Her Forbidden Love for Mr. Collins

Mara's POV The students left the classroom, but I stayed behind, waiting for my professor and soon-to-be brother-in-law, Denver Collins, to finish packing up his things. He was my sister's boyfriend. The two met when they became judges for a prestigious national beauty contest. Within less than seven months of dating, they decided to get married. My sister, Bella, would soon become Mrs. Collins–a position I dreamt of and a last name I wished to have. Yes, sadly, I secretly loved my professor, a love that had to be cut short because continuing was a sin. Who was I anyway compared to my sister? I was just an ordinary student who was frequently alone, aloof, and unremarkable. My sister, Bella, on the other hand, was a well-known worldwide ballerina who was widely admired. In addition, Denver's previous girlfriends were famous personalities in the country. My life wasn't a fairytale, and I had no wicked sister. Bella was kind, and we were very close. I couldn't imagine a life without her. After the wedding, Bella would move out with Denver. I knew I would have a hard time adjusting to my daily life as I was so independent of her. I was waiting for Denver because my family was having a small gathering at our house. It was my father's birthday. My sister called earlier, telling me that Denver would drive me home. Looking out at the window, I noticed the formation of dark clouds. Heavy rain was threatening to pour, and I was certain that Denver and I would get caught in it on our way home. "Mara, let's go," Denver finally said as he finished packing up. He hung his bodybag over his shoulder and checked his black wristwatch. "Is it okay if we stop by the mall to buy a gift for your dad?" "Sure," I replied, getting up as well. Denver didn't dress like a typical professor. Although he usually wore a long-sleeved polo, he rolled it up to his elbows and paired it with jeans and sneakers. Yet, despite wearing casual clothes, his striking, authoritative aura was still evident. His style suited him perfectly. He was popular among female students, and many even dared to confess their feelings to him. But I admired how he politely declined, explaining that he had a girlfriend. He maintained a professional professor-student relationship, ensuring he didn't cross any boundaries. We were at the exit of the Mechanical Engineering building when, as expected, heavy rain suddenly poured. Students scattered for shelter. We had to step back as strong winds drove the rain toward us. "Let's wait until the rain subsides," he suggested. "But it looks like it won't stop. Should we run to the parking lot?" "No. Your sister will scold me if you get sick. Let's just go back to the classroom," he said, leading the way which I followed. It was my first time to be alone with Denver, something I should be happy about. However, I was overwhelmed by the tension in my body. Countless times, I attempted to confess my feelings to him, even though I knew he didn't feel the same way. I didn't want to carry the regret of not telling how I felt about him. The problem was, we never had the chance to be alone. We were always surrounded by students who, like me, also wanted his attention. And then my sister entered the picture, making things even more impossible. Finally, this was her chance to confess! But I chickened out once again. No. I couldn't do it. I sighed as I pulled out a small box from my backpack. Inside was a low-range drone I bought at a cheap price, which I was modifying to fly higher. Making robots was my hobby. I even won a robotics competition, creating a robot that helped the environment by filtering toxic air and releasing fresh, cold air. Private companies had offered to buy it, but I didn't accept their offer. Instead, I had given it to the government for free. I wanted to make a difference. Now, I was included in the project and we were working on expanding the robot's abilities. I jolted when I sensed Denver's presence behind me. He was watching what I was doing. "Have you tried flying that away?" he asked. "Yes, but I am not satisfied with the range." "Nice propeller," he commented, touching the pink wings of the drone. "Make sure you've studied the GPS module for the safety of your drone." "I'll do that," I said, adjusting my thick glasses even though they weren't crooked. It had become a habit whenever Denver was around, as it helped me ease my nerves. "You never fail to amaze me, Mara," he said with a smile, messing with my hair. I held his hand to stop him, but as our palms touched together, a sudden jolt of electricity ran through my veins. I immediately withdrew my hand from him, but to my surprise, he did not let go. His eyes showed confusion as to why he did it. "Mara..." "Can I kiss you?" I was shocked at my words, but I couldn't take them back. I already said it. Denver was shocked as well by my request. While he was still in no reaction, I took advantage of the situation by standing and kissing him on the lips. "Thank you for granting my wish," I whispered, after the brief kiss. Our distance was so close that I could feel his breath swaying the strands of my hair, which sent shivers down my spine. "Why did you do that, Mara?" he asked in disbelief. Tears welled up in my eyes, "I have liked you from the first time I saw you, Professor." There, I finally confessed what I had been hiding for so long. I braced myself for Denver's anger, but instead, he placed his hand on my head. His fingers began to gently brush my hair as if he was consoling a child. I had to look up to meet his eyes because he was so much taller than me. There was tenderness in his eyes, but not the love I was longing to see. "Thank you, Mara, for admiring me. But you know it can't be, right? I see you as my younger sister, and I love your sister very much," he said in a gentle voice, as if he was talking to a child. I wiped my tears and forced a smile. "I know that. But just let me express my feelings, even if I didn't want to feel this way, it just happened." "Sure, you can like me all you want. But I'll always be your big brother, Mara." "Thank you, Professor." "Didn't I tell you to call me Denver?" "I'm used to it. I'll start calling you that when you're officially my brother-in-law." "Okay, since that's going to happen soon anyway," he muttered while looking around. "The rain seems to be calming down. We can leave now."