Bound by law

Chapter 49: Mia's Curiosity

The next morning, Estelle woke up feeling a mix of exhilaration and uncertainty swirling in her chest. Her mind was still spinning from the conversation with Celeste the night before. The line between them had officially been crossed, and while part of her was thrilled, another part couldn't help but feel nervous about what came next.

But before she could get too lost in her thoughts, her phone buzzed with a message. It was from Mia.

Mia: So... how was dinner with your professor-slash-boss? I NEED details.

Estelle groaned, rubbing her eyes as she sat up. She had been expecting this. Mia had been all too eager to get the gossip about her dinner with Celeste, and there was no way she was getting out of this without giving Mia some version of the story. The real version, though... that would be tricky to explain.

After a quick shower and pulling on some comfortable clothes, Estelle made her way to the kitchen where Mia was waiting, already seated at the table with her coffee, a wicked grin plastered on her face.

"So," Mia said, not even waiting for Estelle to sit down before launching into it. "Spill. What happened last night? Don't leave anything out."

Estelle poured herself a cup of coffee, her mind racing as she tried to figure out how much to say. She knew Mia was persistent, and she also knew that the truth—all of the truth—would probably make Mia lose her mind.

"It was... interesting," Estelle started, keeping her tone light.

Mia raised an eyebrow, leaning forward in her seat. "Interesting? That's all you've got? Come on, Estelle. I need more than that."

Estelle sighed, taking a sip of her coffee before sitting down across from Mia. "Okay, fine. It wasn't just a dinner. It was... a date. Sort of."

Mia's eyes widened, her mouth dropping open. "Wait—what? You went on a date with Celeste Thorne? Oh my god, I knew it!"

Estelle rolled her eyes. "It wasn't really planned that way, but yeah... it turned into something more than just dinner."

Mia grinned, clearly loving every second of this. "So, you're telling me you're dating your professor and boss? This is like something straight out of one of those steamy office romances. I am living for this!"

Estelle couldn't help but laugh at Mia's enthusiasm, even though her own thoughts were far more complicated. "I don't know if 'dating' is the right word yet," she said, biting her lip. "It's just... it's complicated."

Mia's expression softened, sensing the shift in Estelle's tone. "Complicated how?"

Estelle sighed, leaning back in her chair. "I don't know, Mia. There's just a lot of tension between us—at work, in class. And now that things are starting to get... personal, I don't know how we're going to keep everything balanced. She's my professor. She's my boss. And now..."

Mia nodded, her expression turning more thoughtful. "Yeah, I can see how that could get messy. But, Estelle, if anyone can handle it, it's you. You're not the type to get caught up in drama. If you want this thing with Celeste, you'll figure out how to make it work."

Estelle smiled, appreciating Mia's confidence in her, even though she wasn't so sure herself. "I guess. It's just... a lot to take in."

"Well, yeah, you're kind of in uncharted territory," Mia said with a shrug. "But at the same time, it sounds like she's into you, like really into you. And honestly, that's kind of hot."

Estelle groaned, covering her face with her hands. "Mia, please."

Mia laughed, reaching over to give Estelle a playful nudge. "I'm just saying! You've got this insanely powerful, gorgeous woman totally interested in you, and you're acting like it's a bad thing."

"It's not that," Estelle said, dropping her hands and giving Mia a serious look. "It's just... it feels like there's more to it than just attraction. I don't know what I'm doing."

Mia studied her for a moment before her smile softened. "Look, I get it. This isn't just some casual thing. But you're smart, Estelle. You know what you're getting into, and if you feel like it's worth the risk, then go for it. And if it starts to get too messy, you can always pull back."

Estelle nodded, feeling the knot of tension in her chest loosen slightly. Mia had a way of putting things in perspective, and even though she was often playful about these things, she always had Estelle's back when it mattered.

"Thanks, Mia," Estelle said quietly. "I needed that."

Mia grinned again, her playful tone returning. "Of course! Plus, I'm going to need updates. You have to tell me how things go from here. I'm basically living vicariously through you at this point."

Estelle chuckled. "I'll keep you posted."

Mia stood up, stretching her arms above her head. "Good. Now, let's forget about complicated Celeste drama for a bit and go grab brunch. You need something greasy to balance all this intense life stuff."

Estelle smiled, feeling a sense of relief wash over her. "Yeah, that sounds perfect."

As the two of them headed out the door, Estelle felt lighter, her worries about Celeste and everything that had happened last night pushed to the back of her mind, at least for the moment. Mia always had a way of reminding her that life didn't have to be so serious all the time.

But even as they laughed and joked over brunch, a part of Estelle couldn't help but think about what came next—about Celeste, about their relationship, and about how much further things could go from here.