The Stepbrother's Sin

Chapter 3 — Campus

Chapter 3 — Campus

There was something about the city that kept me staring out of the car window. It was even more beautiful in daylight than it was at night, especially with all the hustle and bustle of people rushing around, going to work. I wanted to see more of it, and maybe once I finished visiting the college, I would take Daniel and walk through it.

The campus was a twenty-minute drive away from the Grayson Towers, which was situated in the heart of Crestwood.

It was surrounded by some of the best restaurants in the city, which I knew I'd get a chance to explore at a later point, when I was ready. I didn't know the city well enough yet to make plans. It was just overwhelming.

Daniel stopped at the campus entrance, and I peered out of the window at it, taking in the view. It was large, with trees and lawns spread out across it. I could see students sitting outside, enjoying the last days of the sunshine before winter really settled in. I grabbed onto my notebook and purse and stepped out of the car.

The campus was massive, and taking the tour of it was surely going to take me hours.

"Will you wait for me?" I asked Daniel, wondering what he'd do. "Because it's going to take me some time. You should probably go back." I suggested, feeling a little bad for making him sit here and wait for me.

He looked at me, "No. I have orders to stay and accompany you here until you're done, Ms. Ivy. Mr. Grayson wants you to be safe so you do not have to worry."

"Okay," I said and tucked my notebook underneath my arm before giving Daniel a quick nod and heading for the entrance of the building.

The girl who was going to guide me throughout the campus was waiting for me just outside, standing near a tree with a couple of other students. She was pretty and looked to be about my age. Her long, dark hair was pulled into a loose braid, and her blue eyes were framed with thick, dark lashes.

"Hello, Ivy," She stuck her hand out and I grabbed it, shaking it firmly. "My name's Natalie and I'm here to give you a tour around campus today. You're going to love it."

I laughed a little, "I know I will. So, what's first?"

"The main campus is where your classes are held and everything. You're going to spend a lot of time here." Natalie walked, and I followed her closely, while taking notes on my notebook, I didn't want to get lost when I started here. "There are a couple of other buildings around the campus as well, such as the auditorium, the gym, the library, and some offices for the faculty. This is the building that holds all the classrooms for all the departments. So, you'll see a lot of people rushing around in this building, from the professors to students. What are you majoring in?"

"Creative writing and journalism."

"Well, you'll definitely see some of that here." She pushed open the main door of the building, and I followed her in, taking in the view.

The walls of the building were lined with lockers and benches for the students. It reminded me of the school I attended back in my hometown. It was strange, yet oddly comforting.

We moved down a long hallway and came to a staircase that led to the second floor. "You're going to be in classes, most of the time, which are held in classrooms and lecture halls, like these." Natalie walked with me inside a classroom, which was set up with rows of seats and tables in the center. "This is one of the rooms where you're going to be taking classes and writing a lot, but you're also going to have the option to have other classes outside this building."

"How are the professors?"

"I think most of them are really nice, and there are a few that aren't, so I guess it's up to luck," Natalie shrugged before pulling her phone out.

She swiped through it a few times before showing me a picture, "That's our department's faculty and that's where you're going to be spending most of your time if you major in creative writing. There's also Professor Blaire. She's an author as well and has written some books on writing techniques."

"Awesome," I nodded, taking a few mental notes before asking her more about the classes and the schedule.

Once I had the basic details about the classes and the schedule, I moved onto other things, such as the students and the environment. We left the campus building, and I walked across the campus to the building where all the offices were. Natalie explained the various courses to me while pointing them out to me, and it didn't take long before I was familiar with the entire campus.

We even stopped for some lunch at a small cafe and talked more, which helped me get to know Natalie and what she did on campus.

She was majoring in psychology, and I found that pretty interesting because it was one of the few things that I never considered majoring in myself because it wasn't something I found particularly interesting. Natalie was very passionate about her classes, which was clear from the way she talked. She was also a lot smarter than me, with a much better understanding of what the professors wanted and how to achieve the results they wanted.

Once the campus tour was done, and I was back in Daniel's car, I could honestly say that I was a lot more excited for Crestwood City than I was before.

The college seemed like a great place for me to be in, with lots of students who were just like me, with big dreams.

'How was the tour?' Eloise asked me through text.

'It was so good. I loved the campus,' I quickly wrote back without even thinking. 'And everything else too.'

'Were there a lot of hot guys?' She replied.

I shook my head and giggled while writing my reply.

'I was too busy with the campus to see much. But I wish you were here with me, we would have so much fun together.' I felt a little lonely being here on my own and knowing that she wasn't here.

It felt as if she was always with me, and when I needed her, she was there to back me up. We had grown up together, and I couldn't remember a day without Eloise. She had been the closest friend that I could have ever had, and I was very grateful to have her in my life.

'Me too, Ivy. You don't know how much I'm missing you.'

I took a deep breath and turned my phone around before glancing at the window again. Daniel drove down the streets of Crestwood, the car moving smoothly between all the vehicles on the road. The sky had grown darker and it started to rain a little.

A little rain never hurt anyone. I could see people out, still, going about their business.

Daniel took me to the nearest shopping district in town. There were a few things I had to get so I went shopping at a clothing store and bought myself a few coats for winter and a couple of outfits for college as well.

Once we were done, Daniel took me back to the penthouse. The whole day went by in a breeze, and before I knew it, it was already evening.

Daniel stopped the car near the entrance.

"Thank you." I smiled at him and gave him a little wave before hopping out and running up the stairs, clutching my bag full of shopping in my hands.

I remembered the floor number, and when the elevator doors opened, I stepped in and went straight up.

It didn't take long before the elevator opened on my floor, and I went towards the front door. I punched the passcode on the touchscreen lock before the front door beeped open, allowing me to get inside.

Just like Mom said, there were two entrances to the penthouse and I took the entrance which was closer to my room, the upper floor of the apartment. When I went inside, the place seemed empty and silent at first. Maybe Mom hadn't arrived yet, she too was having a busy day.

"Ms. Ivy," Debbie's familiar voice stopped me in my tracks and I turned around, to face her. "Welcome home," She gave me a quick, curt smile. "How was your day?"

"It was good."

"Let me take these off your hands." She reached out, taking some of the bags, but I didn't let her take all of them.

We headed into my bedroom, and I placed the shopping bags on top of my bed, while Debbie kept the bags that she took with her to the walk-in wardrobe.

"Thank you so much, Debbie. You didn't have to. I'm not used to having so much help around the house." I said, looking at her, hoping she'd know that I was sincere.

"I'm here to make sure you feel comfortable and happy, Ms. Ivy." She bowed her head slightly, and I watched as she grabbed a few hangers and began to put my new coats away.

She did so quickly, efficiently, and I wondered how long she had worked for the Grayson's. I could see that she knew the family very well.

"Could I ask you something?"

"Of course." She stopped what she was doing and glanced at me over her shoulder.

I paused for a moment, wondering how to say what I wanted to say, and then, "Do you think—" I considered my words again. "Do you think it's safe for me to sleep without locking my door?"

Debbie stared at me for a second, before a faint smile tugged on her lips. "Of course, Ms. Ivy. This is your home and no one here would hurt you. You can rest easily. I hope you're not still feeling nervous."

"Oh, okay."