Challenge Accepted

8 Truth & Lies

(Professor Miles Prospective)

"If you don't have anything to say, your photographs are not going to say much" - Gordon Parks.

I stood still as I watched Stella's face turn pale. I turn around after she greets the voice behind me. " Mr. Jacobs," I say, smiling.

"Mr. Miles" He greets me with a fake smile and a glare. I raise one of my eyebrows as I see him and Stella touch hands just for a second. As he gave Stella, her bags.

"Why aren't you just a gentleman for doing that? '' I commented, after Stella thanked him. I knew his true intentions. Although I don't know what relationship he has with her. He knows something Stella doesn't. All I know is he likes Stella a lot. But not as much as I like her. And I'm not going to give him the opportunity to prove me wrong.

"Stella I been-" Jay tried to start a conversation with Stella but I interpreted.

"Well Miss. Sage we found your bags, would you like to continue the meeting?" I smirk.

"Uh- right. Sorry Jay, but I'll get back to you later. Don't worry I'll finish my side of the project tonight. I have to talk to a couple of other professors after Professor Miles" She lied straight to his face. Pretty impressive. Not even a hesitation of gilt on her face. She's a good Lier.

"Right, you must be busy sense you been gone for a week, just text me the rest of the project so I can put it together" Jay said and left.

"You're a pretty good liar, never noticed that until now," I said, turning to her.

"Half of it was true. I do have to talk to my other teachers, but I'll just email them. I'm actually already caught up on my assignments. I know I seem a mess but at school I actually get shit done. WAIT WORK! Oh God I have to go to the office, Zion I'll umm..." She doesn't seem so organized now. I smirked and looked into her light brown eyes.

"Don't worry, go. Although I didn't tell you in the bathroom. You're not receiving anything else today, not even a text or a call" one eyebrow goes up as I move a strain of hair away from her neck. She turns around, pouting. I smirk devilishly to the thought of her just pulling something stupid to get my attention.

"Fine" she said and left. That was interesting. I thought about recalling Jay's actions and words. For some reason I don't think he believed her. Not so long after she left and me walking to my car, I got a call.

"Mr. Miles, an employee hasn't been working for a week, she may just be an assistant, but she's getting paid for her absence" My assistant said over the phone.

"I know, I took care of it" I responded as I looked at the file on Stella, Sage. "She had a personal matter to attend to. I gave her some slack. It's fine if she gets paid while she is gone. It was just for a week" I added.

" As you wish Sir" My assistant said right before I hung up.

"I'm sure" I spoke in a raspy tone, hinting to him that I knew what I was doing. I hung up and started my car.

(The Company)

Stella was working hard, at least through the security cameras. When she's not working at the bar Stella was also an assistant to my assistant who made her do almost everything. She even has her own little office so she could do papers that my assistant needed help with. I always stayed up at my office, floors and floors above Stella. She doesn't even know I'm her boss. She would probably be really pissed, if she knew. Let's just say my guess was right. She was mad, after she clocked off, she spotted my driver's car. I clocked out early because I finally had caught up with work. Although that was after she spotted Jay. Whom I didn't realize worked close by or at my building. I told my driver to stop, so I could watch their conversation. Stella looked shocked, somewhat mad, but happy. She had many mixed emotions on her face. She was never one to show emotions to just anyone. She usually knows how to control them, even when she's being a brat, she holds her pouting to a certain level, but not this time. Stella cried, and Jay embraced her. He kissed the top of her head and rubbed her back. I don't know what they talked about, but it got Stella shaken up. It seems like Jay just told her the whole truth about her life, or something. It rained. Jay took his Jacket and put it over them and ran to shelter.

"Go where those two people are standing, please" I said to my drier pointing towards them. I rolled down the window and looked at Stella. "Get in," I said. She was shocked to see me.

"Zi- I mean" She was hesitant to say my first name, or even to speak. She looks at Jay and then at me.

"Both of you hop in, I'll drop you off" I spoke.

"I'm fine, I have a ride, I have to stop somewhere anyways" Jay said.

"Stella?" I spoke. She hopped in the limo without saying anything. I rolled up the window that separated the back and front of my limo and then the back window that I rolled down to greet Stella and Jay. "Are you alright?" I asked. She was silent, I could tell she was trying to get her emotions together. I knew she had a lot of questions in mind. And maybe me being there at that moment, made it worse. But the rain was heavy, and I just felt like I needed to be with her or something. Or it might also be out of selfishness and jealousy.

"Umm.. Why are you at my work?" She asked.

"Right... Well at this moment I don't think you want to know" I scuff.

"You work here?" She asked looking out the closed window, away from me.

"You can say that," I answered. She's smart, she probably has a good guess on what I am.

"Awesome, I fucked my professor, my boss, and my enemy. My childhood friend probably knows, because he caught me lying. And I didn't even recognize his face because of how much he has changed" Stella said.

"He is your childhood friend?" I ask, Stella nods.

"It's a long story, I'm tired, and I don't know If I should be mad at you or not. I just want to go home, so can we talk about this another day, please" she said softly. She was holding back her feelings. I have no clue what's going on with Jay and her, but it's getting me worked up. I'm also wondering what Stella and I are. At first I thought I definitely had her, I thought she was all mine. Although Jay somehow got her emotions in a bunch. I didn't say anything nor did she. She sat beside me in the back looking out the closed window in silence, all the way to her house.

"I'll see you In class tomorrow" She said and shut the door before I could respond. I was complex, I had no idea how I should feel right now. That's probably what Stella was thinking at that time as well.