the fall | abel tesfaye

chapter eighteen - lecture anyone?

The next week went by hastily. I could barely think of anything except the way that I felt under Abel's touch, only inches from his lips. I zoned in and out of my classes and had to try hard to concentrate when my teacher was trying to explain the basic concepts of math. Yet still, I couldn't stop myself from wishing I would bump into him.

Is friends really what we want? What I want? I had to convince myself that it was; I owe myself that much. Abel isn't right for me, and I need to learn to accept that.

Ben slides into the seat next to me in the lecture theatre. "Hey girl, how have you been?"

He's been so sweet to me over the past week. From starting at the record company to showing me around campus, I really don't know what I would have done without him. 

"I've been good, you?"

We engage in small talk as our lecturer, Dr Gallagher enters the room. She's a small lady with wild blonde curls and glasses that are too big for her head. I didn't expect much more from our creative writing teacher.

"Good afternoon class!" She calls, setting up her laptop and monitors behind her. "Everyone, please pull out a fresh page in your notebooks. Yes, you heard me, rip it out, Paul!"

The orange-haired boy in the front row groans at her as he yanks a new sheet from his brand new notebook. Ben chuckles beside me. "What a whinger."

"I'll need you to start by writing a small entry of anything you feel has been of significance in your first week," she states, pacing up and down in front of the class. "Anything at all. Just make sure you get it down."

She leaves us to our own devices and takes a seat behind her desk, attempting to bring up more lecture materials on her computer.

I didn't even notice a figure brushing past me as they took the seat on my other side. 

"Hello, friend."

I don't even have to turn my head to know who it is. Ben stiffens beside me but I place my hand on his upper arm to calm him. "It's okay," I whisper.

I turn to face Abel and am immediately transfixed by his dark brown eyes. It's almost impossible to pull away. "I- I didn't know you studied creative writing?" I ask innocently.

He chuckles and pulls out a brown notepad from his backpack. "Does that surprise you?" He questions.

I shrug my shoulders. "You don't seem the type to give a shit about reading or writing for that matter," I tell him, a small smirk spreading across my face.

"Seems you continue to make the wrong assumptions about me, Miss Jones."

I blush as he uses my last name, returning my gaze to the paper in front of me.

"Tesfaye! Enough with the chit-chat!" Dr Gallagher calls from her seat. Abel rolls his eyes but salutes her with his pen, pretending to write something down on his page.

"Why the hell is he here?" Ben hisses into my ear, out of earshot of Abel. "I don't want this guy anywhere near you."

I shake my head and give him a pleading look. "It's okay Ben. I made it clear that we are going to be nothing more than friends. He knows that."

Oh, have I now?

As if the timing couldn't be more perfect, Abel's hand reaches to rest on my upper thigh under the pop-out desks that are installed into our seats. I pray that Ben doesn't see.

Taking a deep breath, I try to write the first sentence on my own paper. Although, Abel is making it increasingly hard to think right now. I feel his hand slide teasingly higher to reach under my skirt.

I shoot him a warning glare then try not to gasp as his hand slips past my panties. 

"Abel," I hiss at him, trying not to draw attention to myself or him. "Not now, what the fu-"

I bite my lip so hard that I almost draw blood as his fingers start drawing circles on my clit. Clutching at the mini desk as if my life depends on it, Ben shoots me a confused look.

"I'm fine," I say, shakily picking my pen back up and attempting to write on my sheet. He raises his brow at me but thankfully doesn't press me, and returns to his own work. 

Abel continues to play with me and by this point, I am a soaking mess. I can't find it within me to tell him to stop, no matter how wrong this is.

He leans further to me and whispers in my ear. "I want you to come for me, Arabella."

His voice is like honey, and within seconds I am coming undone on his fingers. I screw my eyes shut, trying my best not to make any sound at all and praying that there are no security cameras in the lecture theatre.

My breathing is uneven as he removes his fingers from me and draws them to his lips, sucking loudly. I blush again and try not to look suspicious as Dr Gallagher perks her head up to see what all the commotion is from where Abel is sitting.

So much for being 'friends'.

"Tesfaye! I swear to God, one more sound from you and it will be straight to the Dean's office!"

"My deepest apologies, Dr Gallagher," Abel says soothingly. "It won't happen again."

He suppresses a snort as Dr Gallagher quietens at the sound of his silky voice. This boy knows damn well just how much his voice affects everyone he comes into contact with.

I eye Abel again and he shoots a smirk at me before whispering in my ear.

"You know, I think it's about time I give you my number."