authors note - back to Ellie's POV. Sorry for the short chapter, I'll be pumping out another one soon.
A couple of days have passed since I first saw him, and so far, Alexander has come into Hollows Bakery every single day, at the same time, 7:45 am. I'm not sure why, but I get really happy when he comes in, I can feel the muscles in my face clench up and my chest feels like someone is pushing down on it. When 7:30 hits, I get really anxious but in, like, a good way? I start pacing for some reason, even though I know I'm gonna be happy because he comes in. Although I shouldn't really be happy to see him, he's my professor. But maybe I'm happy in a friend way? Is it bad to be friends with your professors? I hope not, he's really pretty.
I've been trying to refer to him as Mr. Marcello since that's what he called himself in class a few days ago. Every time I say it, he looks at me blankly and then continues as if nothing happened. I don't know whether he likes it or not.
I hear the bell ring, and see his mop of brown curls before the rest of him. He comes up to the counter slowly, and I say bouncing up and down on the balls of my feet, "Hi Mr. Marcello!"
"Please, outside of class you can call me Alexander." His green eyes were just intently staring at me, like he came into the shop just to say that. Maybe I had upset him?
"Oh, o-okay."
"I was trying to look through my students to find your name, but I'm afraid some of them are hidden in the database. Do you mind if I ask your name?"
I beam up at him. "It's Ellie."
"Not Lili?" He says, raising an eyebrow and smiling.
I laugh lightly, forgetting about Eddie's nickname for me, and how childish it sounded coming out of Mr. Marcell- Alexander's mouth. "No, that's just what my brother calls me."
He nods his head. "Ah, I see. And how are you doing in my class so far?"
"I'm doing okay, some lessons confuse me but I try and figure them out at home." All of them confuse me. If I'm being honest, I'm so incredibly frustrated by his class. I try and ignore how inexperienced I am, and that's been perfect for the first 20 years of my life, and now his class is like a big red light that keeps flashing and shouting, 'Hey, Ellie is super inexperienced! Does not know her own body apparently! Also, balls are a thing!'
"Well, if you ever don't understand something, feel free to stay after class and I can explain things better."
I blush at his offer. "Oh sir, I wouldn't want to keep you, I know I'm your last class."
He looks at me pointedly. "I'm serious, Ellie, don't even hesitate, I'll always be free."
I sigh in relief and nervousness. What's worse, failing a class or talking to someone about sex? I'm gonna have to figure it out now, I guess. "Okay sir, thank you." It's only then that I look at the time. "Oh no!" I don't even say anything to him, and instead rush over and bolt up the stairs. I head down moments later with a sleepy little boy and a backpack, seeing Alexander smiling and waiting patiently. I sit Eddie down and hand him a croissant, eventually turning back to Alexander in slight distress. "I'm so sorry, I lost the time and he has to leave for school like right now."
"That's alright darling, just keep the change." He hands me a fifty, for only two croissants and a latte, making my eyes widen. He then says, "If you'd like, I can drive you both over to the Elementary school, then wherever you'd like to be dropped off?"
At his words, I suddenly get tunnel vision and my heart clenches for a different reason. All the memories of my childhood start flooding back to me, and there's a million coming to the forefront of my mind that I thought I had blocked off for good. I can feel my breathing getting heavier as I internalize his words. He just wants to get us in a car, and then he's going to take us right back to Dad, isn't he? Or maybe he takes us away from the life I built us, and all my progress is gone. God, I've tried so far.
"Ellie?"
"N-No." I give him his change back, and he furrows his eyebrows at my shaky hands. "No thank you, we'll be fine. Have a nice day, Mr. Marcello."
I grab Eddie and rush out of the building, making sure he isn't following us, leaving Alexander confused.
I will not have another man haunt me, or Eddie. I refuse.
YOU ARE READING
Control
Romance"Just let me take care of you," Alexander says as his hand moves across my thigh, his legs holding me in place on the couch. "I can't, it's too much-" I go to move his hand, but another set of hands stop mine. The rings and veins make it obvious wh...
