Read Chapter 1 from CREEP by Jennifer Hillier

8/6/2019 Read Chapter 1 from CREEP by Jennifer Hillier

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c H A P t e R1

Three months. Thats how long Dr. Sheila Tao had been sleep-

ing with Ethan Wole. Three months, our days, and ap-

proximately six hours.

The problem wasnt the sixteen-year age dierence. It wasnt

even that she was his proessor and he was her teaching assis-

tant. The problem was that Sheila was engaged to Morris, andnow the aair with Ethan had to stop. No more weekly meet-

ings at the Ivy, the motel just o campus that rented rooms by

the hour. No more sneaking around. No more lying. No more

alling into that chasm o depression that consumed her or

days ater each o their trysts.

It had to end. All o it. Sheila and her therapist had been

working hard on this. Yes, even psychologists had psycholo-gists.

It wouldnt be easy. Ethan was good-looking and prone to

getting his way. Hell, he had seduced her, though Sheila sus-

pected not even her therapist believed that.

They were in her bright corner oce on the ourth foor o

the psychology building at Puget Sound State University. He

was relaxed, casual, his jean-clad legs spread open in that cocky

way he liked to sit. The desk between them was strewn with

papers, an organized clutter that served as a makeshit barrier.


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2 : J n n i f r H i l l i r

Observing him, she watched his ull lips orm words she

only hal-heard. There was nothing vague about Ethans at-

tractiveness, but he downplayed it by wearing ratty vintage

T-shirts, worn jeans, tennis shoes. His hard, fat stomach

wasnt evident through the loose-tting shirt, but Sheila

could damn well picture it.

She had no idea how he was going react to her news. Shed

known him long enough to understand his propensity or

structure, and she was about to upset the routine theyd estab-lished over the past three months.

O her ve teaching assistants, Ethan was the brightest and

most ambitious. His intelligence and drive had been a big part

o his appeal. They were discussing grades or her popular

summer-session undergraduate social psychology class, and so

ar neither o them had commented as to why they were meet-

ing here this morning, in her oce, instead o room sixteenat the Ivy Motel. She knew he had to be thinking about it,

because she was thinking about it, too.

She orced hersel to ocus on what he was saying.

Danny Ambrose doesnt deserve a B, he said, ngers rest-

ing lightly on the arms o his chair. He never talked with his

hands, even when he was passionate about something. The

similarities he drew between Milgrams experiment and theNazis? Too obvious.

His brows were urrowed. Sheila was about to overrule

the grade Ethan had assigned to one o her undergraduate

students, and he didnt like it. He wasnt used to it. They

didnt disagree oten.

He loses points or originality, but dont you think his ar-

gument is solid? Sheila smiled to soten her words. This is

only a sophomore class. He did what was asked o him and it

was better than average. I spoke to Danny personally the other


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c R e e P : 3

day. He risks losing his scholarship i we give him that C. Hes

a good kid. Id really hate to see that happen.

She could almost hear the wheels in Ethans mind turn-

ing as he thought o a counterargument. Most o the time she

encouraged healthy debate, but she wasnt in the mood this

morning. There was a conversation they needed to have, and

she was having a hard time steering them in that direction.

She waited, saying nothing. I she didnt push it, hed come

around. The key was to let him work through it on his own.Okay, Ethan said nally. You win, Sheila. Danny gets a B.

Lucky bastard. God, I hate it when you assert your authority

over me. Lowering his voice, he glanced over his shoulder at

the open door behind him. Youll have to make it up to me

later. He leaned orward and ran a nger down the back o

her let hand, lips curled into the hal-smile she liked so much.

His nger brushed over the band o her new diamond ring,turned inside out so the stone was tucked into her palm. His

gaze dropped down to her hand.

She was surprised it had taken him this long to notice. Here

we go.

Her rst instinct was to yank her hand away, but that would

only make things worse. Willing hersel to appear relaxed, she

twisted the platinum band around. Ethans eyes widened at thesight o the our-carat diamond.

Whats this? The lightness o his tone did not match his

ace. A fush emerged just above the neckline o his T-shirt. He

touched a nger to the top o the stone, leaving a smudge.

She resisted the urge to wipe it o. The ace o a diamond

this size was like glass. Morris was a senior partner at Bindle

Brothers, the largest investment bank in the Northwest, and he

hadnt held back.

She withdrew her hand. Could you close the door? she


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asked. Just or a ew minutes. Theres something we need to

discuss.

Ethan stiened, as Sheila knew he would. He was ne in a

lecture hall, but they both knew he didnt like closed doors in

small spaces. Something to do with his childhood and getting

locked in a closet or hoursshe didnt really know, hed al-

ways been vague. In their tiny motel room, the windows always

had to be open, even i it was raining.

Please? she said. Just or a bit so we can talk in private.Ill open the window.

He closed her oce door reluctantly while she cranked

open the casement behind her. A blast o August warmth en-

tered the air-conditioned room. Ethan waited in silence, his

expression betraying nothing.

There was no way around it except to be direct. Morris

and I are getting married.Ethan leaned back in his chair and stared at her with un-

readable light gray eyes. Again, she waited. The thrum o the

air conditioner reverberated in the room.

