I Kissed My Professor And He Liked It novel Chapter 307

Ella’s POV

“Rachel?” I breathed, staring at my friend from across the room. She stood at the doorway, leaning against the frame as if it hurt her to stand straight, but she tried to play it off cool. “You were released from the hospital?”

“Looks that way,” she said in return, narrowing her eyes at me.

“How are you feeling?” I asked, stepping toward her. Everyone else was quiet, almost awkwardly so.

“Like I was stabbed in the stomach,” she said almost bitterly. After a moment of being shocked, she cracked a smile, showing that she was mainly joking.

“I’m really glad you’re back,” I breathed, placing my hand on her shoulder and not wanting to hurt her any further than she was already hurt.

Becca on the other hand didn’t give her that same courtesy. She rushed past me and threw her arms around her, nearly knocking them both to the ground.“I can’t believe you are here!” Becca cried. “I’m so happy!”

Rachel gave me a wary look as Becca hugged her; it confused me because I knew how close they had gotten this year. With me being with Colton all the time, they were left alone often and bonded. They were becoming very good friends; but in this case, it was almost like Rachel hardly recognized her.

After a brief hesitation, Rachel finally lifted her arms and wrapped them around Becca, returning to the very awkward embrace.

“We weren’t expecting you to be here,” I said, narrowing my eyes at her. “Are you sure you’re feeling up for a banquet?”

“Of course,” she said, plastering a smile on her face. “Alpha Jonathan was kind enough to provide some hospitality. So, I’ll be staying here for a little while.”

That was shocking to me. I knew Rachel wasn’t the biggest fan of Alpha Jonathan, none of us were. Now that Rachel had cut ties with her father again in the hospital, I thought she’d cut ties with Jonathan as well.

But as if on cue to my thoughts, Raymond enters the room, making my heart fall deep into my stomach.

“Oh, hello, Ella,” he said, giving me a smile that made me feel uneasy.

“Raymond…” I said in a greeting, glad that my voice didn’t quiver. “What are you doing here?”

He raised his brows and then placed a hand on Rachel’s shoulder. She looked lost. Her eyes were practically hollow; what was going on with her?

I couldn’t be the only one to notice this. I looked at my friends and saw that Becca’s eyes were furrowed together and Kay looked pale.

Okay, so I definitely wasn’t the only one who noticed this.

“Why wouldn’t I be here? Alpha Jonathan is my business partner so naturally; I would come to his banquet. Not to mention my daughter is here, so I’m here.”

Rachel said nothing, she just looked at me.

“I thought Rachel cut you off,” I said, still looking at Rachel. “I thought you argued in the hospital.”

This made Raymond laugh humorlessly.

“She would never cut me off,” he said, squeezing her shoulder so hard I was surprised Rachel didn’t flinch in pain. I was flinching for her. “Sometimes we argue, but I will never allow that to come between my relationship with my daughter. Isn’t that right?” He asked, looking down at her.

She nodded without hesitation.

“He is my father,” she said, giving me a plastered and non-Rachel smile.

“Ella bean!” My mother said as she rushed into the living room.

I was relieved to see her, and I instantly melted in her arms as she wrapped me in her motherly embrace.

“Your father just filled me in on what was going on,” she breathed, hugging me tighter. She then turned to Brianna and wrapped herself in a hug. “Hi, dear.”

I had almost forgotten that Bri was still there; I was surprised she didn’t slip out of the living room to go to her mate. But she stayed fairly close to me.

“How are you doing?” My mother asked for only her ears, but I still heard her.

“I…I don’t know…” Brianna whispered, tears filling her eyes again. “I don’t know how to feel… I’m just so tired.”