The weekend passed in a blur of self-imposed isolation. I stayed locked in my tiny apartment, phone on silent, ignoring calls and messages from Mia and Zara. After Professor Damien Vale had thrown me out of his office so coldly, something inside me had shattered. The humiliation burned deeper than any of Sophia’s pranks or Julian’s threats. I had pushed too far, and he had reminded me exactly where I stood nowhere.
By Sunday night, I had convinced myself I was over him, done and finished. A stupid, childish crush on an unattainable man who clearly wanted nothing to do with me. I repeated it like a mantra while staring at the ceiling. He’s just a professor, nothing special. Move on, Ava.
Monday morning, I dressed conservatively jeans and a simple sweater determined to prove it to myself.
