Teach Me

Chapter 6: Getting Comfortable

"I would really appreciate that," I replied, very conscious of my awkward situation. Alex nodded and disappeared down the hallway, returning shortly with a pair of soft-looking gray sweatpants and a white t-shirt.

"Here, you can change in the guest room. Second door on the left," he directed, handing me the clothes. I took them, grateful for his thoughtfulness. "Thanks," I muttered, feeling a strange mixture of relief and embarrassment.

I quickly found the guest room, a comfortable space with a large window overlooking the rain-soaked garden. I stripped off my clothes and ditched the torn panties at last, changing into the clothes Alex had provided. The fit was almost comical as I all but drowned in his clothes, but I was at least comfortable now.

I glanced up at myself in the mirror on the wall and was horrified to see my tear and mascara-streaked cheeks and puffy, red eyes. I rushed into the en suite bathroom and, using a washcloth and some warm water, quickly got to work trying to rub off the remnants of my ruined makeup from the evening. I managed to get most of it off, but it left my eyes pink and raw from all the rubbing.

With a deep sigh, I drew my hands through my dark brown waves and pulled my hair up into a casual, somewhat messy bun. I figured I'd been through hell this evening and I wasn't in the mood to try and impress, I just wanted to feel comfortable and safe and if Alex was going to judge me for that, then perhaps the Moon Goddess had indeed made a mistake.

I returned to the living room, finding Alex standing at a large glass door watching the rain outside, a contemplative look on his face as he sipped at his glass of wine. Titan lay sprawled on his bed, eyeing me curiously. "More comfortable?" Alex asked, turning as he heard me enter.

"Yeah, thanks," I replied, settling back onto the couch I'd been sitting on earlier. The silence between us wasn't uncomfortable, but it was filled with unspoken questions and uncertainties.

He finally broke it as he took his seat once more. "I know this is a lot to take in. It's not every day you find out your professor is your destined mate," he said, a hint of humor in his voice.

I couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, it's not exactly the college experience I had in mind." We both chuckled, the sound somehow easing the tension in the room.

"Me neither," he admitted. "But here we are. We'll just have to navigate this as best we can."

I nodded, appreciating his candidness. "So, what happens now?" I asked, unsure of what the next step was in a situation as complex as this.

"I'm not too sure," he said simply. "I guess we need to figure out what this bond means for us. And then, once we know that, we would need to consider how we might navigate our roles at the university."

It sounded reasonable, but the reality was anything but simple. We were in uncharted territory, dealing with a connection that was both profound and prohibited.

"What's your major, Lacy?" Alex asked curiously.

"I'm an English major," I explained.

"An aspiring writer?" he asked with a smile.

"Something like that," I agreed with a shrug.

"Why criminal psychology?" I asked.

"I wanted to know what makes a totally normal person snap one day and turn into a monster," he replied matter-of-factly.

"What does make a normal person snap?" I asked, also curious to know.

"I'm still trying to figure it out," he stated before setting his wine down and leaning back in his couch once more.

"I suppose I should feed you," he said with a sigh, unbuttoning the top button of his shirt.

At the mention of food I realized how hungry I was, but I didn't want to be a bother.

"What do you feel like?" he asked casually.

"I'm fine. Don't put yourself out," I tried to play my hunger down.

"I'm not cooking, so you aren't putting me out. We could do pizza?" he suggested.

The possibility of this man eating pizza seemed outright ridiculous. He looked like he ate his 5 a day and weighed his portions too. But pizza did sound good.

"I could eat pizza..." I agreed with a shy smile.

"Perfect. What do you like?" he asked.

"Um... I like bacon and pineapple," I confessed hesitantly, expecting to be ridiculed momentarily.

He did indeed chuckle, but then surprised me when he told me, "That's my favorite too."

I giggled in relief and we shared a glance that caused my heart rate to speed up.

He cleared his throat before grabbing his phone and placing our order. "Well, we have 20 minutes to kill. Why don't you tell me about your family?" he suggested, leaning back casually once more.

"I'm an only child. I get along pretty well with my parents, but we're from a really small and traditional pack in Kodiak, Alaska," I explained.

"I guess that explains a few things..." he mused, talking to himself.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I bristled.

"Small traditional pack... Only child... You're sweet, innocent, naive, trusting. These aren't bad traits, they just make more sense when I take into account your background," he explained. I suppose I couldn't argue with that.

"Do you live here alone?" I asked, suddenly wondering whether he might have a steady girlfriend who stayed over from time to time or maybe a partner who traveled a lot. He seemed to be quite the catch, at least from what I could tell so far. But that was only based on his physical appearance and material stuff. He could still prove to be an absolute and utter asshole.

He shrugged before he replied, "I was seeing someone casually a while ago, but that fizzled out." He drained the last of his wine. "Want another soda?" he offered, heading back to the kitchen. "I'm still good, thanks," I replied, reminded that I still had over half a can left.

He returned with another glass of wine and settled back down, seemingly more relaxed now. "So what are we going to do, Lace? Do we try and figure this out or is the age gap something you can't look past?" he asked, cutting to the chase.