything about it, was torturous. After she died, I told myself I never wanted anyone to suffer that way again. I decided eventually to become an OB/GYN so I could try to save as many lives as possible. We’ll never know if catching it earlier would have saved my mother or not, but it would have at least kept her around a little longer if we’d treated it sooner.

Walking into the living room, I peel my pants off and toss them on a chair. Then I sprawl on the couch. I look around for a second, taking the whole of the airy first floor space in. It’s all decorated in light gray and white, even the slate floors.

I love that it’s all mine.

Pursing my lips, I decide that what this room needs is some color. Not much, just a few pops. Some colorful throws and pillows. Some whimsical decorations and family photos. And definitely a few houseplants are in order.

I stand up again, heading over to the huge bay window that the draws light into the living room. I squint down into the yard, spotting a blue plastic bag stuck in a shrub, blowing this way and that when the wind changes directions.

Seriously? I’ve been in this house for like five minutes. Certainly not long enough for my yard to be filling with trash. I grab my phone as I’m waiting for my father to call; it wouldn’t be wise to miss his communication, even though I don’t know exactly when it will happen.

My father has a crazy temper, one that makes my personality seem sparkling by comparison. Anything can set him off, so… I’ll just keep my phone close by until he deigns to call me.

That plastic bag in the bushes? He wouldhatethat.

I hurry to the front door, flinging it open and pausing to make sure my t-shirt is pulled down long enough to cover my panties before trotting down the front steps. I snag the plastic bag and head to the trash bins, placed discreetly along the side of the house.

As I make my way back, I see a flash of something orange on the steps. A fluffy little kitten startles at the sound of my footsteps, skittering off the porch and darting into the bushes.

I wait for a second to see if it will come back. But it isn’t interested in my attentions, apparently.

I am worried that is going to be a recurrent theme here in Seattle.

Sighing, I head back up to my front door. Steeling myself against the heat, I reach for the handle, which startles me by not turning. Frowning, I rattle the door handle for a few seconds.

Yeah, the door is locked.

I’m locked out of my house. Not only that, but I’m not even wearing pants.

Making a frustrated noise, I hit the door. Then I look down to the phone in my hand.

Who can I call? My half-brother Aiden and his girlfriend Olivia are over an hour away. The real estate agent might have keys, but she’s on the other side of the city. If I can even reach her, that is…

Groaning to myself, I turn and trot down the steps of my porch. I walk outside of my fence, wrapping my arms around myself. God, how stupid can I be, getting caught outside with no keys, no shoes, and no pants?

The heat rises off the pavement, stinging my bare feet as I walk down to the end of my block. There, my quiet residential side street meets up with a bridge that runs over the river to the med school. A car passes me as I hop onto a perfectly manicured lawn, trying to decide which way to go.

On one hand, the med school isn’t that far away. And I know I would be welcome there… if they are open on the Sunday before classes start. There are some businesses that I noticed in the neighborhood on the way in, but I have no idea if they are going to be friendly or not.

A few joggers pass me as I stand here, feeling like I’m a stranger in a strange land. One guy runs past me, stops, then backs up. He is tall and broad, wrapped in black running leggings and a black t-shirt. Wrapped around his waist is a lightweight black jacket.

“Eve?” he asks.