The woman who stood in his office made his heart pound. Not out of arousal or love, but as a reminder of his past mistakes. In his desperation to build a relationship that wasn’t there, he’d let the rest of his life slide into a comfortable numbness. He didn’t challenge himself, push himself, or hold himself accountable. Aiden was now fearful of the woman who reminded him of the time he skated through his tenure-track job on charm. Lisa Brennan was the ant and he was the grasshopper. Autumn was coming and if he didn’t get his shit together, Aiden was in for a world of trouble.

“You can do it,” she said in a sincere voice, no malice or sarcasm in her expression. “You just have to have a plan. I know that’s not your nature, but you’re capable.”

“Thanks, I needed to hear that.” He glanced at his watch again.

“I won’t keep you,” Lisa said moving toward his door. “I’ll see you at the conference.”

“You will,” Aiden said as she left his office. He gave a feeble wave and listened to the sturdy clack of her heels travel down the hallway. The tension of their conversation forced him to lean against his desk and close his eyes. She didn’t say anything vague like ‘see you later’ or ‘do you want to grab a drink?’ and he was glad of that. While he no longer wished her ill-will, Aiden didn’t want to pretend to be her friend. As far as he was concerned, their conversation, no matter how late it was, made for the closure he needed.

He took a long slow breath through his nose and exhaled from his mouth before standing and exiting his office. For the next hour and a half, teaching had to be his priority. Getting his students prepared for a final exam and out the door with enough confidence wouldn’t have been a challenge last year. Not while his only job was being a fun literature professor who reveled in making his students laugh and didn’t slave over lesson prep. Now that he was hard-nosed Dr. Aiden Byrnes, pushing the importance of Walt Whitman, he felt the pressure mounting in his aching shoulders. They were often tense when he taught, when he attended departmental meetings, even when he lay in bed at night. Regardless of how productive he was, the school year was killing him. One way or another, this goddamn semester needs to end. If he had the summer to decompress from the arduous semester, Aiden might summon the strength to tackle another year of teaching.

Chapter Three

Derek sat across from Antonia on the train, thoroughly engrossed in the blue light of his iPhone screen. The soft glow shined against his handsome face, making his gray eyes dull and vacant. After leaving the aquarium, a quiet distance had grown between the two. Truth be told, he’d been distant throughout the entire walking tour of the facilities. He’d nodded occasionally, murmured how lovely the space was, but ultimately returned to his phone. The incessant buzzing had embarrassed Antonia. While Derek was distracted, she was nailing down plans with their wedding planner.