frostbite

Chapter 36: Lecture Games and Mischief

The lecture hall buzzed with the usual hum of chatter as students filed into their seats. Eden sat near the back, her textbook open in front of her, though she was only half-paying attention to the words on the page. She could feel the tension in the air before she even looked up.

Evelyn Winters stood at the front of the room, perfectly composed as always, her dark hair pulled back into a sleek bun, her tailored suit immaculate. She was in full professor mode, already scrawling something on the whiteboard as students settled in.

Eden's eyes flicked toward her, watching the smooth, controlled movements of her hand as she wrote. Her heart skipped, memories of the night they'd shared—the cuddling incident, as Eden had decided to call it—flashing through her mind. Despite the new layer of understanding between them, the tension was still there, simmering just beneath the surface.

As Evelyn turned to face the class, her sharp blue eyes scanned the room, momentarily locking with Eden's. It was quick, almost imperceptible, but Eden caught it. The briefest flicker of something before Evelyn's expression became neutral again, like nothing had happened.

Eden smirked to herself, her eyes lingering on Evelyn a moment longer before turning back to her book. The game was still on. No matter how much they'd talked things through, there was something thrilling about the stolen glances, the silent exchange that no one else in the room could pick up on.

"Are you seriously staring at her again?" Amy's voice broke through Eden's thoughts, and she looked over to see her best friend sliding into the seat next to her, a grin plastered on her face.

Eden rolled her eyes, leaning back in her chair. "I wasn't staring."

Amy raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Sure, you weren't. It's just a coincidence that every time I look over, you're making googly eyes at the Ice Queen."

Eden shot her a look. "I wasn't making googly eyes."

Amy smirked, nudging her shoulder. "Right. Because that makes it better."

Eden sighed, knowing she wasn't going to win this one. "Look, it's complicated, okay?"

Amy leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Complicated how? Did something happen?"

Eden hesitated, her mind flashing back to the night at Evelyn's house—the teasing, the tension, the way she'd woken up practically wrapped around her professor. But she wasn't about to tell Amy everything. Not yet.

"Let's just say," Eden began carefully, "things aren't exactly what they seem."

Amy's eyes widened, her grin growing even more mischievous. "Oh my god. Something did happen."

Eden groaned, sinking lower in her seat. "Will you keep your voice down?"

Amy laughed, clearly enjoying herself far too much. "Relax, no one's listening. But seriously, you've got to tell me what's going on. You can't just drop a bomb like that and leave me hanging."

Eden shot a glance toward the front of the room, where Evelyn had started the lecture, her voice calm and measured as she explained some theory. Every once in a while, Evelyn's eyes flicked to Eden, but she never lingered. Just enough to keep Eden on edge.

"Okay, fine," Eden whispered back, her eyes flicking around to make sure no one was paying attention. "Something might have happened, but it's not... it's not what you think."

Amy's eyes gleamed with excitement. "Details. Now."

Eden sighed, knowing Amy wasn't going to let this go. "Alright, but you have to promise not to make a big deal out of it."

Amy crossed her heart, leaning in even closer. "Scout's honor."

"Okay," Eden began, her voice low, "so I may have spent the night at her place."

Amy's eyes widened to the size of saucers, her mouth dropping open. "Wait—what?! You stayed the night at Evelyn Winters' house?"

"Shh!" Eden shot her a glare, her cheeks flushing. "It's not what it sounds like. I got caught in the rain, and she gave me a place to crash."

Amy's grin returned full force. "And...?"

Eden hesitated again, but Amy was practically vibrating with excitement, and Eden knew there was no getting out of this. "And... we may have, uh, woken up a little closer than planned."

Amy blinked, then her face split into a wide grin. "Closer? Like, 'sharing the same pillow' closer, or...?"

Eden groaned, burying her face in her hands. "Let's just say I wasn't exactly sleeping on my side of the bed."

Amy let out a delighted squeal, quickly covering her mouth to avoid drawing attention. "Oh my god, you cuddled with your professor! Eden, that's huge!"

"It wasn't intentional!" Eden hissed, still blushing furiously. "I didn't mean to wake up like that. It just... happened."

Amy shook her head, still grinning from ear to ear. "Sure, sure. Accidental cuddling. But come on, that's a sign, right? I mean, she didn't kick you out or anything, right?"

Eden sighed, glancing toward Evelyn again. "No, she didn't. But it's... it's complicated."

Amy leaned back, her arms crossed. "Yeah, no kidding. But you two obviously have something going on. You should just go for it."

Eden shot her a look. "She's my professor, Amy."

Amy waved a hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah, I know. But she's also human, and it's clear she's into you. I can see it from here."

Eden glanced back at Evelyn, her heart doing a little flip as their eyes met for the briefest second. She quickly looked away, feeling the familiar rush of warmth spread through her chest.

"It's not that simple," Eden muttered, though even she wasn't sure who she was trying to convince.

Amy rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed. "Nothing's ever simple. But if you like her, and she likes you, then maybe it's worth figuring out. Besides, a little tension makes things more fun."

Eden let out a soft laugh, shaking her head. "Yeah, well, there's plenty of tension."

Amy grinned, leaning in. "Speaking of tension, I was thinking we should do something fun tonight. You know, take your mind off all this serious stuff."

Eden raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"

Amy's eyes gleamed with mischief. "I don't know... maybe hit up that new bar near campus? I hear it's pretty lively on Friday nights."

Eden groaned, but she couldn't help the smile tugging at her lips. "You always have the worst ideas."

Amy winked. "But you always end up having fun."

Eden laughed softly, shaking her head. "Fine. But no crazy stunts this time, okay?"

Amy raised her hand in mock sincerity. "I promise. This time, it'll be a low-key night of fun. Nothing too wild."

Eden shot her a skeptical look but nodded. "Alright. Let's do it."

Amy grinned, already plotting something mischievous, Eden was sure. But despite her reservations, Eden couldn't deny that the idea of a night out with Amy sounded like exactly what she needed. Something to take the edge off all this tension with Evelyn.

As the lecture continued, Eden found her thoughts drifting back to the night she'd spent at Evelyn's house, the tension between them, the teasing, the unspoken words. Things were shifting—she could feel it—but for now, she wasn't sure where it was all headed.

But one thing was clear: whatever game they were playing, it wasn't over yet.