Office Hours

27 | the s u r r e n d e r

| Z O Y A |

     "Lies!" Zoya exclaimed, refusing to believe her prayers went unanswered. "You saw me with her countless times and you never told me, not once!"

"To be fair, she never told you either."

Zoya scoffed at Alexi's rebuttal. "That doesn't matter! You should've told me!"

Alexi sighed. "We moved here for a fresh start. She didn't want everyone knowing we're a family."

Zoya started pacing the room, burning a hole into the wooden flooring as she grew more angry and repulsed. "I've never seen you wear a ring! Jesus Christ, I'm a bad friend-"

"I. . . I don't wear it anymore because we're getting a divorce."

"Lie again!" Zoya exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at him. "Delilah says she's pregnant!"

"We don't need to be married for me to be a dad." He walked over to her and Zoya took a step back, warning him to stay away. "I'd rather marry you, you've given me a feeling I thought died."

Zoya's mouth dropped. "Bredda, yu nasty and sick stomach! All this time you knew I was your daughter's friend-"

"Stepdaughter."

"I don't care! She's still your family!" she hissed. "And now you're talking about marriage?! Yu crazy?!"

Alexi glared. "Don't place all this on me, Zoya. You want me just like I've wanted you since the first day you walked into my class."

"W-what?"

Alexi sighed, trailing a fingertip down her cheek and sending a shiver of disgust down her spine. "Sweet Zoya. I knew it'd only be a matter of time before you came to me for help. You're bad at Chemistry tests, but you're really not as bad as you think."

"You were failing me on purpose?" she asked, taking several steps back until her back hit the wall. The hot tears streaming down her face were washing away her feelings for him, leaving behind a slate of crystal clear thoughts. "You knew I was desperate. And when I started feeling weary about this, you always knew what to do and say so I didn't leave. . . You took advantage of me!"

"Baby-"

"Nuh call mi baby! I'm not your baby! I'm your student and this is so, so wrong. Leave me alone," she spat. "I'll get my A my damn self. Fuck you and yu contract, Alexi!"

Alexi watched as she walked to the door. "What are you going to do, Zoya? Tell Alyssa? Tell the school?" he asked and she turned around with her mouth agape. "You're just as wrong as me so if it's fuck me and the contract, I'll fail you. Say bye to your scholarship," he said with a mocking wave.

"You're disgusting," was all she managed to say before she flew out the door.

She ran until she was far away from the cabin and Professor Alexi who she wished to never see again.

I was fucking my best friend's dad.

Jesus Christ. Mommy and Daddy must shame a dem one pickney.

She dug around her purse for her emergency money then screamed from frustration. She'd grabbed the wrong bag when she left her dorm. Her mind had been too occupied by the shitstorm she was in the middle of.

Tears streaming down her face, she called Malique. Remembering he was far away at a college party with Pia, Jacob and Gio, Zoya was left with one other option.

She dialed Caden.

"Z?" his raspy voice came from the other side of the line.

She sadly smiled, loving the nickname and hating it too.