"Xena open up about what you really feel when you stare at me like that."
I was not letting her slip away this time. My mind kept replaying that page I glimpsed... my name surrounded by those little hearts. It stirred something deep in my chest that I could not ignore anymore. Part of me wanted to stay professional like the strict tutor her father trusted me to be. Another part... that part burned to know exactly how far her thoughts about me went.
"I... I do not know what you mean Professor Kyle."
Her voice came out soft and shaky. It pulled at me. I stepped closer until the space between us felt charged. "Do not call me Professor right now. We both know this stopped being just about math weeks ago. You write my name in that notebook. You watch me during lectures like you are memorizin
