ILLICIT AFFAIRS | WLW

Castles Crumbling

Walking the short distance home after her tutoring session with Ms. Kingsley, Blair's head swam with thoughts that she couldn't quite unravel. The sun was low in the sky, casting a soft golden light over the campus, but she was too distracted to appreciate it. The day had taken more turns than she could have anticipated, and the teasing tension between her and Catherine still clung to her. She had left the session flustered, unsure of what exactly had transpired between them. It wasn't just about learning anymore. It was about the way Catherine looked at her, the way her voice softened just slightly when she said Blair's name, the way she could both fluster and ground Blair in a matter of seconds. It wasn't exactly inappropriate, but it wasn't something she could just dismiss either. There was an undercurrent, a pull between them, that was difficult to ignore her.

Blair shook her head, trying to push those thoughts away. Focus, she told herself. She's just your professor. She wasn't going to let herself overthink this. Catherine was just a professor – her professor. And as much as Blair admired her, maybe even found her a little too fascinating for comfort, nothing was going on between them. Right?

Her hand gripped the doorknob as she entered her apartment, ready to collapse on the sofa or her bed and put the day behind her. Instead, she was met with Ann and Thomas, both sitting in the living room with serious and impatient expressions.

Great. What now?

She froze in the doorway, her brow furrowing, "Hey, what's up? You two look like you're planning an intervention or something?"

Ann stood up immediately, her eyes narrowing as if she was about to start an interrogation. She exchanged a quick glance with Thomas, "We need to talk, Blair. About Ms. Kingsley."

Blair blinked, feeling a jolt of surprise shoot through her, "Ms. Kingsley?" she asked, her heart skipping a beat as she closed the door behind her. She dropped her bag by the door and walked further into the living room, her gaze flicking between her two friends, "What about her?"

Ann and Thomas exchanged glances, and Blair's stomach tightened. Something was definitely up. Thomas shifted awkwardly on the couch, running a hand through his hair, "Look, we've been talking, and, well... we're worried about you."

Blair's confusion only deepened. "Worried about me, why?"

"We want to know what's going on between the two of you," Ann interjected, leaning against the edge of the couch, "It just... the way she picked you up last night. And the fact you have her number. It's weird, Blair. Like really weird. Are you two... you know?" Her voice dropped lower, as if she were about to unveil some scandalous secret.

Blair stared at her friends, holding her hands up in defence. It took her a moment to register what they were insinuating, "Wait, hold on – are you guys seriously suggesting that I'm having an affair with our professor?"

Blair felt her heart skip a beat. So that was it. They thought something was happening between her and Catherine. Something... inappropriate. The very idea made her want to roll her eyes. Catherine was her professor. Yes, there was...  something between them, but it wasn't what they were thinking. Her first instinct was to laugh it off, to tell them how ridiculous they were being. But their serious expressions told her this wasn't going to be that easy.

Ann gave her a sheepish shrug, clearly uncomfortable with the accusation. "Well, it just seems...odd, you know? You were drunk, she picked you up, and then we find out you have her phone number. If other people notice, they're going to start wondering, Blair."

"Wondering what?" Blair's voice was now an intense mix of disbelief and irritation, her eyes narrowing with the same sharpness as Catherines, "That I'm sleeping with my professor? Do you hear how insane that sounds?"