Between the lecture halls

Chapter 7: Rumors and Reservations

Zara returned to the faculty lounge the next morning, hoping for a quiet coffee before her first lecture. But the low hum of conversation shifted when she heard her name whispered, half-laughing.

“You’ve seen Dr. Adeniyi with the new lecturer, right?” a colleague murmured to another.

Zara froze. Rumors. Already.

She spotted Liam entering the lounge, coffee in hand, and noticed the subtle flicker of unease in his eyes. He approached her table with that effortless smile, but the tension in the room made it feel brittle.

“Morning,” he said quietly, sliding into the seat opposite her.

“Morning,” she replied, forcing calm.

For a few moments, they sat in silence, each sipping their coffee, aware of the eyes that might be following them.

“Don’t let them bother you,” Liam whispered. “People love to gossip about anything… especially when it’s harmless.”

Zara smiled faintly, grateful for his reassurance, yet the unease lingered. “I know… but it’s strange, isn’t it? One moment, everything’s professional. The next, everyone thinks they have a story to tell.”

He leaned closer, lowering his voice. “Then we make our own story. Quiet, unbothered, just the way we like it.”

Her heart stirred. He had a way of cutting through everything—the whispers, the expectations, the judgments and making her feel seen.

As they walked to their respective lectures, side by side, Zara realized that the small, stolen moments mattered more than she had admitted. And with Liam, even amidst rumors and reservations, they were building something real—something worth the risk.