Protect Her

Chapter Two

Camryn

When I got back to the house, I was as quiet as I could be. If Robby was asleep, I didn't want to risk waking him up and having another confrontation. If I could rely on his usual pattern of violence, we'd be okay for a few days now, maybe even a few weeks. That was how our vicious cycle usually went. After one of our knock down, drag out blow ups, he'd turn into the perfect gentleman again, catering to me and spoiling me for days until something else I did pissed him off.

Until tonight, we'd been having a good few weeks. Separating my shoulder shook him up a bit, and he'd spent the next few weeks apologizing profusely and trying to make it up to me. I thought maybe that was his wake up call. He'd even taken me to Italy for a week, where we spent the days wandering the streets and shops, sampling the food and the wine. Our nights were spent under the stars and making passionate love to each other. Robby wanted another baby, and with the way things were going, he could have easily convinced me. That was the thing about Robby and I. When we were good, we were incredible and deliriously happy, but when we were bad, we were toxic and horrifying.

We met in a Public Policy class at Hudson. I noticed him sitting in the very back room of the lecture hall a few times over the course of the semester, but one day right before Thanksgiving break, I was early to class, going over my essay before I had to turn it in.

"Is this seat taken?" I heard a deep voice next to me, interrupting my thoughts.

"No, go ahead." I didn't even really look up at the stranger, keeping my attention focused on the last additions to the paper I was trying to write. I hadn't noticed that nearly every other seat in the entire room was open.

"Thanks." I glanced up as he set his stuff down, settling in next to me. "I'm Robby. Robby Hastings."

"Camryn." I said, disinterested. I was coming off of a heavy break up, and the last thing I wanted to do was make small talk with another spineless frat boy who would only leave me unsatisfied. In every sense of the word.

"Camryn... That's unusual." He grinned, propping his feet up on the chair in front of him. "Is this your first class with Dr. Fletcher?"

Realizing this guy would not give up, I finally shut my laptop and turned my full attention to him.

He was the kind of handsome that took your breath away. Mysterious. Experienced. Just out of reach.

A mischievous grin curled on his lips, highlighting a pair of perfectly set dimples that gave me a bit of a playful impression. He had touseled, sandy-blonde hair with just a hint of facial hair trimming his jawline, and his icy blue eyes held me in an intense stare. He was gorgeous and carried himself with a powerful air that nearly swept me away, and for the life of me, I couldn't figure out how I'd caught his attention.

Robby leaned forward, subtly closing the distance between us, and my breath hitched.

"Who?" I stuttered. Jesus, what was wrong with me? I was never one to swoon over guys like this.

Robby smirked, clearly amused. "Dr. Fletcher... The guy teaching this class."

"Oh. Right." I bit my lip, trying to hide my embarrassment. "Yes, this is my first class with him."

"Are you a political science major?" He continued. If he noticed my discomfort, he didn't show it.

"Yes." I nodded. "It's my first year."

"Freshman, huh?" He shot me a killer smile. "Don't worry, it gets easier. I'm a junior. We have to observe some of the intro courses for a project we're doing. I'm glad I chose this one."