A quiet gasp rippled through the middle rows.
Heat flooded my cheeks, but I knew him well enough to know he wasn't bluffing. If I dug my feet in, he would make an even bigger scene, and I didn't have the energy to fight a public war of pride before nine in the morning.
With grit teeth, I snapped my notebook shut, crammed my pen into my tote, and stood up. I kept my chin held high, my spine straight, and stepped out into the aisle.
Gabriel turned smoothly, leading the way up the carpeted stairs. I followed a pace behind him, feeling the heavy, bewildered glares of the entire room burning into my skin like acid.
He walked past Julian and Benny, stopping at the center seat directly beside his own—a plush, dark leather chair that commanded a panoramic view of the entire lecture hall. He pu
