What the hell?!
1035 Words
The air in the lecture hall was thick, stale, and completely suffocating. Ellie clutched her notebook to her chest, weaving through the crowded rows of seats. She was already regretting her decision to come to class — her mind was a mess of sleepless thoughts and lingering memories of him.
William.
God, she could still feel the way his mouth had trailed down her neck. The way his hands clutched her hips like he was afraid she'd disappear. The way her name had sounded so sinful in his mouth. And the worst part?
She hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it. About him.
“Pull yourself together,” she muttered under her breath. “It was a one-night stand. Move on.”
Sliding into a middle-row seat, she exhaled and forced her focus on the syllabus. Biology Literature. It was supposed to be easy, straightforward — absolutely no life-altering, soul-shattering encounters involved.
And then he walked in.
Ellie didn’t see him at first. She was scribbling a reminder in her notebook when she heard the door open and a deep, commanding voice echo from the front.
“Alright, everyone. Settle down.”
Her pen froze mid-word. No way.
“Welcome to Biology Literature. I’m Professor William Henson—”
Ellie’s heart stopped. Her head snapped up, and there he was. Standing at the podium in a sharp navy suit. Hair perfectly styled but still holding a bit of that tousled mess from the morning after. That same intense gaze scanning the room, completely unaware she was there.
Her blood ran cold. No, no, no, no, no.
“—and I’ll be leading this course throughout the semester,” he continued, casually setting his papers down. His voice — the same voice that had whispered harder, Ellie in her ear mere nights ago — now carried a formal, authoritative tone.
This wasn’t happening.
Her stomach flipped violently as she sank lower in her seat, as if that would somehow make her invisible. Please don’t see me. Please don’t see me.
“And I expect everyone to attend the lab orientations on time. If you miss more than two, it’ll count against your final grade.”
Ellie’s face burned. His voice sounded different now — confident, professional. Like he hadn’t had his mouth between her legs less than 72 hours ago.
“Now, let’s dive into biopolymer synthesis…”
His eyes casually scanned the class, and then it happened. His gaze landed on her.
Ellie froze.
And so did William.
His words stalled mid-sentence. His jaw visibly clenched, his knuckles tightening around the podium. His mouth parted slightly as if he’d seen a ghost. For a brief, agonizing moment, the entire class hung in silence as his stare locked onto hers.
Oh my god.
Ellie wanted to die. Right there. Drop dead. Vanish. Cease to exist.
William blinked rapidly, visibly collecting himself. “…as I was saying,” his voice cracked slightly. He cleared his throat, looking away sharply. “Biopolymers… yes.”
Ellie felt her entire body ignite with unbearable heat. She had to get out of there—
The next fifty minutes were pure agony.
William stammered once or twice during his lecture, his usual commanding tone faltering whenever his gaze accidentally brushed over Ellie. She kept her head down, frantically taking notes just to keep her mind off the fact that her one-night stand was now her professor.
By the time he dismissed class, Ellie bolted. She shoved her notebook into her bag and practically ran toward the door.
“Ellie.”
Her blood froze. No, no, no. She pretended not to hear and kept walking.
“Ellie,” his voice was sharper now.
Damn it.
She turned around reluctantly. William was standing by the desk, his tie slightly loosened, his expression a mixture of disbelief and something darker — like suppressed desire.
“Stay for a minute,” he said quietly.
Her stomach dropped. “…Why?”
He exhaled, his jaw clenching. “We need to talk.”
“About what?” she blurted, trying to play dumb.
His eyes narrowed slightly. “You know exactly what.”
The last student filed out, and Ellie realized they were now alone. Every nerve in her body screamed for her to run, but her feet remained glued to the floor.
“This is—” she stammered, struggling for words. “This is crazy.”
“You think?” William’s voice was sharp, low. He scrubbed a hand down his face. “I didn’t know you were a student, Ellie.”
“Yeah, well, I didn’t know you were a professor, William,” she snapped, her tone sharper than intended.
His jaw flexed at the way she said his name. “This… complicates things.”
Ellie let out a bitter laugh. “Complicates? That’s an understatement.”
He took a step toward her, and her breath caught. “I can’t have this affecting your grade.”
“I won’t let it,” she said quickly. “I don’t expect any special treatment.”
“That’s not the point,” he murmured, his gaze darkening. “I can’t… unsee that night.”
Her face burned. “William—”
“I can’t forget the way you felt,” he admitted quietly, his voice strained. “The way you looked at me.”
Ellie’s mouth went dry. “We can’t do this.”
“I know.”
“We have to forget it.”
“I know.”
Another tense silence passed before William exhaled sharply, turning away. “I’ll remain professional. This doesn’t leave the classroom.”
Ellie swallowed hard. “Agreed.”
She turned to leave, her chest tightening — but just before she reached the door, his voice stopped her.
“…But I haven’t stopped thinking about you.”
Ellie’s heart slammed against her ribcage.
“And I hate that I want you again,” he added darkly, his tone laced with frustration. “Because I can’t.”
Trembling, she turned halfway. “…Neither can I.”
And then she left — pulse racing, heart unraveling, and painfully aware that this was only the beginning of her downfall.
- Writer
