Bound by law

Chapter 12: The Wait Ends

The weeks following Estelle's confrontation with Celeste Thorne were a blur of silence and avoidance. The tension that had once charged the air between them seemed to vanish, replaced by a chilling indifference that left Estelle feeling like a ghost in Celeste's world. Every class, Estelle watched her professor, waiting for some acknowledgment, some sign that their connection—whatever it had been—was still there. But Celeste never looked her way, never called on her, never gave her a single glance.

It was as if Estelle didn't exist.

Mia had noticed the shift, of course. "She's stonewalling you," Mia had said one evening after class, flipping through her notes casually as they sat in their living room. "Classic avoidance technique. She's probably mad at herself for letting things get as far as they did."

Estelle had tried to shrug it off, pretending that it didn't bother her. But deep down, it gnawed at her. For weeks, she had felt the pull of something between them, the strange, electric chemistry that had hung between every glance, every conversation. And now? It was like Celeste had pulled the plug, and the connection had been severed.

But today was different. Today was the day Celeste would announce who had won the coveted internship at Thorne & Associates. Estelle had been working tirelessly on her case submissions, throwing herself into her work as a way to distract herself from the void left by Celeste's silence. Winning the internship was her chance to prove herself, not just to Celeste, but to everyone. If she could win on merit alone, maybe she could finally get past all of the complications that had been swirling around her.

As she and Mia walked toward the lecture hall, Mia nudged her playfully. "So, how are we feeling? Confident? Nervous? Freaking out a little?"

Estelle let out a shaky laugh. "All of the above, I think."

Mia grinned. "Well, you've got this. You've been killing it with your casework, and no one else is as sharp as you are. And Thorne would be crazy not to pick you."

Estelle smiled weakly. Mia's support had been the only thing keeping her grounded through the rollercoaster of emotions she'd been riding the last few weeks. "Thanks, Mia. But you know she's been ignoring me. I don't even know if she sees me anymore."

Mia shook her head. "Oh, she sees you. Trust me. This whole silent treatment thing? It's because she's too aware of you. She's just trying to push it all down."

Estelle rolled her eyes. "Or she's just mad."

"Maybe. But that doesn't change the fact that you deserve this internship. Ignore the personal stuff and focus on that," Mia said, giving her a gentle nudge as they reached the door to the lecture hall.

The room was already buzzing with nervous energy as the students filed in, all of them on edge, waiting to find out who would win the internship. Celeste stood at the front of the room, her usual icy composure firmly in place, as she organized the papers on her desk. Estelle's heart skipped a beat when she saw her, but she quickly looked away, not wanting to give anything away.

She took her seat, trying to calm her racing thoughts. This was it. The culmination of weeks of hard work, endless nights of preparation, and the strange, charged tension between her and Celeste. Now, everything would come to a head.

Celeste stepped forward, her gaze sweeping over the room as the students fell silent. Her expression was as unreadable as ever, and Estelle felt a knot of tension tighten in her chest.

"As you all know," Celeste began, her voice calm and controlled, "today we will be announcing the student who has earned the internship at Thorne & Associates."

There was a brief murmur in the room before silence fell again.

"I want to commend all of you for your hard work throughout this process," Celeste continued. "The competition was fierce, and the decision was not an easy one. But as always, this position is awarded based on merit. The student who will join the firm has demonstrated not only exceptional legal acumen, but also the ability to think critically under pressure."