Chapter 33

Chapter 33
Monday morning arrived under a gray, overcast sky that matched the weight lodged in Alexandria’s chest. She had spent the entire weekend drifting through the penthouse like a ghost, trying to convince herself she was recovering.

The concussion had improved; the constant throbbing had dulled to a manageable ache, but it wasn’t gone. Every few hours, without warning, a sharp, high-pitched ringing would pierce her right ear, forcing her to stop whatever she was doing, wince, and squeeze her eyes shut until the world stopped spinning.

The headaches lingered even after days, they flared whenever she moved too quickly or let her thoughts drift too far. She told herself she was better today, sronger, less affected by him. She repeated the words like a mantra as she stood in front of her mirror, carefully applying concealer under her eyes to hide the lingering puffiness from days of crying.

She chose a simple but polished outfit; a soft cream blouse tucked into a navy skirt, hair was pulled back into a neat ponytail. She looked like the composed, ambitious student she had been before Jonathan Vance had upended her entire world.

She wasn't going to let him ruin every aspect of her life. And with that thought in mind, she grabbed her bag and headed out. She would attend his class and she'd been just fine, she'd give nothing away and she'd let nothing show.

On getting on to class, she settled in the front. She told herself she would take notes, focus on the material, and pretend he’s just another professor.The lecture hall was already filling when she arrived, and she kept her back straight and her gaze focused on her notebook as they waited for the infamous Dr. Vance to arrive.

Around her, students chatted about the weekend parties and what had happened Friday night, it seemed the new about her getting into a fight and getting knocked out had spread out, but she forced herself to ignore the snickers. She kept her head down, refusing to engage, refusing to let her mind wander.

When Jonathan entered the room, the air shifted noticeably like it always did. He walked in with that familiar calm authority, laptop tucked under one arm, dressed in a crisp white shirt and tailored dark trousers. His presence filled the space without effort.

He didn’t glance at her, she wasn't expecting him to anyway so it didn't bother her. He simply set his things on the podium, opened his laptop, and began the lecture in that deep, measured voice that still sent unwanted shivers down her spine.

Alexandria stared down at her notebook, forcing her hand to move. Supply-side economics. Fiscal policy. Aggregate demand curves. She scribbled the words, trying to anchor herself in the material. But her mind kept slipping. Every time he spoke, memories flashed unbidden; the weight of his body on hers, the way he had hushed her gently while she cried beneath him, the cold finality in his voice when he told her to get out of his car.

She let out a breath though her nose, refusing to let the memories mess her up all over over.

'You’re better today,' she reminded herself. 'Less bothered and stringer.'

But then the ringing started before she could finish motivating herself. It began as a faint, high-pitched tone in her right ear, growing louder and sharper within seconds. Pain bloomed behind her eyes like a hot needle till she winced hard, squeezing her eyes shut.

Her pen slipped from her fingers and clattered loudly onto the wooden desk in the sudden lull between his sentences. The sound echoed in the almost-silent hall causing several heads to turn in her direction. Whispers rippled through the rows behind her about her being an attention seeker and all.

But Alexandria kept her eyes tightly closed, breathing slowly through her nose, willing the ringing to stop. It felt like an eternity, though it was probably only ten or fifteen seconds. But it was truly a lot to deal with. The shrill noise drilled into her skull, making her stomach churn.

When it finally began to fade, she slowly reached down for her fallen pen, her fingers were trembling slightly from the effort. And then she felt it, his gaze. It was intently locked on her. She looked up without meaning to, the plan had been to avoid eyecontact all through the class, but she very well couldn't escape it now.

For one brief moment, their eyes met across the short distance between her desk and the podium. Jonathan’s expression was carefully neutral, he had on the perfect professional mask, but something darker flickered beneath it. Something that made her breath catch and her pulse spike.

She quickly looked away, refusing to meet his eyes again for the rest of the lecture. She stared at her notebook, pretending to write, but her hand barely moved. The words on the page swam. Every time he spoke, her body reacted against her will with a flutter low in her belly, and a rush of unwanted heat.

The class dragged on interminably. She counted down every minute, every second, until he finally dismissed them.
“That’s all for today. Read chapters eight and nine for Wednesday. Questions?”

The usual rustle of bags and chairs filled the hall. Alexandria gathered her things as quickly as she could, desperate to escape before he could look at her again. She stood, slinging her bag over her shoulder, and started toward the aisle. Then the ringing struck again, and it was sharper this time, accompanied by a stabbing pain that made her vision blur and her knees weaken.

She gasped softly and sank back into her seat, resting her forehead on the cool surface of the desk. Her eyes squeezed shut as she willed the pain to stop. She breathed slowly, one hand pressed lightly against her temple, waiting for the episode to pass again.

The noise of students leaving gradually faded into the background, and that was when she smelled it, his cologne; clean, masculine, and awfully familiar. It cut through the lingering scent of ink and paper.

She opened her eyes slowly and looked up. Jonathan was standing right in front of her desk. He loomed over her, tall and composed with one hand resting lightly on the edge of the wooden surface. His dark eyes were fixed on her face, searching.

The lecture hall was almost empty now, only a few stragglers lingered near the back doors. Alexandria’s heart slammed against her ribs. She straightened slowly, wincing at the residual ache in her head, and met his gaze for the seconds time today.

He didn’t speak immediately, he simply stood there, watching her with that calm scrutinizing stare that always stripped her bare. And for the first time since she had left his car, Alexandria realized she had no idea what to say to him.