The Wrong Quarterback (The Wrong Player #1)

Chapter 27

CHAPTER 27

PARKER

T he second I walked into Professor Hendrick’s history class, I could feel the chill in the air—and it wasn’t just from the air conditioning. She barely looked at me as I took my seat, but the rigid set of her shoulders and the way her eyes flicked coldly in my direction said enough. Something was off. I didn’t have time to dwell on it before she launched into her lecture.

“Ms. Larsen, what’s the significance of the Battle of Actium?” Her voice cut through the classroom, icy like a winter’s wind.

Casey’s head snapped up, eyes wide. She stumbled over a couple of words, clearly blindsided, the professor never did her lectures like that.

“Uh…the…Octavian—um…defeated Mark Antony?”

Professor Hendrick arched a brow. “Barely a complete answer,” she said, voice dripping with disdain. “Try reading the assigned materials next time, Ms. Larsen.”

I clenched my fists under the desk, trying to keep my cool. I didn’t like anyone talking to Casey like that. Hendrick moved on, but her gaze kept drifting back to Casey, tossing her another question every few minutes. Each time, Casey looked more flustered, her face reddening.

“Mr. Davis,” Hendrick finally said, her voice dripping with authority as she looked straight at me. “Do you plan on staring daggers at me the entire class, or do you have something to contribute?”

I leaned back, giving her a calm smile. “Just interested in the lecture, Professor. You’re…keeping it lively today.”

There were a few snickers in the class, and her eyes narrowed, but she didn’t respond. Instead, she threw another question at Casey, who barely managed an answer before the professor dismissed her with a wave of her hand, as if she were bored.

When class finally ended, Hendrick’s voice rang out over the noise of shuffling papers and closing laptops. “Mr. Davis. A word.”

Casey shot me a worried look as she packed up, but I gave her a nod. “I’ll be fine,” I murmured. She hesitated but walked out, leaving me alone with Hendrick in the now-empty classroom.

“Take a seat,” she said, her tone still frigid. I dropped into the nearest chair, watching her fold her arms, her stare as hard as granite.

“Is there a problem, Professor?” I asked, keeping my tone polite.

She tapped her fingers against her arm, each one landing like a metronome, and then she went right in for the kill. “Rumor has it you’re seeing Ms. Larsen. I think we’ve had enough conversations about why that’s a bad idea…have we not?”

I raised an eyebrow. “Rumor has it? Didn’t know you kept up with campus gossip, Professor,” I responded lightly.

“Careful, Mr. Davis,” she snapped, her voice dropping to a steely whisper. “I’m not here to banter with you. I’m here to warn you.”

“Warn me?” I asked, leaning back, crossing my arms. “About what, exactly?”

She sighed, leaning closer, her gaze piercing. “You think you’re untouchable right now. But you’re sorely mistaken. You think fraternizing with a freshman isn’t going to come back to bite you?”

I fought the urge to roll my eyes.

Her lips pressed together in a tight line. “You’re a talented quarterback, Mr. Davis. You have a bright future. But if you keep this up, your record will be tainted.”

I shrugged, trying not to let her see just how little her words fazed me. “I think there are always ways around rules, Professor. Don’t you think?”

I was glad there weren’t any knives in the room because she kind of looked like she wanted to kill me after that statement.

Since I had no intention of being discreet about how I felt about Casey, I’d been preparing for this conversation, asking around if anyone had any dirt on Professor Hendrick for me to work with. But so far, I hadn’t found anything.

“I guess if it comes down to it, I can just resign as your TA,” I told her. “But I’m still trying to figure out why this is such a big deal. It’s not like I’m a teacher screwing a student…”

“Resigning isn’t going to stop me from informing the admin that you broke the rules. I have enough power at this school to touch even you, Mr. Quarterback.”

Jace would have had a joke for what she’d just said, but right now I was really annoyed. Between what Coach had said in that meeting the other week…and now this, I wasn’t excited about all of these people trying to interfere with my relationship.

“I’ve seen far too many girls ruined by boys like you, Mr. Davis,” she sneered. “Boys who think that they are above the rules. Who think that the world and everything in it is their plaything. I promised myself long ago that I wasn’t going to facilitate it.”

She clasped her hands together. “This is your final warning, Mr. Davis. I expect you to arrive at our next class with a changed attitude…and a changed relationship status.”

This was bullshit.

I didn’t say another word to her, knowing anything I said right then would make it worse.

Casey was in her next class, so I went home, kicking off my shoes and throwing myself onto my couch. I rubbed a hand over my face, trying to think. Hendrick had made it clear she was coming for me. She wasn’t the type to bluff, either. She’d had a TA two years ago that she’d gotten kicked out of school. Obviously he hadn’t been Tennessee’s star quarterback, but it told me she wasn’t playing around. If she went to admin, it would be a headache no matter what. And if she tried to reach out to the scouts…

I wasted the next hour trying to figure out what to do…when I noticed it: an envelope lying neatly on the coffee table.

It was black, heavy paper with the Sphinx symbol pressed in red ink on the front. Right below, in red, sharp letters, it read, “Courtesy of the Sphinx.” My pulse jumped.

I needed to invest in better security for the house.

I tore open the envelope and slid out a stack of glossy photos. As soon as I flipped to the first one, I froze, then broke into a grin. Hendrick. Younger, but unmistakably her, with that no-nonsense haircut. And she wasn’t just posing for some faculty photo, either.

No, she was wrapped up with another professor, locked in a kiss that was way more than friendly. Her hands were tangled in his shirt, his hand gripping her waist. I flicked through the rest, and each photo got worse—more intense, more incriminating.

Because the other professor in that photo…was very married.

I grinned. I’d been wondering when the Sphinx would show it was worth anything besides annoying me. I guess they’d decided to give me a little taste of what they could do, of the power they held. I would think about the fact that they’d known I needed this information in the first place at a later date.

Chuckling, I let the pictures fall loosely in my hands. Hendrick was done.

I walked into Professor Hendrick’s office, feeling really good about life. She looked up as I entered, her gaze sharp, a trace of smugness in her eyes.

“Here to beg, Mr. Davis?” she asked, her voice dripping with condescension.

“No,” I responded, my voice low, steady. “I’m here to hear you beg.”

I tossed the photos onto her desk, letting them spread out for full effect.

Her face blanched, the color draining as her eyes darted over the photos, widening with each one. She looked horrified, her voice catching as she whispered, “Where did you get these?”

I leaned forward, making sure she could see the smirk on my face.

“The Sphinx sends its regards.”

I didn’t think it was possible, but she got even paler, suddenly swaying in place like she was going to pass out.

“I expect my recommendation letter by Friday. No excuses, no delays,” I said mockingly, repeating what she told her classes all the time.

She stared at me, eyes wide, like I was a monster she’d never seen coming.

Turning on my heel, I headed out, whistling as I walked down the hall.