Chapter 35: Part 35

A groan slipped out of my mouth, the blaring alarm dragging me from blissful sleep. With my hands flailing, I somehow managed to shut off the noise and sat up against the pillows, running a hand through my hair, and letting out a sigh.

The night before was something else. I recalled with a flush sitting heavily on my cheeks, pulling my knees closer and hugging them. We could have been caught; fortunately, no one used the elevator or the alley during that time. Having no choice, I dragged myself to the quiet flat, relieved that my best friend was already asleep.

With my brother present, we both have to be extra careful. It's silly—this intense yearning for his touch and stares, the confidence to be so rebellious with him. I cannot define what it was or where it stemmed from, but I wanted to explore. See where it takes us.

After allowing a minute to mope, I pushed the sheets away from my body and shuffled to the bathroom. I squinted against the fluorescent lights, taking in my appearance once my eyes adjusted. My hair laid in a tangled mess over my forehead, accompanied by dark circles under my eyes. A sigh escaped me.

I stepped into the shower, letting the hot water run over my skin, flushed pink from the temperature of the water and also something else. My hand lingered down my waist, the tips of fingers trailing over the bikini line before cupping the mound for a hot second before I shook it off. An embarrassed flush crawled all way down my neck to the chest, making my arms slack.

On exiting my room, I found Allie sitting on one of the barstools, slumped over the counter with her head on the marble, her lengthy hair splayed out. She looked up as I quietly heated the milk.

"When did you come home last night?"

I nervously traced the carpet with my toe, turning to her. "Sorry I was late...You were sleeping."

"No, I was not!" She rolled her eyes. "I heard the keys jangling when you came in and knocked your knee on the coffee table."

I sheepishly smiled at that, my neck heating up. After that heated kiss, I could barely balance myself, ambling awkwardly into the living room. "Uh...it was dark, and I didn't want to wake you up."

She raised a brow. "Oh? Is that all? Because I smelled an Alpha on you, but he didn't come inside..."

"Allie..."

"Who is it?!" My best friend grinned, sitting up, practically bouncing in her seat. The smile on her face was almost blinding. "I want to know all about this man who can make you break your insane curfew rules!"

"My rules are not insane. They are valid..."

"Blah blah blah." She cut me off. "Tell me about him!"

I averted her eyes, leaning over the countertop to stare at the boiling milk, a frisson of heat forming in my belly. There was no way I could tell Allie about my escapades with Abel.

“Emm….” She slurred the last words, waving her hands to get my attention. “Do I know him? Is it your friend Avin?”

“Avon.” I corrected, turning around, looking at the wall behind her. “And no, it’s not him. It’s no one. I met our landlord in the elevator so that you might have smelled his scent.”

“Oh.” She made a face. “Still, that does not explain why you came back so late.”

“It's a long story.”

***

Walking into the class, I eyed the usual last benches. For some reason, I was hoping to sit in the front, but I had an intense urge inside. I tightened my grip on the strap and, before I registered the action, attracted the attention of the students around me. My feet moved before I could stop, sitting in one of the open seats in the front row.

"Something wrong?" I looked up when the familiar, rough voice addressed me. When did he come in? I thought with a twist of my mouth. Tilting my head up, I blinked, shell shocked at the barely-there distance between us. From up close, I could see more details of his face, features sculpted to perfection and dark eyes looking down at me. He's stunning. As time ticked by, I slowly realised that I was supposed to respond when the Alpha standing in front of me raised an eyebrow expectantly.

“Uh…” My cheeks heated up, nervously clasping my clammy palms together in my lap. “Thought I should try something different for today, sir.”

He smirked in response. “Change is good.”

Abel took a step back as more students started shuffling in, some annoyed at having their beloved seats stolen. I had a bag on the other side of my seat, reserving it for Naya if she showed up.

I received a text from her earlier that she’s running late and might not be able to make it to the first class. Still, I had hope.

“Is anyone sitting here?” Avon cleared his throat, eyes crinkled by his sides.

“Oh!” I smiled at him, already moving the bag away and patting at the empty seat. “No one. I was saving it for Naya, but I don’t know if she will be able to make it today.”

“Thanks!” He plopped down, a loud sigh escaping his lips. Few heads turned to us, glaring as if we both committed a crime.

“Why are they all staring at us?”

“It’s because we never sit in a front row,” Avon whispered. “Whats going on with you today?”

“I am trying out something new.”

I felt his gaze burn into my side for a few seconds before the Alpha hummed under his breath. My shoulders drained of tension, my body relaxing in the seat and pulling out my laptop.

As time ticked by, I couldn’t manage to get down more than a few sentences of notes, occupied by staring at the man giving a lecture in front of me. The images of the night before flashed into my head, body turning hot and legs pressed together. I pictured how I would like to be pinned down by him. More times than not, Abel was quick to catch me staring at him, my eyes following the line of his broad shoulders, the muscular arms, lean chest and the dark maroon shirt hugging his torso.

The Alpha was equally affected, or so I thought as he started to clear his throat one too many times or gulp the water bottle in one go. He also loosened the collar of his shirt.

He instructed us to discuss the poem in pairs, form opposing views and write a report on it. All the while, his eyes met mine— intense and all consuming, which only made me tense in the seat. I pulled on my bottom lip with my teeth, watching his Adam’s Apple bob, quickly looking away.

I forced myself to stay on task as the class continued, managing to take decent notes as long as I didn’t let my eyes or mind wander.

Avon tapped on my shoulder, leaning in and tracing the lines of poetry on the book. “This looks easy, but it is not….”

“Blake has a way with his words, especially with all the hidden meanings and everything!”

“It’s frustrating because I don’t know what to choose….”

“You will get there.” I patted his arm and started working in my notebook on the basic themes. As I stared down at the paper, pen in between my teeth while I thought about the current question, I could feel eyes on me. I saw Abel’s eyes burning into me, mainly at the arm touching my side.

Avon. I moved my arm away and continued working.

“Okay, that’s it for our class today! Have a good day, everyone.” Abel said with a weak smile on his face.

“Miss Emma…” He slowly turned in my direction. “Please come see me in my office.”

“Seriously?!” Avon cringed from my side, standing to his full height as if to fight Abel. The Alpha was already out of the door, which made me relax in my seat.

“What is his problem?! Did you do something to him?”

I stuttered at the question, dumbly shaking my head. “I think…he wants to talk about my last paper.”

“Okay, I’ll wait for you in the cafe.”

“Sure! I’ll be quick.”

***

After I finished packing my bag and the last minutes of class dwindled, my mind was filled with endless possibilities of why I had been called into his office.

My hands were shaking when I knocked on the door to his office, stepping in when I heard him. I closed the door behind me and turned to see the professor sitting at his desk, looking through a stack of papers. His lips twitched.

“What did you want to see me about, sir?” I asked, my hands gripping the chair in front of the large desk, struggling to keep my voice even.

***

Filthy chapters will start soon! Brace yourself hehe