“I feel like there’s more to the story you’re maybe not telling me?”
I nodded. “Yeah, a little bit more.” I took a deep breath. Little was such a broad description when it came to this. “Well, when I sat with him at the table eating breakfast, he told me that he’d wanted me for a long time, that I was his and he wasn’t going to walk away. He stated he was done waiting.” The silence in the room was deafening, heavy, and I felt like it was hands wrapped around my throat, squeezing.
“Um,” was all Alexis managed to say.
The look Alexis gave me was of disbelief, her mouth slightly open and her eyes wide. She closed her mouth, opened it again, however no words came out.
“I love him, Alexis. I’ve been in love with him but kept it to myself.” I felt my cheeks heat after I admitted my deepest secret.
“You love him? As in you’re in love with our professor?”
I nodded, not speaking.
“Grace, you realize that being with a professor in that capacity is like a huge crossing-the-line kind of thing, right?”
I nodded.
“And he’s like so much older than you. He’s at least in his mid-thirties. You’re not yet twenty-one. You’re alright with the age gap? You’re comfortable with the fact he looks incredibly possessive of you, enough to follow you to the club and almost strangle a guy that was grinding on you?” She held up her hands. “Although maybe I kind of love Professor Baldwin for doing the latter.”
I could have laughed at that, but this moment was too serious, too depressing. “Yeah, I am okay with that.” My voice was heavy with emotion.
My heart was racing a mile a minute, my palms were sweaty, and my tongue felt thick. I’d never uttered these words out loud to anyone, not even to myself. Yet here I was, knowing that there was no going back. Seth wanted me, and he wasn’t going to walk away. And that’s just what I wanted.
“I mean this is a no-turning-back kind of thing, Gracie.”
“I know,” I muttered.
Why couldn’t I have what I desired? Why couldn’t I get what I deserved? The man I loved wanted me, and darn it, I wasn’t going to turn that down even if it was against the rules. Even if it was regarded crossing lines.
“I hope you’re sure of what you’re doing,” Alexis added softly.
“Me too.”
She reached out and took hold of my hand. “But I’m here for you, always, okay?”
I grinned and nodded.
“And I want you to be able to confide in me about anything, even when our professor wants to make you his … everything, apparently.” Her eyes widened, and I did laugh then.
“This is a little crazy, isn’t it?”
“A little,” she responded and chuckled. “But it’ll make one hell of a story one day, right?”
I nodded, hoping she was right.
“How about we forget about this for right now and dig into that ice cream and watch some Netflix?”
“Sounds perfect.” Leave it to Alexis to make it seem like things would be good, even if it was only for tonight and comprised of a sugar overload and a rom-com.
Alexis had left ten minutes earlier. It was late, but here I was lying in bed, staring at the ceiling and holding my phone while I debated calling Seth. He was probably asleep, and actually talking to him made me nervous.
But I couldn’t quit thinking about him. All I could fathom was being with him, having him hold me, kiss me… fuck me.
My breath started coming in quicker pants, arousal licking across every part of me. I felt heated, eager to reach between my thighs and touch myself.
This was silly, but God, this all felt so fantastic.
And then my phone rang.
