Between the desks

Chapter 48

Elizabeth's POV

With a strange feeling stirring in my chest, I walked down the hallway toward the classroom, my mind replaying the unexpected moment with Amren in my office. When she had come to apologize, I'd been... different. I hadn't put on my usual icy mask. The one I wore to protect myself, to keep my distance. Oddly enough, it was because of her that I'd built that wall in the first place, but somehow, in her presence, I couldn't seem to raise it. Around her, I was just... myself. And it unnerved me more than I cared to admit.

Still distracted by the memory of our conversation, I stepped into the classroom and closed the door behind me. I heard some commotion, students laughing and shouting, but I wasn't paying much attention—until one voice cut through the noise.

"PUNCH HIM!" someone yelled.

My heart leaped in my chest as I snapped back to reality, my gaze locking on two students in the middle of the room. They were fighting—actually fighting in my classroom. My breath caught in my throat, and for a brief second, I froze. What the hell? My mind raced. What do I do?

Before I knew it, instinct kicked in, and I strode across the room, positioning myself between the two boys. My body felt tense, but I kept my voice sharp and steady. "If you want to fight, do it outside of my classroom. Get out." My words came out with a biting edge, and I could feel the weight of my authority settle over the room.

For a moment, the two boys just stood there, blinking at me with blank expressions, as if they hadn't expected a professor to intervene. My irritation spiked as the silence stretched on. "OUT!" I barked, my voice colder than ice. This time, they got the message. They exchanged glances, muttering under their breath, and started moving toward the door.

I followed them, my hands clenched into tight fists, and slammed the door shut behind them. The sound echoed through the room louder than I had intended, but the tension inside me needed an outlet. I took a deep breath, my heart still hammering in my chest, and turned back to the class.

"Good morning, class," I greeted them, my voice calm but carrying the authority. Silence hung in the air, the earlier chaos now replaced by an uneasy quiet. I noticed Amren sitting in the front row, her sharp blue eyes watching me. Our eyes met, and for a long two seconds we just stared at each other. Her gaze sent a strange ripple through my stomach, a twist of emotion I couldn't quite place. I cleared my throat, forcing myself to break the connection.

"Notebooks out, please," I said, getting back to business and walking to the front of the room. I tried to regain control of the situation, focusing on the task at hand. "Today, we'll be practicing essay writing," I continued, my tone steady again as I moved through the classroom, explaining the details of the upcoming assessment. I tried to push the unsettling feeling from my mind, to focus on my role as a professor, but the strange tension still lingered in the back of my thoughts.

"This lesson, I want you to practice by writing an essay on the assigned topic," I instructed, pacing the rows of desks with slow, deliberate steps. "You'll have until the end of the lesson to finish. Turn in your essays, and I'll give you feedback next week. If you have any questions, feel free to ask."

As I reached the end of the room, I glanced at Amren again, but this time I forced myself to keep my attention on the whole class. "You have until the end of the lesson. Good luck." I nodded, signaling them to start, and walked back to my desk. Sitting down, I took a deep breath and reached for my tea, hoping the familiar warmth would calm the residual tension in my body.

The class fell into a comfortable silence, the only sound being the scratch of pens against paper. I busied myself with grading and responding to emails, the minutes passing by uneventfully. It was almost peaceful.

Until I heard a familiar voice break the silence.

"Professor, I have a question."

I looked up, my breath catching slightly when I saw Amren standing beside me. She held her notebook in her hands, looking down at me with those same blue eyes that had unsettled me earlier. My pulse quickened for a reason I couldn't quite explain. I tried to stay composed, though my heart gave an uncomfortable thud.

"Yes, Amren?" I asked, keeping my voice steady, though I could feel the strange pull between us growing stronger. She stepped a little closer, and I became acutely aware of the small distance between us. Her presence sent an unexpected rush of warmth through me, and I fought to maintain my professional demeanor.

"I'm having trouble with this part of the essay," she said, holding out her notebook for me to see. I took it, my fingers brushing lightly against hers, and for a second, the contact jolted through me. I forced myself to focus on her writing, pushing the strange thoughts out of my mind.

I scanned the page, giving her feedback, pointing out a couple of areas where she could make improvements. But as I spoke, I found it increasingly difficult to concentrate. Her presence was distracting, the subtle scent of her perfume lingering in the air between us. Beneath the faint trace of smoke, the subtle fragrance of roses clung to her, soft.

Amren seemed unusually attentive, her eyes fixed on me, absorbing every word. She nodded occasionally, but there was something else there, something unspoken. As I handed her back the notebook, our fingers touched again, and this time, I saw a flicker of something in her eyes—a brief moment of recognition, maybe even understanding.

"Thank you, professor," she said softly, her voice carrying a warmth that made my heart stumble.

"Of course," I replied, my voice quieter now, almost intimate. We locked eyes again for just a second longer than necessary before she turned back to her seat. As she walked away, I realized that the strange tension between us wasn't just in my head. It was real. And it was growing stronger with every interaction.

I let out a long breath and returned to my work, though my thoughts were far from focused.