𝕋𝕣𝕠𝕦𝕓𝕝𝕖

a whole different person

𝓙𝓪𝓶𝓮𝓼

As I walk into the classroom on Monday morning I can't help but scan the room for Leila. Her usual seat is empty and there are only a couple minutes left until class will eventually begin.

I furrow my brows and set my briefcase down before taking out my phone and sending her a quick text asking where she is.

With the semester coming to an end most of my students have me busy with prepping for finals. I barely have enough time to check in with her nowadays. She still somehow manages to sneak into my thoughts late at night.

All I want is for the both of us to spend more nights at the hotel, for her to be in my arms instead of being in the dark. She keeps telling me she'll fix the blackmail situation but it's been a week since and her not showing up today is not a good sign at all.

She never misses a class, especially mine.

The minutes pass by slowly as I go over today's lesson and pass out the new syllabus. I keep thinking she'll walk through the door any minute but she never does.

When the bell rings the students rush out the classroom going about their business. I sigh as I check my phone again, nothing. Just as I'm about to get in my car and drive home for the day I get a call from her number and I don't think twice before answering.

"Leila," I breathe her name out in relief.

"James," She answers with no emotion.

"Where are you, you never showed up for class today." I ask with desperation in my voice.

"I've done something," She says, sending chills up my spine.

"What did you do?" I ask slowly.

"Meet me at the hotel in an hour." Is all she says before the line goes dead. I find myself staring at the phone screen thinking she's going to call back but she doesn't.

•••

When I arrive at the hotel I knock twice on the same room as last time and it opens with a anxious looking Leila. She pulls me in before locking the door. When I turn around I widen my eyes at the image in front of me. Her roommate is tied up in a chair with duct tape over her mouth. When she sees me she struggles against the ropes and attempts to make a sound but instead it comes out muffled.

"What the hell are you doing?!" I exclaim and Leila sighs.

"Calm down James, I did what I said I was going to do."

"This isn't what I meant"-

"It's her, she's the peeping tom that gets off on take pictures of us." She crosses her arms against her chest, her eyes burning through Eiza.

"How do you know for sure?" I ask her and she motions for me to follow her.

I can't believe my eyes, this isn't the sweet innocent girl that I'm used to. She's a whole different person. I don't know how she managed to bring her here without her putting up a fight. She's made matters much worse than they already were.

She rips the duct tape off her mouth and grips her hair leaning in real close. "Don't you dare scream." She threatens and Eiza spits in her face. Leila grimaces wiping her face with her sleeve and clenching her jaw.

"You psychotic bitch! Let me go"- a sharp slap is heard in the room and it takes me a moment to register that it was Leila who just hit her. Her new behavior is starting to concern me.

"Tell him what you told me." She seethes.Eiza is quiet and stubborn for a few minutes until Leila nears her again and she sighs.

"I took the pictures of you two, after I saw you both in his office when I was walking down the hallway." She mutters and I clench my jaw. This is exactly what I was worried about.

"Are there more?" I ask and she shakes her head. It's silent except for the three of us breathing. "Why?" I cant help but ask.

"I figured I could use it to blackmail you to change my grades in the system since you have access." She mutters. I grip my forehead in annoyance and pull Leila aside into the bathroom before closing the door.

"You should've never brought her here." I whisper and she furrows her brows.

"I had no other choice, we had to scare her enough so she wouldn't talk." She explains and I shake my head.

"And what about afterwards? Did you think about her going to the police? Or worse-her going to the Dean about us?" I snap, my fingers shaking. She sighs and grabs my face in her hands, making me relax a bit.

"She has no proof, I got rid of everything.
I searched her laptop. She has nothing that can hurt us anymore. Don't
you see James? We can be together again." She grins and I feel overwhelmed with paranoia. I run a frustrated hand through my hair, questioning what decisions I should've made to avoid this. Her hands wrap themselves around my neck and she pulls me close enough to feel her breath shading my lips. I can't help but stare at them wanting nothing more than to kiss them again and again until I'm breathless.

"Everything will be okay." She kisses me softly and I let her. When I pull away I can't help but pull her close.

"I know." My hands wrap themselves around her waist and I take in her all too familiar scent. When I finally pull away from her embrace and my hearts calmed down I sigh. "Alright, untie her and let her go. We got what we wanted there's no reason to keep her here any longer." I tell her, my voice stern. She bites her lip before shrugging.

"Fine."