When did this happen?

Saturday. Five nights ago.

He looked around the oce. He wasnt one to avoid eye

contact, so she guessed he was digesting this inormation.His gaze ocused briefy on a small, ramed picture o Sheila

and Morris on the window ledge beore returning to her ace.

Well, this is big news. But it doesnt change anything between

you and me.

It changes everything. The words were out beore she

could consider their impact. Biting her lip, she orged ahead

anyway. I cant be involved with you anymore outside o class.

He didnt blink. Just like that?

Im sorry.


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c R e e P : 5

He exhaled and she caught a whi o the cinnamon gum

hed been chewing earlier. He always chewed cinnamon gum,

and i she closed her eyes, she could almost taste it, could al-

most eel his sweet, spicy tongue in her mouth

Congratulations. The smile didnt quite touch his eyes.

Thank you, she said.

Whens the wedding?

October tenth.

His smile turned into a grin she couldnt read. It wasntamusement, or annoyance, or even a desire to please; it was

something else entirely.

So soon. Why the rush?

She had prepared or this question, rehearsing the answer

in her head during the drive to work that morning, and it

rolled o her tongue. Im thirty-nine and Im not getting any

younger. Im tired o living alone, Ethan. I love Morris. Wewant to start our lie together. Wethere might still be time

or kids.

What should I wear to the wedding?

Shocked, she opened her mouth, but no words came out.

Im kidding, he said, his eyes nally showing a hint o

amusement. Joke, Sheila. I wouldnt come even i I was in-

vited. Isnt there a rule about going to the weddings o peopleyou used to uck?

She winced. She had no problem with cursing, but here, in

this moment, it sounded unreasonably harsh.

Ah, well. Its better that its over anyway. He ran a hand

through his short, mussed hair. It really should have ended

ages ago, now that I think about it. Remember when your a-

ther died? How messed up you were?

Her stomach lurched. O course I remember. It had only

been three months since her estranged ather had passed away


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rom liver cancer. Three days beore the aair had started. She

knew it had been the trigger.

His voice became low, accusing. I never wanted this to be a

long-term thing. But you were so goddamned needy. You kept

telling me not to go.

It was a subtle but unmistakable slap in the ace. Please dont

go. Oh, yes, those had been her words exactly, words shed

whispered to Ethan the morning ater her athers uneral while

lying next to him naked under the scratchy motel bedsheets. Ithurt to think he could bring it up now as i they were talking

about the weather.

The timing was bad, he said with a shrug. I couldnt do

it to you. But really, it should have ended right ater it started.

You said that already.

Are you mad? His ace was open, interested. Dont be

mad, Sheila. I dont regret that it lasted as long as it did. But allgood things must come to an end. This wont change anything

proessional between us. We still work really well together.

He sat back with a Cheshire-cat smile.

She was suddenly inuriated. Exactly who was dumping

whom here? She had agonized over this conversation or days,

wondering what to say to him and how to say it, alternating

between supreme bliss at her new engagement and pangs oregret over the aair, worried about hurting Morris, hurting

Ethan, hurting hersel. Nothing about this had been simple.

Nothing.

But here he was, easy like Sunday morning, his handsome

ace a mixture o pity and regret.

She arranged the papers on the desk into neat stacks to

keep her hands rom trembling, thinking hard about what she

wanted to say next.

All right, about that. Sheilas words were tight as she


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c R e e P : 7

orced hersel to stay calm. I dont think we should continue

to work together. Im going to recommend you work with Dr.

Easton rom now on.

This caught him o guard. Youre not ucking serious?

I am. She smiled, pleased at his reaction, then made a grand

show o wiping her brow. You know what, I need to close the

window. Its really hot in here and the air-conditionings escap-

ing. You know how I get when its stuy.

Sheila, dont closeShe stood up quickly and cranked and latched the window.

By the time she turned back to Ethan, his body had gone rigid.

She sat down again and crossed her legs, not bothering to hide

her own little smile.

I promise you itll be an easy transition. Dr. Easton was

impressed with the work you did in his advanced personality

theory class last term. His expertise on deviant behavior canonly help your thesis. Sheilas smile widened. Dont worry,

the department wont have a problem with the switch. You can

stay until the end o next term as my TA, but ater Christmas

I dont want to switch, he said. Beads o sweat appeared

at his hairline even though the room was cooling. I have less

than a year to go. I dont want to work through the kinks o a

new adviser.Ill do everything I can to help.

They sat staring at each other. It was awkward waiting out

the silence, but she knew whoever spoke rst would lose.

Youre trying to get rid o me, Ethan hissed. Circular sweat

stains had ormed at his armpits, soaking through the cloth o

his gray T-shirt. Well, guess what, Im not switching. Ive been

working with you or going on three terms now. Youre not

passing me o to someone else because youre getting mar-

ried and dont want a reminder you ucked the help. My thesis


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c R e e P : 9

You wouldnt dare, she whispered.

