Chapter 44
Chapter 44
It was new week, and Alexandria woke up in her own bed on Monday morning. Unlike most days, she as calm enough o notice the penthouse was bathed in soft, early light. She appreciated how calming it was.
The weekend at Jonathan’s house had left her feeling… different. He wasn't fixed, far from that. And she most certainly wasn't whole, but he felt steadier, she felt better.
The concussion symptoms had faded to almost nothing. She had rested, and had eaten properly. She had let herself be cared for without fighting every second of it. And somehow, that had made her feel stronger.
She moved through her morning routine calmly today. She took a a long shower where she didn’t scrub her skin raw trying to erase memories of Jonathan's touch.
Even her appetite was returning, so she made herself a proper breakfast of eggs, avocado toast and fresh fruit. She was trying to be kinder to herself today.
By the time she left for campus, she felt… ready for the day.
The lecture hall for Jonathan’s class was already filling when she arrived. She took her usual seat, kept her back straight, and her notebook open. Students around her chatted about how they'd spent their weekends, and she couldn't help but recall how she'd spent hers. It was weekend she wasnt sure she'd forget anytime soon.
She kept her head down at first, but when Jonathan entered the room, she couldn’t help but look up. He walked in with his usual calm authority, laptop under one arm, dressed in a crisp white shirt and dark trousers. Seeing him up there on the podium made her wonder if he was the same man she'd been with.
He didn’t glance at her immediately, instead, he set his things on the podium, opened his laptop, and began the lecture in that deep voice she knew so well. But then, as he scanned the room subtoy and his eyes found hers. They held the eye contact for a brief moment. And he gave an almost imperceptible nod.
Warmth flooded her chest immediately. He as ignoring her or pretending there'd been nothing between them. He was actually acknowledging her.
The lecture continued, and for the first time in weeks, Alexandria found herself actually able to focus. She took notes, highlighted key points, and even raised her hand once to answer a question, and when he called on her.
"Correct,” he said, with the faintest hint of approval in his eyes.
The rest of the day passed rather smoothly. Alexandria moved through her remaining classes with a focus she hadn’t managed in weeks. She participated in discussions, studied a bit with Peter, and even managed a conversation with Julian and the others.
She was managing herself quite well today. By the time the final lecture ended, the sun was beginning to dip lower in the sky. She contemplated lingering around he library in hopes of running into Jonathan but thought against it. He'd call her if he wanted to meet up.
With that thought in mind, she'd returned to the penthouse with a sense of accomplishment. She hadn't spiraled today, she hadn't fought back tears, she hadn't felt like ripping her heart out.
On returning to the penthouse, she showered and headed to the kitchen to make herself a proper dinner. Perhaps if e kept being this way, she wouldn't feel like shit anymore. That was what e told herself, but every time she checked her phone and there still wasn't a notification from him, her mood would deteriorate and she'd feel less inclined towards being a she was.
She was curled up on the couch with her notes, the television played some mindless show she wasn't really watching quietly in the background. And she wasn't particularly studying either, she as more focused on her phone, she was waiting for it to buzz or ring. I
It was late now, and Jonathan should have left work by now, he should have been home, showered and settled. Why hadn't he reached out?
She forced the thought out of her mind. Why was e overthinking this? Why was she expecting too much from whatever it was that was going on between them? They weren't a couple after all, he didn't have to call her, and she didn't care if he called her.
So, why was she getting upset?
Her phone began rinhing at thay moment, and the sound almost startled her. She glanced at the screen and her heart did a small flip. It was the unsaved number from the other day. She answered on the third ring.
“Hello?”
“Hi,” Jonathan’s voice came through.“How are you doing?”
The simple question made something warm bloom in her chest. It was endearing, really, having someone check up on her like this. Someone that wasn't her family. Having him check up on her.
“I’m… okay,” she replied, settling deeper into the couch. “Better than yesterday. The headache is mostly gone.”
“Good.” There was a brief pause, and then he spoke again. “Have you had dinner?”
She smiled faintly, she wasn't sure why, but she did.
“I have.” she replied.
There was another small pause, and she could almost picture him nodding, satisfied.
"You sound tired,” he observed.
“I am,” she admitted. “I did a lot of studying snd catching up today.”
"I’m proud of you.”
The words landed unexpectedly, and they hit deep.
And for some reason, tears pricked the corners of her eyes.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
They talked for a while after that. Nothing heavy or dramatic, just light conversations. He asked about her other classes, he shared a brief story about a ridiculous email he had received from a colleague. The ease of it surprised her, there was no pressure between them at he moment, they were just.... talking.
At some point, she stretched out completely on the couch with her phone pressed to her ear while her eyes grew heavier with every passing minute. She as so comfortable, this felt so good.
“You should get some rest,” he said gently after a while. “You’ve had a long day.”
"Mmm,” she murmured, already drifting off. But she didn't want him to go, she liked talking to him.
"Goodnight, Alexandria." She heard him say just s she completely drifted off.
Author's Note
Hello my dearies! Sorry I've been away, I just have a lot going on. Thank you for your patience and continuous support. Looking forward to hearing from y'all. Happy Reading!