“I’m all right,” she said. “It’s been tough. Thanks for giving me a redo.”
“It’s the least I can do,” the professor said. “Take care.”
By six o’clock, Shannon’s updated grade was online. She called Russell right away. “It’s over,” she said. “I need to celebrate, like, right now.”
Russell laughed. “I take it you passed?”
“I didn’t just pass. I got Honors,” Shannon said, grinning so big that it hurt her face.
They decided to go out for Indian food. Shannon hurried to get dressed, then walked the three blocks to the best Indian food near campus. Russell waited for her, wearing black jeans and a black T-shirt. It looked as though he’d styled his hair. He opened his arms to her, then hugged her in a way that made her heart pound.
“Of course you got an Honors,” he said. “I’m sure that’s what you got the first time, too!”
“It doesn’t matter. It’s over,” Shannon said.
They grabbed a table on the porch, where they each ordered the spiciest paneer dish on the menu, plus light beers. Russell raised his beer. “Let’s get this summer started, huh?”
“Finally,” Shannon said. “I’ve had a stomachache for weeks.”
They ate, chatted, laughed, and ate some more. When their beers were finished and their plates were scraped clean, Russell insisted on paying, then led Shannon off the porch and down the road to a bar. It was eight thirty and balmy with heat, and beautiful people in their twenties swarmed the streets. Laughter echoed. Shannon imagined that if they ran into Dina, Cole or Mimi, she and Russell wouldn’t care. They had each other; they had good humor and excitement for the future.
Over their second beers, Shannon again expressed her theory that Dina had taken her lab report from the professor’s mailbox. “I guess it’s something I will never be able to prove,” she said.
“You’d better watch your back next year,” Russell said. “She’s out to get you.”
“It’s weird. When I first met her freshman year, I thought it was amazing! Another science girlie. I was so ready for our friendship to blossom. It did, for a little while.”
“I remember when you used to bring her around. I thought she wanted to date me at first,” Russell said, laughing. “What changed between you guys?”
“She probably turned on me when you didn’t want to date her,” Shannon teased him.
Russell scoffed. “You’re going to blame me?”
“It all goes back to you,” Shannon affirmed.
“Well, I guess the universe does revolve around me,” he said thoughtfully. “Thanks for finally confirming that.”
Shannon punched him lightly on the arm. The eye contact between them was startling.
Suddenly, Russell leaned forward and kissed Shannon right there at the table. Shannon felt her heart rise into her throat. She felt warm and generous and hopeful. But a split-second later, all her fears crashed in on her. A kiss always leads to relationships, and relationships always lead to heartbreak. Even if Russell wanted to marry Shannon, he might have a stroke at the age of fifty-six and never be able to speak to her again.
She broke the kiss quickly and got to her feet. Russell looked pale and petrified. He stood, too, and searched for something to say. “Shannon,” he said. “I…”
But Shannon couldn’t imagine that what he wanted to say would help. “It’s okay. Don’t worry about it. Let’s forget it,” she begged him, then turned and headed for the exit, unable to look back.
When Shannon reached her apartment, her phone was filled with messages: some from Isabelle, others from Felicity, ten from Russell, and a single one from her mother. The one from Arietta said only, “Hi, honey. I’m sorry.”
Shannon called her mother immediately. She wanted to hear her voice, to know what Arietta was so sorry about. It didn’t sound good.
When Arietta answered, her voice was strangled and erratic. Shannon struggled to understand her.
“Mom?” Shannon whispered. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine, honey,” Arietta said. But there were sobs between her words, and she hung up a moment later, refusing to answer the phone again when Shannon tried to call back.
Shannon was petrified. Rather than go to bed for the night and try again tomorrow, she drank a cup of coffee, threw some things in a bag, got in her car, and sped for Hyannis Port. The last ferry left a little before midnight, which gave her plenty of time.
While she drove, Russell tried to call Shannon seven times. Shannon couldn’t bring herself to answer it. She reflected on the previous weeks, during which she and Russell had fallen into one another for comfort. They were probably both confused about what that had meant.