A Forbidden Finale (Student/Teacher Romance)

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Two

Even with the note in the back of my mind, I was still looking forward to my lesson with Ethan that afternoon. My body still hummed from finally getting the release I needed, and whilst I knew there wasn't going to be anything romantic happening in our lesson, just being near him would be enough.

He was a comforting presence.

I would have told him about the note, but there had been an explicit instruction not to, and I was loathed to give up my scholarship before I found out what their demands were going to be. Knowing Amber, it was bound to be something that would humiliate me in public. I could withstand that, though. I could deal with it if it meant keeping my place at the school and myself out of a jail cell.

Then again, she'd probably make me do a load of stuff and then dump the proof she supposedly had on anyone she could get her hands on. I was in the shit.

Ethan was pacing when I entered the classroom. He was pacing, and early. That was never a good sign. The smile he gave me was tight-lipped, and he couldn't look me in the eye. "We'll try out some of the solo sections for Cinderella today." He turned on the music and my face dropped.

He regretted it.

It was written all over the way he could barely look at me. He wished it hadn't happened.

So I didn't say a word. I didn't attempt to talk about it, and I didn't attempt to joke around or tease him. I did what he instructed and tried to stop myself bursting into tears. I supposed it wasn't too surprising—he'd risked his career and it had been a stupid move. But we hadn't been caught. We could stay away from each other until I left school easily enough.

The stiffness in his body whenever he looked at me spoke of a completely different story, though. He hated himself for what we did last night.

That didn't suggest he was just trying really hard to hold off until my graduation.

I went through the lesson in silence, finding myself lost in the flow of the moves even with Ethan's presence nagging at the back of my mind. He only corrected me verbally today—there wasn't even a professional touch when he told me that my back wasn't straight enough.

When I realised that he was teaching me the moves that would transition into a scene where Cinderella danced with the Prince, I was drawn out of my learning trance. In any other circumstances, Ethan would have slotted himself against me and we'd have just continued to dance flawlessly.

It would have been sensual, but we would never have deviated from the moves. Sharing our breaths, touching chastely; it was all part of the act that set our skin on fire. Being restrained by the moves just made it even sexier.

"You regret it, don't you?" I stood, hands clasped in front of me, wishing he would at least look at me.

"Yes, I do." He met me head on for a few moments before giving up running a hand over his face. "You're eighteen, Carly. You're my student. What we did isn't okay. I can be fired for a reason."

My eyebrows shot up. "You're worried you took advantage of me?"

"I'm six years older than you. I'm supposed to be looking after you."

"You're being ridiculous." I folded my arms and stared at him intently. "You didn't do anything I didn't want, you have to know that really, don't you? I really like you. Because you're you, not because you've done anything wrong. I was flirting with you more than you ever flirted with me." I fired him what I hoped was a reassuring grin. "I turned you to the dark side, not the other way around."