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The last class of the day is finance — the one I hate with a burning passion. It’s held in a smaller classroom, since all the bigger amphitheaters are occupied with bigger classes, so they shoved us into this smaller one.
I’m around ten minutes late, standing at the door. The professor, Mr. Jackson, an older man with a balding head, stern gaze, and a pair of glasses that were in fashion back in the 1920s, is staring at me with displeasure.
“Mr. Ford,” he sighs. “Just take the damned seat already.”
“Yes, sir.”
My eyes roam the classroom, breath catching in my throat when I see that the only empty seat is next to Sophia. She freezes when she hears my name, but soon relaxes, eyes glued to the notes in front of her.
Fucking hell, I miss her.
Her long, blonde hair is falling down her waist in soft waves, theuniform hugging her curves perfectly. She has a small bow on the side of her head, holding back her longer bangs, and the color matches the shade of our uniform perfectly.
Fucking hell, even from the door, I can smell her perfume. It’s messing with my head, and I’m struggling to hold back. With a deep intake of breath, I step into the room, taking a seat next to her. My books fall onto the table with a soft bang, and Sophia doesn’t lift her head to look at me.
She looks different.
She’s lost a bit of weight, and she looks tired as fuck. I want to believe it’s because she’s been studying day and night for the final exams, but I know better. I know the words on the highway hurt her, and I know it’s all my fault she’s in this state.
Mr. Jackson starts with the lesson, and the class falls silent. Sophia lifts her eyes from her notes, staring at the professor and soaking in the words leaving his mouth. Her body’s slightly tense, rigid, and it’s clear she’s on alert.
We’re at the back, and just sitting in her proximity is making me dizzy. I need to do something — to tell her something. We’ve shared this class since our first year, and ever since this madness with Cassia began, today’s the first time she’s not in class with us. It’s the perfect opportunity to say something, anything.
The image of me fingering her in this very class, not too long ago, snaps into my head, and I’m struggling to hold back from doing it again.
“Sophia,” I mutter under my breath, inching closer to her.
Sophia freezes a little, looking at me from the corner of her eyes. Her jaw clenches, her lips pull into a thin line, and she’s silent for what seems to be an eternity. The silence hurts more than any insult ever could.
“What?” She grits out, keeping her voice as low as possible.
“We need to talk,” I say, and Sophia scoffs.
“There’s nothing to talk about, Ford,” she snaps, her voice rising a little. She pauses, and only continues when she’s certain Mr. Jackson isn’t paying attention to us. “You told me everything I needed to know, and I’m no longer interested in listening to anything that comes out of your mouth.”
The words pierce through me like a knife, and I have no fucking right to feel like this. Sophia’s words are cold, calm, and the tone is collected. It’s the same way she used to address me, and she’s gone right back to hating me.
It’s no one’s fault but my own.
I was a coward.
The thought of Cassia hurting Sophia, and using her past, private actions against her, made me think irrationally. I was more scared of what Cassia was capable of than hurting Sophia. And for that alone, I deserve to be treated like a piece of shit by Sophia.
Though I won’t give up.
I managed to get under her skin once; I’ll do it again. I’ll beg on my knees if I need to, and I’ll have her forgive me, no matter how much time I need to spend begging for forgiveness.
With a sigh, I run my fingers through my hair. Sophia’s eyes follow the movements carefully, and her gaze softens a fraction. It’s only for a split second, but it gets my heart racing. There’s a possibility, and the moment I’m fucking done with that cunt, I’m taking the chance, and I’m not ruining it.
“Did you do it?” Sophia asks, and I lift a brow.
“Do what?”
“Did you leak that picture of me, Ford?”
“No,” I say immediately. “I would never.”
