Enough | ✔️

+ 22 (i) +

Our lips meet.

My arms twine around his neck, in need of a lifeline as I finally break down the dam between me and my pent up emotion. I am drenched in instant relief... for all of two seconds.

Slater pushes back on my shoulders lightly, startlingly unaffected as I give up and pull away. I feel my cheeks flush with colour as he stares right into my transparent gaze with a look of self-contradiction.

"Quorra, we can't do anything like that," he finally says, soaking up the rejection in my eyes with a softened expression.

I'm left stripped of words. The most I can muster is an unintelligible murmur of dazedness.

I quickly move myself away from him, embarrassment burning my body as I turn for the door, lost.

"Quorra, listen," Slater calls out in that damned voice, "University regulations ban romantic relationships between stu-"

I interrupt him by whipping around, "Can you just stop being such a goody two shoes for once in your goddamn life?!"

He stills, as if paralysed.

"You don't know enough about my life to judge me, Quorra."

My frustration fuelling my reply, I step closer to him, "Yeah? Well I know your name is Slater Hartley, that you're an English Professor at a shithole of a university, that you had a sister called Addilyn who committed suicide, that you have perfect parents and a perfect life, that you are definitely a virgin because you are so uptight, and you apparently have a thing for eating meals with teenage girls."

He closes his eyes and rests his head in his hands, "You don't know how many of those things are incorrect. I'll say it again. You don't know enough about my life to judge me."

"Just as I should, I guess," I mutter, before leaving the room.

As soon as I'm walking down the corridor, alone, my thoughts come rushing like a swarm of bees. I resist the urge to pull at my hair in hopes of the pain drowning out the sound of their incessant buzzing.

All I end up doing is fighting with him, even when a few moments ago we would be fine.

You were more than fine, my conscience giggles.

I grit my teeth and lock my jaw, teeth grinding together as I plant my feet more firmly into the ground to ease off some of my anger. Shut up, I tell myself. Not. Funny.

I should have just known he would never like-

I'm suddenly knocked off my feet and to the ground.

My butt hits the hard floor first. I wince as pain rips through my body, and look up through a squinted gaze to a head of blonde hair.

"Oh shit, sorry, Quo," Grant apologises, reaching out a hand with a look of regret, "I didn't see you around the corner."

I shake my head and take his hand, pressing the mute button on my pain, "It's alright, I wasn't looking where I was going."

A smile as bright as the sun lights up his features.

His hand lingers on mine as he answers, "Hey, what about that tutor session now?"

I pause.

I guess I need something to take my mind off what just happened...

What happened between me and him in the past was just a fluke. Everyone makes mistakes.

I meet his eyes with a half-hearted smile, "Sure. Want to grab some coffee first?"

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