When Paths Cross Again (Prof./Student)

Chapter 5 - Explain

During the whole evening, the incident stayed on my mind. All the while driving Jamie home and arriving at my own apartment, Eric occupied my thoughts. 

That I had to finish his exercises in the dimmed light on my kitchen table didn't help to think about something else. 

I hadn't even realised that he had heard my conversation with the older man. Still, many people would have just ignored it, leaving me on my own. And especially from him did I expect nothing else. But the fact that he really said something in my defense was simply astonishing.

He had never been nice to me. 

Not one single time as we've been on the same highschool did he acted nice or even normal towards me. No, there had always been a mean thought about me on his mind and he never hesitated to tell me. 

His smirk, I could still see it in front of me and it still made me tense my body. 

Back then, I was quite shy and didn't really defend myself so he could have all his fun with me when he didn't ignore me. But now, especially through the problems with my mother and sister, I learned to speak up for myself. Now, I wasn't to be played with and Eric Harrison surely wouldn't become an exception. 

He could behave nice to me or not, I didn't care. My world wasn't circling around him. Not anymore. 

-------------------------------

The next morning, I was, for once, on time in my schedule and sat on a chair in the lecture hall before Mr Professor had even arrived.

Yes bitch! 

With a satisfied smile I leaned back and crossed my arms over my chest, waiting. 

However, as I heard the sound of expensive shoes hitting the floor, followed by the door being closed with a controlled force, I clenched my thighs together. 

To get to the front, you would have to walk along a small hall and walk the steps down in the middle of the room. 

I sat in the row with the small hallway right behind me and I did not dare to look in his direction. A light breeze hit my skin as I was very aware of his body walking along the hall, passing my back. His strong scent crept into my nose, almost leaving me breathless and as he arrived down at his desk I realised that I had, in fact, held my breath. 

Almost angrily did I clench my jaw as I wondered why the hell he had such an effect on me. But as his eyes moved over the students and stopped at me, my mind went blank. For a few seconds something about him seemed to change as if he hadn't been prepared to seeing me. It was hard to describe it and after a last glance, he averted his eyes, starting the lecture with his usual expression.

The fact that I had not only been on time for once but that I was also able to follow everything he said, made me feel like I had my entire life under control. Why did I always complain? I could fucking do this!  

However, after every good thing there had to, eventually, happen something bad. And in my case, the universe thought that an hour would be enough before it could throw in another obstacle to ruin my contentment. 

Jumping slightly in my chair at the vibration, I pulled my phone out and stared at the screen, already expecting the worst as I saw from whom the message had come from:

Mom. 

It took me only two seconds to read her words, yet I kept my eyes on the screen a little bit longer, reading over it again:

You need to come over to my house now. It's an emergency.

I groaned internally as I looked at my watch. The lecture wouldn't be over in half an hour. So I had to leave now and hope that no one would notice.