Wouldnt I? He grinned triumphantly as he wiped his

sweaty brow with his hand. Turning away rom her, he nally

yanked open the oce door and stepped out, taking deep

breaths o the semi-stale hallway air.

Sheila sat, dazed. There was a 99 percent chance he was

blungher gut told her there was no video anymore, he

wouldnt have had time to send it somewhere else rom his

phone beore shed made him delete itbut goddamn it, itwasnt good enough. I anything like it ever showed up on

CampusAnonymous.com, a website notorious or outrageous

gossip and nasty comments about all things involving the uni-

versity, shed be ruined. The video would go viral beore she

could blink twice, and two decades o hard work would be

snued out like a campre in a thunderstorm.

Having an aair with a student was one thing. It happenedall the timeshe could think o three proessors whod been

involved with students in the past, whod gotten nothing more

than slaps on the wrist. And Ethan was twenty-three and nei-

ther o them were married, which counted or something.

But a video? It wouldnt matter whom she was screwing

a video o her writhing naked on the Internet would get her

red. No hearing, no chance to deend hersel, just an hour tocollect her personal belongings and shed be out the door on

her ass. Do not pass Go, do not collect two hundred.

How could I have been so fucking stupid?

A voice broke into her thoughts, and she looked up. Val-

erie Kim, one o Sheilas other TAs, stood in the doorway just

behind Ethan.

One sec, Val, Ethan said to the petite young woman. His

tone betrayed no hint o the tension that lled the oce. The

proessor and I are almost done here.


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Thats cool. Valerie looked past Ethan into the oce at

Sheila. I can come back in ve.

No need. Sheilas smile elt clownish. Come in, Valerie.

Ethan stepped back into the oce and made a show o

bundling up the scattered term papers on the desk. Slinging

his worn leather bag crosswise over his torso, he grinned at

Sheila. Dr. Tao, Ill see you next week. Thanks or your time.

Sure, Sheila said. Her shoulders slumped and her back

ached.Ethan winked at Valerie as he let the oce. Shes all yours.

She heard him whistling as he ambled down the hallway,

not a care in the world, and her mind reeled. What the uck

had just happened?

So, Proessor Tao, did you hear? Valeries voice was

breathy. The ponytailed teaching assistant plopped into the

chair across rom Sheila and rummaged in her bag or her ownstack o papers to be reviewed. Diana St. Clairs body was

ound this morning.

Hmmm? Sheila could not process what the graduate

student was saying. Somehow, she had completely underesti-

mated Ethan Wole. He had outsmarted her, and how was that

possible? Damn him. Damn her. This was a disaster. Could he

really still have that video? Hed made it several weeks ago, andmaybe her memory was oggy, but she was certain shed seen

him delete it right aterward, could remember her relie when

she saw it was gone . . .

The swimmer? Diana St. Clair? Valerie was saying.

Yes, o course I know she disappeared, Sheila said, ir-

ritated. A drop o Ethans sweat remained on the desk and she

swiped at it. She orced hersel to ocus on Valeries pretty ace.

Whats the update?

I dont know all the details yet. The grad student sounded


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c R e e P : 11

appropriately somber, though her eyes were alight with morbid

excitement. She was ound foating in Puget Sound early this

morning. A erry rider spotted her.

She drowned? Sheilas hand few to her mouth. Valerie had

her ull attention now. How is that even possible?

Everyone was amiliar with the story. It had been all over

the news. Diana St. Clair was the pride and joy o PSSU, a

champion Division I swimmer and Olympic hopeul. Shed

gone missing ater swim practice over a week beore, and it wasall anyone on campus could talk about. Thered been multiple

theories about her disappearance: shed eloped to Brazil with a

guy shed met online; shed quit swimming but didnt have the

heart to tell her parents; she was pregnant and hiding it rom

her sponsors . . .

She didnt drown, that isnt how she died. I heard she was

stabbed rst. Valerie paused or dramatic eect. Multipletimes.

Sheila sat up straight. Holy shit!

Valerie looked pleased to hear her proessor swear. I heard

theyre going to be putting new security measures in place be-

cause o this. Clearly Valerie had heard a lot. My boyriend

works part-time in the communications department. Theyre

sending out a bulletin later today.Holy shit. Sheila elt disoriented as she tried to process

the news.

Diana St. Clair had been her student. Sheila had never

known someone who was murdered.

Until now.


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Gallery Books

A Division o Simon & Schuster, Inc.

1230 Avenue o the Americas

New York, NY 10020

This book is a work o ction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either

are products o the authors imagination or are used ctitiously. Any resemblance

to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Copyright 2011 by Jennier Hillier

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereo

in any orm whatsoever. For inormation address Gallery Books Subsidiary Rights

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Library o Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Hillier, Jennier.

Creep / Jennier Hillier.1st Gallery Books hardcover ed.

p. cm.

1. Women college teachersFiction. 2. ExtortionFiction.

3. Psychological ction. I. Title.

PS3608.I446C74 2011813'.6dc22 2010047864

ISBN 978-1-4516-2584-4

ISBN 978-1-4516-2689-6 (ebook)

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Read Chapter 1 from CREEP by Jennifer Hillier