The Fear of Falling

Chapter Thirteen

By the time I regained my balance and feeling in my legs, Gavin had already buttoned his pants.

The sound of his belt filled the pitch black room as I straightened out my blouse and skirt. Gavin's cum ran down my thigh and I tried not to think about it too hard.

We didn't speak, instead, we ignored each other's presence. After finishing, I realized how detrimental getting caught would be to both of our careers. And Professor Dames almos–Don't think about that, Meg.

I should have been alarmed, anxious, but the memory only served as another reason for me to start up round two.

I let out a shaky breath as he reached around me to open the door. My heart pounded at the thought of his arm wrapped around my waist.

Gavin stepped into the darkroom and glanced to both sides before leaving me in the fuck closet. I sighed and let my shoulders drop. After all, what did I expect?

We were just roommates. Now, we weren't even going to be that.

I walked to my station and threw my bag over my shoulder without a word. My legs shook in spite of myself. I needed a drink.

Gavin pretended to be busy by the developer and I didn't press for pillow talk. It wasn't until I left the darkroom and was halfway down the hall that he even bothered to speak to me.

I didn't even notice that he was on my heels.

"Meg," he took a few steps towards me and then stopped. His tie hung limp in front of his chest; I raised my eyebrows.

"Yes?" It was hard to disguise the hope in my voice. Rain poured outside and drowned the city; I tightened my grip on the umbrella handle.

He opened his mouth and then shut it again.

Right.

I nodded and turned away from the man who had suddenly forgotten how to speak. I pushed open the exit, half expecting to hear him stop me again but I continued uninterrupted. The rain pelted me as I started my short walk home with one question on my mind.

Was it worth it?

****

I sat at my desk, a candle burning, and a book to dissociate with in front of me. I flipped the page and leaned back in my chair. A deep sigh radiated through me as I noticed the all-encompassing silence for the fifth time that hour.

The apartment was as good as abandoned.

I tucked my damp hair behind my ear; after five minutes of dramatics, I had caved and used my umbrella. Still, the rain had already done enough damage.

Then, before I could give up on the day and crawl into my bed, the sound of keys echoed through the hall. I sat up and peered out of my open doorway.

Heavy footsteps marched towards me and then Gavin, dripping wet and unamused, appeared in front of me.

He leaned against my door frame with his arms crossed; water droplets fell off of him and collected into a puddle on my floor. I stifled a groan.

"Did you have a nice walk home, Megs?" His words were laced with venom. I frowned.

"I did, actually. Thank you." I paused, considering how many buttons I could push at once. Then said, "Umbrellas are great like that."

Gavin shot me a tight, sarcastic smile and turned on his heel to leave.

I cleared my throat. "So, when is the moving date?"

He stopped in his tracks and squared his shoulders before meeting my pointed gaze. For a moment, I could have sworn I saw a shadow of disappointment flicker over his face.