The weeks following the party were marked by silence and avoidance. YN had been deliberately keeping her distance from Elizabeth, skipping office hours and rushing out of class before the professor could catch her eye. But even though she'd tried to put distance between them, the memory of that brief encounter outside the party continued to haunt her. Elizabeth's hand steadying her, the look in her eyes—it all lingered like a persistent ache, refusing to fade.
When YN did allow herself to glance at Elizabeth during lectures, it seemed like the professor was more composed than ever, but there was an edge to her that hadn't been there before. As the days turned into weeks, YN found herself wondering if Elizabeth had noticed her absence. Part of her was almost relieved when there was no direct acknowledgment, but another part—a part she wasn't quite ready to admit—felt the sting of disappointment.
But all that came to a head one Friday afternoon. YN was shoving her notebook into her bag, eager to leave as the last student filed out of the lecture hall. She didn't notice Elizabeth's eyes on her until the professor's voice cut through the room.
"Miss Sterling, a moment, please."
YN froze, her pulse jumping. She straightened up slowly, turning to see Elizabeth standing at her desk, her gaze steady and expectant. It was just the two of them now, the quiet of the nearly empty lecture hall suddenly oppressive.
Elizabeth waited until YN approached, her expression calm but carrying a hint of something deeper—something YN couldn't quite place. "I need to see you in my office at the end of the day," Elizabeth said, her tone leaving little room for argument.
"Is it about the paper?" YN asked, her voice a little more guarded than she intended. The paper wasn't due for another week or so, and she had already submitted her latest draft.
Elizabeth's gaze didn't waver. "We need to discuss your progress," she replied evenly. "And a few other things." There was a faint challenge in her tone, a subtle dare that made the air feel thicker, more charged.
For a moment, YN wanted to push back, to make an excuse and avoid whatever was about to happen. But the look in Elizabeth's eyes—the way they seemed to be testing her, daring her to avoid this conversation—made something in YN's chest tighten. She nodded curtly and turned on her heel, her pulse racing as she walked out.
The hours leading up to the meeting seemed to crawl by. YN found herself replaying the brief exchange in her head, questioning why she had agreed to this and what Elizabeth could possibly want to discuss. She tried to distract herself with her other classes, but her mind kept drifting back to Elizabeth—the way her voice had softened but stayed firm, the unspoken tension that seemed to hang in the air between them.
When the time finally came, YN found herself standing outside Elizabeth's office, hesitating. She took a deep breath, straightened her shoulders, and knocked, the sound echoing down the empty hallway.
"Come in," Elizabeth called.
YN pushed the door open, stepping inside. Elizabeth was behind her desk, and YN's gaze flicked over her before she could stop herself. The professor was wearing a fitted pencil skirt that hugged her curves in a way that was impossible not to notice. Her blouse, while professional, had the top button undone, revealing a hint of cleavage. It wasn't inappropriate—just... distracting. YN's throat tightened, her awareness of every detail only heightening the tension thrumming under her skin.
Elizabeth's eyes met hers as she closed the door. "Have a seat," she said, gesturing to the chair opposite her desk.
YN sat down, her gaze flicking toward Elizabeth's hands as she adjusted some papers on the desk. The silence stretched, weighted and thick, until finally, Elizabeth broke it.
YOU ARE READING
Lines We Cross
FanfictionElizabeth Olsen x Reader In her third year at Yale, 21-year-old party girl YN Sterling meets 32-year-old Professor Elizabeth Olsen. What starts as a mentor-student relationship soon turns into a complicated and intense connection, challenging the bo...