Bound by law

Chapter 11: Nobody's to Claim

The moment the words left Celeste's lips, the air in the lecture hall became suffocating. Estelle's pulse thundered in her ears, her mind racing to catch up with what she had just heard. Celeste, the cold, untouchable professor who ruled her world with iron control, had just claimed her—claimed her as if she were something to be owned, to be protected.

Estelle's back was pressed firmly against the desk, her palms flat on the surface behind her as she tried to ground herself. Her heart was racing, but not with fear—something deeper, something raw and unfamiliar. She couldn't deny the pull she felt toward Celeste, the strange tension that had been building between them for weeks. But this? This crossed a line.

Estelle forced herself to meet Celeste's eyes, her voice shaky but defiant. "No, I'm not," she said, her breath hitching. "I'm nobody's to claim."

For a moment, Celeste's eyes flashed with something unreadable—something that looked like hurt, quickly masked by her icy exterior. She stepped back, her lips pressing into a thin line, and the cold wall she had so carefully built around herself reappeared in full force.

"You misunderstand," Celeste said quietly, though her voice was strained. "I'm trying to protect you."

"From what?" Estelle shot back, her voice rising. "From Victoria? From... whatever's going on between the two of you? You can't just step in and act like you own me because you think you know what's best for me."

Celeste's jaw tightened, her composure barely holding together. "It's not about owning you, Estelle."

"Then what is it about?" Estelle's frustration boiled over, her emotions finally spilling out. "Because I don't know what this is anymore. I'm your student, Celeste. You're my professor. You don't get to make decisions about who I talk to, or who I'm involved with."

Celeste's eyes darkened, and for a moment, Estelle thought she saw the faintest flicker of vulnerability there, buried beneath the cold, steely exterior. It was a brief glimpse, but it was enough to make her heart twist in confusion. Celeste was fighting something—fighting herself, perhaps.

"I'm not trying to make decisions for you," Celeste said, her voice softer now, almost pleading. "I just... Victoria is dangerous. You don't know her like I do."

Estelle shook her head, her mind spinning. "Maybe I don't. But I'm an adult, and I can make my own choices. You don't get to decide who I should be afraid of."

The tension between them was thick, nearly unbearable. Celeste took another step back, her expression unreadable once again. The cold, distant mask she wore so well had fully returned, but something had shifted between them. Something deeper had been exposed, even if neither of them knew what to do with it.

"You're right," Celeste finally said, her voice tight, as though the admission physically hurt her. "You're not mine to claim. You're free to make your own decisions."

Estelle's breath caught in her throat at the words. The intensity in Celeste's eyes hadn't faded, but the distance between them felt like a chasm now—something that neither of them knew how to cross.

"Good," Estelle whispered, though the word felt hollow. She should have felt relieved, but instead, she felt a strange emptiness.

Celeste handed Estelle her phone back, her fingers brushing lightly against hers in the process. The touch sent a jolt through Estelle, even though she tried to ignore it. "Stay away from Victoria," Celeste said quietly, almost as a final plea. "For your own good."

Without waiting for a response, Celeste turned and walked toward the door, her posture rigid, her exit swift. She didn't look back, leaving Estelle standing in the empty lecture hall, her mind a whirlwind of emotions she didn't know how to process.

Estelle stared down at her phone, still gripping it tightly as if it held the answers she needed. But there were no answers here—only more questions. What had just happened? What did Celeste mean by claiming her? Why had she reacted so intensely?

And why, despite her anger, did Estelle feel so drawn to her?

She let out a shaky breath, trying to push the thoughts away, but they clung to her like shadows. She was nobody's to claim. She had said it herself. But the problem wasn't just Celeste—it was the way she felt when Celeste was near. That magnetic pull, the way her heart raced, the way her entire body responded to the mere presence of the woman who, by all accounts, she should fear.

But it wasn't fear. It was something far more dangerous.

Later that evening, Estelle sat on the couch in the apartment she shared with Mia, absently flipping through her phone. Her mind was still replaying the confrontation with Celeste on a loop, but she hadn't told Mia about it yet. She wasn't ready for the inevitable teasing.

Mia, however, wasn't one to let anything slide. She plopped down beside Estelle, nudging her playfully. "You've been quiet. What's going on?"

Estelle sighed, setting her phone down and leaning back into the couch. "It's... complicated."

Mia raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "Complicated? Spill."

"I had a... conversation with Celeste after class," Estelle began slowly, trying to figure out how to explain without diving too deep into the emotional mess of it all.

Mia's eyes lit up with excitement. "Oh my god, what did she say? Was it intense? Did she, like, storm out of the room dramatically? You've got that 'I just had a major life event' look on your face."

Estelle groaned. "It wasn't like that... exactly. But she... she kind of freaked out about Victoria."

Mia frowned, her teasing expression fading slightly. "Freaked out how?"

"She told me to stay away from her. That Victoria's dangerous. And then she said something about how I'm... hers." Estelle's cheeks flushed as she said the last part, and she quickly added, "But I told her I wasn't."

Mia's mouth dropped open, her eyes wide with shock and amusement. "Wait, wait, wait. She said you were hers? Like... what? Did she mean that literally? Because that's hot, but also... complicated."

Estelle buried her face in her hands, groaning again. "I don't know what she meant. It was just—there was so much tension, Mia. I don't know what to do with this."

Mia was silent for a moment, then let out a low whistle. "Wow. Okay, this is... a lot. But Estelle, you have to admit—there's something between you and Thorne. I mean, it's obvious."

Estelle peeked out from behind her hands. "Something? Like what?"

Mia raised an eyebrow. "Like sexual tension. Like unresolved feelings. Like two people who are definitely pretending not to want each other."

Estelle's heart skipped a beat, and she shook her head. "She's my professor, Mia. I can't... I can't feel that way about her."

Mia gave her a knowing look. "You can try to deny it all you want, but feelings don't just go away because they're inconvenient."

Estelle sighed, leaning back into the couch. She knew Mia was right. There was something there—something she didn't want to admit, even to herself. But where did that leave her? Stuck between Celeste and Victoria, with no clear way out?

"I just don't know what to do," Estelle whispered, her voice heavy with uncertainty.

Mia smiled softly, patting her on the leg. "You don't have to figure it out tonight. Just... take it one step at a time. And maybe, just maybe, let yourself feel whatever it is you're feeling."

Estelle didn't respond, but the weight of Mia's words lingered in the air. One step at a time. That was all she could do.

But deep down, she knew that whatever was happening between her and Celeste was far from over.