|Institution|• Student/Teacher Relationship

|Chapter 19|

I hope you guys like astrology (;
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I waited on the couch, my heart seconds away from beating out of my chest. I don't know how this all happened to me. A few years ago when I met Dr. Clarke I was borderline annoyed with him all the time. I was only eighteen, a clueless freshman.

He looked no different, but his smartass attitude was less attractive, he was stricter in class than he was now if that's even imaginable, and there was absolutely no romantic attraction going on. Not that there weren't any small fantasies dancing around in my head of another kind...

But NEVER in a million years did I think that I'd be here, in his apartment after he asked me to be his girlfriend. Officially. There's always been a sexual tension of sorts between us, a playful but fiery tension. I never would've guessed we would actually act on it but that part I'm less... confused about.

You'd be an idiot to not find him physically attractive, and he definitely doesn't disappoint in bed. Probably the best I've ever had, not that I had much experience. I couldn't get enough of him that way, and I was getting more comfortable with him physically despite the butterflies he gave me.

But never has my heart beat been so fast in those moments than right now, as I was about to meet his niece.

Why am I less worried about the sex than the way he makes me feel?

Our relationship has probably been moving so fast because it's been long overdue as Abby says. But this is FAST.

I don't really have more time to think about it before the door clicks open and a small girl comes running in before Alex. "Can we watch Beauty and the Beast!" She yelled, tossing her stuff near the door.

Alex bent down quickly to grab her bag, shaking his head. "Princess it's way too late, you are going to sleep- hey hey hey! Shoes off are you crazy?"

"Come on its the weekend!" She groaned, kicking her shoes off. "It's not like I have school tomorrow."

The moment I was dreading had come, and she turned to me. I couldn't feel any breath entering or leaving my body. What was really two seconds of silence felt like two years. "Can you please tell him!" She asked me, throwing her short arms into the air.

I blinked slowly, processing what she was asking me and my eyes moved to Alex, who looked just as confused as me. Luckily, I'm pretty good at acting like I'm not shitting my pants. "She's right Alex, it's a weekend." I forced out a laugh. "I thought you were the cool uncle?"

"THANK YOU!" She sighed dramatically. "He used to be, but Uncle Tom lets me stay up late on weekends." She huffed, folding her arms and batting her eyes at him.

He rolled his eyes, slowly walking over to the both of us. "Alright smartass. Nat, this is my friend Emelia I was telling you about."

"Hi, I'm Natalie." She said sweetly, offering me a bow. "I'm nine years old and I'm going to be the best doctor. And the first princess of America."

"Wow." I giggled, smiling at her then Alex. "That pretty cool, you just be pretty smart to be a doctor. And fabulous to be a princess."

She smiled back, nodding excitedly. "How do you know my uncle?" She asked the dreaded question.

"Uh, well we are friends from work." I explained, feeling my face redden at her gaze.

"So you're not dating?" She turned to Alex, looking at him suspiciously. He blinked a few times before shaking his head. I sighed in relief. It was probably best that we didn't tell her.