The One Night Stand Turns Out To Be My Professor

80

80

Jenny’s POV

The door slammed behind me as I walked into the house, the sound echoing off the walls in a way that made it clear I was in trouble. Again. I braced myself, trying to ignore the knot of anxiety that had settled in my stomach. I hadn’t done anything wrong. Not really. But I knew Jacob wouldn’t see it that way. He and I were the only ones in the house today and I had managed to sneak out without him knowing.

He was waiting for me in the living room, standing with his arms crossed and an expression that I’d seen too many times. Angry, frustrated, protective in that way that was starting to get on my nerves. I had just gone out for a quick drink with some girls in my class—nothing dangerous, nothing that should have mattered. But in this house, everything was a big deal.

“Where the hell have you been?” His voice was sharp, cutting through the air like a blade.

“Out,” I replied, my tone deliberately nonchalant as I tossed my bag onto the couch. “What’s the big deal?”

“The big deal?” He took a step closer, his eyes narrowing. “The big deal is that you went out without telling anyone, without any protection. Do you have any idea how reckless that is?”

I rolled my eyes, trying to play it cool even though I could feel the tension rising between us. “I’m not a child, Jacob. I can take care of myself.”

“This isn’t about you being a child, Jenny. This is about you being stupid.” His voice was louder now, the anger barely contained. “Do you even understand the kind of danger you’re in?”

I could feel my own anger rising too. “I wasn’t in any danger! I was just out with friends, having a drink. I wasn’t doing anything risky.”

He shook his head, his frustration evident in the way he ran a hand through his hair. “You don’t get it, do you? This isn’t just about having a drink. You’re in a world that’s not safe, and you keep acting like none of it matters.”

“I’m not acting like it doesn’t matter,” I snapped back. “But I can’t live my life in fear, Jacob. I refuse to do that.”

His eyes flashed with something I couldn’t quite place—something beyond just anger. “You don’t have the luxury of refusing. This isn’t just about you, Jenny. It’s about everyone who cares about you, everyone who’s trying to keep you safe. And you keep throwing that in our faces like it doesn’t mean anything.”

I stared at him, my heart pounding in my chest. “That’s not fair. You’re acting like I’m some kind of burden—like you’re all doing me a favor by caring.”

“Maybe I am,” he shot back, his voice hard. “Maybe you are a burden—one that I’m tired of carrying.”

The words hit me like a slap, the impact leaving me breathless. For a moment, all I could do was stand there, stunned by the cruelty of his words. But then the hurt turned into something else—something hot and sharp that made my blood boil.

“If I’m such a burden,” I said, my voice trembling with anger, “then why don’t you just leave? No one’s forcing you to be here.”

He stared at me, his eyes burning with a mix of emotions I didn’t care to understand. “You really think I can just walk away? After everything?”

“Yes!” I shouted, my anger finally spilling over. “If you hate it so much, if you hate me so much, then go! I don’t need you here, Jacob. I never asked for any of this!”

For a moment, the room was filled with nothing but the sound of our heavy breathing, the tension crackling in the air between us. I could see the hurt in his eyes, the way his jaw clenched as if he was holding back something he didn’t want to say. But then, before I could even think about what I’d just said, he took a step closer, his expression darkening.