ILLICIT AFFAIRS | WLW

My Tears Ricochet

𝐀𝐍: Not proof read but enjoy! I'm also sorry in advance if this chapter upsets you guys...

------------

The cool air of the university corridor seemed to press against Blair's skin as she approached Catherine's office door. Her hands were slightly unsteady, the warmth of the coffee cups seeping into her palms. The anticipation of seeing Catherine always brough a flutter of excitement, a warmth always settling in her hear. She had expected to find Catherine, who would greet her with a warm smile and perhaps some teasing remark.

Yet, as the door swung open, Blair froze, her heard suddenly lurching in her chest. Standing in the threshold was Grace. Her coworker, but more importantly, Catherine's former student – and, as Blair was painfully aware, one of Catherine's past flings. Grace stood in the doorway, her presence like a sudden cloud over the sun. It seemed too comfortable, too familiar in a way that instantly made Blair feel like an intruder.

Blair's heart skipped, not in joy but in a sudden surge of dread. Grace had been a complicating factor from the start – a lingering shadow of Catherine's past that now seemed to loom larger than over.

The expression on Grace's face was one of subtle amusement, the curve of her lips forming a smirk that Blair couldn't entirely place. Anderson's widened gaze flickered up and down, taking in the other girl's dishevelled appearance – the skewed buttons on her blouse, her hair a little too tousled, as though she had rushed to compose herself.

And then there was the most telling detail: Grace wiped her lip with her thumb, a gesture that seemed almost too casual, as though she were trying to erase something, or perhaps just trying to hide it from view. The sight made Blair's chest tighten in an instant, her stomach clenching at the unspoken implications of the moment.

"Blair." Grace said, her voice smooth and breathy, as if she had just come from somewhere private. "I wasn't expecting to see you here." Her eyes flickered over Blair's form, lingering just a moment too long before she tilted her head slightly, the smirk still playing on her lips.

Blair's mind was racing. She felt caught off guard, unsure of how to respond, how to make sense of the situation in front of her. Her heart pounded in her ears, her thoughts whirling. Had something happened between Grace and Catherine? Had they been... involved again? The thought felt like a punch to her stomach, a bitter taste flooding her mouth, yet it painted a picture in Blair's mind that she couldn't dismiss.

Despite the wave of emotions swirling within her, Blair fought to maintain her exterior. She straightened her posture, forcing a polite smile onto her lips as she carefully chose her next words. "I just came to bring Professor Kingsley her coffee," she stated with a measured voice. The title she had bestowed upon Catherine was a deliberate reinforcement of the professional boundary they were supposed to maintain.

With an acknowledging hum, Grace stepped aside, the smirk still playing on her lips. Blair moved past her into the office, her gaze briefly flitted to Catherine, who sat on the sofa looking like a shadow had cast over her usual radiant demeanour. Her hair was tousled too, mirroring grace's. Her expression was one of quiet guilt, as as their eyes met, Blair felt a sharp pang of hurt in her chest, the look striking Blair like a physical blow. She could see it in Catherine's face: the discomfort, the tension, an unspoken truth.

Placing the coffee on Catherine's desk with more precision than necessary, Blair fought to keep her demeanour even, even though her heart was in her throat. She took a deep breath and forced herself to speak, her voice as composed as she could. "I didn't mean to interrupt." She said, each word carefully neutral, masking the storm of emotions raging inside her. "If there's nothing else you need from me then I'll leave you to your...meeting."