I'm falling for you, Professor | ✔️

Twenty Seven

Liam Driscoll

We got up bright and early for another day of class. I dropped Will off again near the lecture building and walked myself to class.

Midway through my lecture the door to the auditorium opened, echoing with a loud slam. My eyes followed the sound and in came an old friend I never thought I'd see again. Our old partner Greg Crawford. My eyes went wide as he took a seat at the back of the lecture hall, giving me a small smile.

Greg worked alongside me and Antonio over the years of us travelling together. He worked with us as an artifact analysist. When we would find artifacts, he would examine them and determine the authenticity, the qualities and what they might have been used for. He did many things to help us, and frankly he's pretty amazing at what he does. Last I heard he was settling down with his wife in Berlin. I've seen him maybe one time in the last nine years.

Which brings me to wonder, why is he here? After all this time?

I made my way to my desk, sending a quick text to Will saying I'll be a bit tied up after class and that I'd pick him up from his dorm this evening.

Will gave me a smile as he made his way out of class, and once everyone was gone Greg approached me.

"Liam! It's been what, 8 years?" He said, pulling me in for a hug and a pat on the back.

"Its good to see you, Greg! How've you been?" I asked.

"I've been great, man. I took some time away from work, me and Camille settled down for a few years in Berlin as you know, but I've been back working on field for the last year or so!" He said.

"That's great." I responded.

"What about you? How's the teaching life going? Anyone special in your life?" He asked.

"About as good as can be." I shrugged. "As for someone special, yeah. I met someone recently and he's been great. I really think I can finally be happy again." I smiled.

Will's been my saving grace. He's brought me so much joy in my life in such a short period of time, and I couldn't be more thankful for him. I can't wait to bring him home with me tonight and wake up with his body curled around mine in the morning. The thought brought a smile to my face.

"Good, I'm glad you're finally moving on and finding happiness for yourself. You look happy. I haven't seen you smile like that in ages." He grinned.

"Yeah, me too. What brings you all the way out here? I don't think you came all this way just to say hi. " I stated, arching my brow in question.

"Do you have an office or somewhere private we could speak?" He asked.

"Yeah. Follow me." I said.

I led him down the hall to my office, closing the door behind us. I sat down in the chair at my desk with Greg sitting across from me.

"First of all, I'm sorry for bringing up the past, but there's something a little... Strange that happened recently, and I just want to see if you can give me some answers." He said.

"Okay... I'm not sure if I'll be much help, but go for it." I replied.

"The day that uh, Antonio died, you don't recall seeing anyone else on sight do you? I know the job was extremely on the down low, only the three of us and Mctavish knew about it. Right? You guys didn't tell anyone?" He asked.

"No. As far as I know it was just the three of us there that day and no one else. Mctavish of course wasn't there, he never came on field. Besides the paramedics air lifting Antonio out of there, we were the only ones." I stated.

Mctavish was our boss at the time, he basically told us where to go and when to do it. When Antonio was taken out of there, the paramedics didn't ask any questions on why we were there or what we were doing out there.

"Why are you asking this?" I said.

"Because Liam, I went back there. I went there and the entrance, it wasn't as dangerous as we were told. The fall they said happened, it doesn't make sense. There wasn't much of a drop or anything that could have cut his rope. I got in there easily and I found where Cleopatra's tomb should have been. I found it, Liam; and it was gone." He said.

"Couldn't someone have found it though? It's been nine years, Greg." I questioned.

"I mean sure, yeah. But there's no way locals would have found it; its too dangerous to get there, it's in the middle of nowhere, plus the entrance was under ground. It's not visible for anyone who doesn't do their research, you know that. It took you guys years to find that place. If the tomb would have been found by any other archaeologist, it would have been made known to the world. That would be huge in our industry. Anyone would want to take the credit for finding it." He said.

He's right. It did take us over three years to find the location of the tomb. How would someone find it?

"What about Mctavish? I didn't think he knew the exact location of where we were, but he easily could have known." I responded.

"But Liam, if Mctavish got it, he would have taken the win for himself, or one of the archaeologists he sent there would have. He's never been shady. He's always been an honest guy." Greg said.

"So what? You think someone stole Cleopatra's tomb? What could they even want with it?" I asked.

"I don't know. There's ways been the rumor that she was burried with a priceless emerald necklace. It would be worth millions if not billions of dollars." He took a breath. "I'm saying Antonio's death isn't making sense the more I look into this, and it really doesn't make sense that the tomb is missing." He said.

Why is everyone suddenly bringing up Antonio? Why now? Why when I'm finally happy and moving on with my life.

"I don't know what to tell you, Greg. He's been gone for nine years." I said.

It would really break my heart if somehow, someway he was still alive.

Did he take the tomb? Did he leave me just so he could get a payout? None of this is adding up.

"I don't know how you think we can get answers to this after so many years. What are you expecting me to do?" I asked.

"Maybe look through some of the old things you have of his? See if you can find anything at all that would lead to the truth of what happened that day. Look, I have to get going. I have a meeting in an hour, take my number and call me, okay?" He said, standing from his chair and passing me a card with his number on it.

"I'll see what I can do." It responded, giving him a small nod.

I swiveled my chair away from my desk, resting my head back against the cool leather.

I closed my eyes and took a few steadying breath's. What are you hiding, Antonio?

***

I picked Will up on the way back to my place, and I couldn't bring myself to speak the entire trip home. First Will, now Greg?

We walked silently inside, and headed for the living room.

"Liam, talk to me. What's going on with you?" Will asked.

"An old friend stopped by today. We used to work together. He's come to me questioning Antonio's death just like you were." I said.

"He... He did?" Will said.

"Mhmm." I mumbled. "After what he told me, some things aren't adding up. Cleopatra's tomb is missing and Antonio's death is starting to not sound... I-I don't know, real?. I...don't know what to do. I don't want to keep digging up my past." I admitted.

"I know you don't want to bring it up, but maybe it needs to be. Maybe you need it so you can finally move on? You're not in this alone, Liam. I won't let you take this burden by yourself." He said.

"Um... I have to go through some things. Antonio's things. They're u-um in the attic. Would you m-maybe help me go t-through it?" I asked.

"Of course I will, Liam." He took my hand.

"We're in this together." Will answered with a kiss to my knuckles.