The Professor

Chapter Thirty-Three

Collin offers to drive me and Jessica back to our dorms and we let him. We both sit in his back seats and the car ride is rather awkward. There's an invisible wall of tension between the two of us and Collin starts to pick up on it.

"Are you two alright?" He asks. I see his eyes scan us briefly in his rearview mirror. 

I look over to Jessica who keeps her elbow propped up on the hand rest of the door with her face resting on her fist. She continues to stare silently out the window and I roll my eyes. 

"Yes, we're fine," I answer.

It's a short, quiet drive back to the dorms and i'm thankful once I see the building down the parking lot. Collin pulls around the round about and parks, getting out to say goodbye to us. Jessica and I linger around him, both giving him hugs, and Jessica takes off to the dorm.

"What's her problem?" Collin asks, his eyebrows raised.

I sigh and look at her as she walks away. 

"I don't know," I answer honestly. "I think she might have been jealous that you and I went out tonight."

Collin's eyes grow wide. "She's jealous?"

I shrug. "I don't know. Maybe? Anyways, thank you for tonight and for driving us home."

"No problem. I just hate the party got busted, I wanted to spend more time with you."

I smile at his words. They make me feel energetic. It makes me forget all about my assumption that Dean is the one that made the call about the party.

Dean!

At this exact moment, Collin starts to lean in. His lips are growing closer to mine and I start to panic, unsure of how to get myself out of this situation. 

Faking a yawn, I cover my mouth with my hand and Collin pulls back.

 "Well," I say. "I'm a little tired. I guess I should go up."

I hear him sigh through his nose and he shakes his head. 

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Thank you, again." I tell him, starting to slowly back away.

Collin smiles. "See you in Brit Lit."

I turn around fully to walk to the door of my dorm and scan my card to get in. The nightlife of the dorm is deserted. It's rather eerie. The only source of light is coming from the front desk and staircase. Usually there's people down here at night no matter what day of the week it is, playing with the ping pong table. I don't feel like going up stairs just yet and facing Jessica, but I do feel like getting an answer out of Dean. The more I think about it, the more it makes sense. I told him I was going to Collin's party and he got furious, knowing Collin is in a fraternity. For the party to get busted without a noise complaint and someone calling the police saying they heard a rumor about a suspected party... 

That's it. Forget a phone call.

I grab my car keys out of purse and head out of the dorm to my car.

I grow profusely mad the longer i'm in the car. The usual thirty minute drive feels like ten minutes and once I park in the parking deck, my legs are leading me to the seventh floor. When I make it to his door, I start to bang on it loud, not caring if it wakes up his neighbors.

The door opens in a flash and I see Dean standing before me shirtless and in black sweatpants. His mouth is pressed in a hard line and I see the rise and fall of his chest with every breath he takes. It's hard to be mad at the glorious sight of him, but I am. My expression matches his and it's all I can do to not leap into this apartment and start yelling at him.