Hidden Flame

Chapter 34: The Obsession

August sat in the back row of the lecture hall, her notebook open but untouched. The professor’s voice was a dull hum in the background, each word slipping past her without leaving a trace. Her mind, consumed by a singular focus, could not be pulled from its relentless loop: River.

It had been weeks since the gala, weeks since that kiss, but the memory of it clung to her like a shadow. Every time she closed her eyes, she could feel the ghost of River’s lips on hers, the warmth of her breath, the taste of her mouth. It was a memory she couldn’t escape, a moment that replayed itself over and over in her mind, leaving her breathless and aching with longing.

The intensity of her obsession was overwhelming. Every thought was consumed by River—her voice, her touch, the way she had looked at August that night. It was as if nothing else mattered. Her classes, her friends, even her art—everything paled in comparison to the burning need she felt for the older woman. August tried to push the thoughts away, tried to focus on anything else, but it was futile. River was all she could think about, all she could want.

Her grades began to slip. Assignments were left unfinished, tests came back with failing marks. It was as if her mind had been hijacked, leaving no room for anything but the relentless desire that gnawed at her day and night. August knew she was spiraling, but she couldn’t stop herself. The more she tried to distance herself from River, the more her obsession deepened.

River, meanwhile, was experiencing her own torment. The stack of papers on her desk was a glaring reminder of the chaos that had taken hold of her life. Every test, every assignment that she handed back to August was marked with the same disappointing results. The student who had once impressed her with sharp intellect and creativity was now barely scraping by.

She knew why, of course. It was because of her. River had tried to keep her distance, to maintain a professional barrier between them, but it was impossible. The kiss they had shared at the gala had shattered any semblance of control she thought she had. August was everywhere—in her thoughts, in her dreams, in every corner of the university where they might cross paths. River could see the effect it was having on August, and it tore her apart.

The guilt gnawed at her. She had made the decision to end things, to draw a line between them, but it seemed that line had only served to deepen their mutual obsession. Every failed test, every incomplete assignment from August felt like a direct reflection of River’s failure to keep her emotions in check. She was responsible for this, for August’s unraveling, and it haunted her.

One afternoon, River found herself alone in her office, staring blankly at August’s latest test. The answers were half-hearted, as if August had barely tried. River’s hand shook slightly as she placed it down on the desk. She could feel the tension building in her chest, the suffocating weight of knowing she was the cause of this.

When August arrived for their scheduled meeting, she was a bundle of nerves. She knew what the outcome would be, knew that she had failed yet again. But it wasn’t the failing that scared her; it was seeing River, being in the same room as her, feeling that undeniable pull all over again.

As August stepped into the office, their eyes met, and the air between them crackled with unspoken words, with tension so thick it was almost tangible. River gestured for August to sit, her expression unreadable, though her eyes betrayed a flicker of something deeper—concern, frustration, perhaps even the same longing that August felt.

“August,” River began, her voice softer than usual. “We need to talk about your performance.”

August nodded, her heart pounding in her chest. She couldn’t look at River without feeling the surge of emotions threatening to overwhelm her. She knew she had let herself slip, knew that she was risking everything, but she couldn’t seem to pull herself out of the spiral.

River leaned forward, folding her hands on the desk. “You’ve always been a brilliant student, but lately… you’re not yourself. What’s going on?”

August swallowed hard, trying to find the words, but they stuck in her throat. She couldn’t tell River the truth, couldn’t admit that every failed test, every incomplete assignment was because she couldn’t get River out of her mind. The older woman was a constant presence, an obsession that had taken over every aspect of her life.

When August finally spoke, her voice was barely a whisper. “I’m sorry. I know I’ve been slipping. I just… I can’t focus.”

River’s gaze softened, the concern in her eyes deepening. “Is there something I can do to help? August, you need to tell me what’s wrong.”

The question hung in the air, loaded with implications. August could feel the tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. She was on the brink of breaking, of confessing everything, but the fear held her back. Fear of rejection, fear of what would happen if she laid her heart bare.

Instead, she shook her head. “No, it’s… it’s something I need to work through on my own.”

River’s disappointment was palpable, but she nodded, respecting August’s decision to keep her distance. Yet, the room was filled with the unsaid, with the undeniable connection that still burned between them. It was a connection that neither could escape, and it was destroying them both.

As August left River’s office, she could feel the weight of her obsession pressing down on her, suffocating her. She knew she was losing control, but she didn’t know how to stop. And with every step she took away from River, the longing only grew stronger, pulling her back into the depths of her own desire.

River watched August leave, a sense of helplessness washing over her. She wanted to reach out, to pull August back, to tell her that she wasn’t alone in her struggle. But she couldn’t. The boundaries they had tried to establish were crumbling, and River feared that if she let her guard down for even a moment, they would both be consumed by the fire that still smoldered between them.

And so, they continued to spiral, their lives entangled in a web of desire and obsession, each day bringing them closer to the edge, where the line between right and wrong blurred, and the only thing that remained clear was their impossible yearning for one another.