Frozen Desires [profxgirl][wlw]

Chapter Seventeen

Wednesday;

I was sitting at the dining table, enjoying the quiet of the morning as I lazily scrolled through my phone, spooning cereal into my mouth without much thought. The peacefulness was cut short by a voice from beside me.

"Morning."

Startled, I nearly sent my phone plunging into the bowl of milk and cereal. I whipped around to see Aunt Grace standing there, her smile bright and full of energy.

"Auntie Grace?" I blinked at her in confusion, "Aren't you supposed to be at the hospital?"

She just shook her head, sliding into the chair beside me with a casual air as if she hadn't just snuck up on me. Without hesitation, she grabbed my bowl and took a bite of my cereal like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Nope, I'm off today," she said cheerfully, handing the bowl back with a sly grin. I shook my head at her antics, pulling it closer before she could swipe another spoonful.

"Speaking of the hospital," she added, her tone shifting slightly, "Where were you yesterday?"

Ah, right. I hadn't mentioned the TA position to Aunt Grace yet. Yesterday had been such a whirlwind that when I got home, I'd barely managed to crawl into bed before passing out, only waking up this morning.

"I got the TA position," I finally said, offering a small smile, watching as Aunt Grace's eyes lit up in excitement. Her face practically glowed as she clapped her hands together in delight.

"What! Congratulations!" she beamed. "I told you that boy she picked wouldn't last long."

I chuckled, though the thought of the original TA still lingered in the back of my mind. What had happened to him?

"How was it yesterday?" Aunt Grace asked, snapping me back to the present. I sighed, sinking a little deeper into my chair.

"Could've been better," I admitted, running a hand through my hair. "I bought her an iced coffee just to be nice, but she didn't even drink it."

Aunt Grace's expression quickly soured, her lips pressing into a tight line. "You're joking, right?"

"Nope," I said, shaking my head. "She just pushed it away with a pen and told me she doesn't like iced coffee. Then, she basically said I could drink it instead."

Aunt Grace raised her eyebrows in disbelief, clearly appalled by the rudeness. "She pushed it away with a pen?" she repeated, her voice full of exasperation. I nodded, laughing softly at how absurd it all sounded now that I was saying it out loud.

Aunt Grace rose from the table, making her way toward the kitchen with a soft clinking of dishes. I glanced down at my phone, realizing it was time to get going. Morning classes weren't going to wait, and I had to get through another day of TA duties with Professor Montgomery.

I picked up my empty cereal bowl and followed Aunt Grace into the kitchen, placing it in the sink with a clatter. "I'll see you later," I called over my shoulder, giving her a quick hug before slipping out the door.

The drive to campus was uneventful, but as I parked and stepped out of my car, the crisp morning air felt refreshing. I walked toward the fountain, already spotting Lea sitting cross-legged on the bench, her head buried in her phone.

"She lives!" Lea called out dramatically when she saw me approaching. Chuckling, I flopped down beside her, the warmth of the morning sun filtering through the trees and casting soft, dappled shadows on the ground.

"How much info did you gather for that research project?" I asked, turning to face her, my eyes scanning the familiar hustle of students moving around campus.