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I inhale once and tilt my head to have a better look at her from this angle. “It’s worse,” I admit. “It’s burning now.”

“What is it?”

I stand up, facing her now. My hands land on the table, either side of her, leaving myself enough space to stop and remind myself that she’s still my student. I breathe in and don’t answer immediately. Because the truth is already too close to my mouth.

“I’m imagining doing things to you, Miss Vitelli,” I whisper in a confession. It sounds like a shame. “And none of the things I’m thinking about are appropriate, or things I can undo once I start.” Her breath catches, and I keep fighting the urge to do something else. “So,” I add, lower now. “Please leave, before I make a mess of my own self-control, this library… and you.”

For a second, I think she won’t listen. Then she turns her head toward mine, her eyes stay on mine as she steps away.

“I will,” she murmurs. “I should.”

She lingers for a brief instant and then she turns away. Her fingers trail briefly over my sleeve as she passes as if to remind me she was here and she says, “It’s burning too, for me.”

When the door closes behind her, I finally breathe again.

It’s burning too.

59

Mireya

Play - Fine Line by Harry Styles

Triggered

I’m still here this Friday night. I don’t have a good reason for staying the weekend, at least not one I’m willing to admit. I just know that Friday came, and I didn’t pack my bag.

When I called home this morning, Edna told me that Milo had been invited to a birthday party. One of his friends from school asked him to come and he immediately asked me if it was okay. I had to check with dad first, making sure his work missions meant he wouldn’t be coming home yet before agreeing. He won’t be going alone, though. Edna will take him and he’ll stay there afterwards.

Now, sitting here in my bed, I almost forget what it feels like to constantly wait for something bad to happen. The training wasn’t even that intense today, but my body feels like it’s carrying weeks of exhaustion instead of just one lonely day.

Blue takes full advantage of it, happily attacking my arms since I came back here, because he knows I’m too tired to fight him anymore.

I hear a loud knocking sound coming from the side of the wall and frown. Does she have someone over? I didn’t even know Hayzel was seeing anyone, well, anyone serious enough for her to bring back here.

Interesting.

There’s unfortunately no way I’m ignoring this. So, I tiptoe to my door after asking Blue to keep it quiet and pull it shut as I walk to hers.

I’m about to know when I hear her whisper, “Oh shit…” and she opens it a few seconds later. She walks out looking completely wrecked and I have to press my lips together to stop myself from laughing.

“Rey…!” She yells, breathless, which widens my grin.

“Rough night already?” I ask curiously.

“No, no..” Hayzel shakes her head and I rise on my tip toes to get a closer look at the guy she has in her room.

“You reek of sex,” I say bluntly as I cover my face with my hand to tease her.

I watch her eyes widen as she releases the door to whack me with her hand. “You weren’t supposed to hear that, I thought you went back home, woman!” She says with laughter creeping in her voice.

It’s the smell that hits me first. I don’t realize it at first but, it does. My breath catches, and my body goes still before my mind can even understand what’s happening.

I frown looking at her, then back at the door. Something about this feels wrong.

No, Reya, that’s impossible.

“Rey, are you okay?”