My Professor Is the Devil

Chapter 2: Aurora

The cold air hit me the moment I stepped out of the club.

Sharp. Clean. Real.

So different from the suffocating heat inside—the noise, the lights… him.

My fingers lifted to my lips before I could stop myself.

They were still warm.

My breath caught.

God.

What was that?

My heart wouldn’t slow down. It pounded hard against my ribs, uneven, unfamiliar—like it didn’t belong to me anymore. Like something inside me had shifted, and I didn’t know how to put it back.

I started walking. Fast.

The streets were quieter here, dimly lit, lined with old buildings and patches of melting snow. Vermont felt smaller at night. Too quiet. Too empty.

Too loud inside my head.

Him.

No.

That man.

The stranger.

The one who said he was nobody.

I let out a shaky breath, hugging my coat tighter around myself.

“i***t,” I whispered under my breath.

“I should’ve slapped him.”

But I didn’t.

That was the problem.

I didn’t push him away—not immediately.

Not when his hand touched my back.

Not when he pulled me closer like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Not when his lips—

I stopped walking.

My stomach twisted.

Why didn’t I stop him?

I’ve always been careful. Controlled. Quiet. After everything… after Mom…

I don’t let people in.

I don’t let anyone get close.

So why him?

By the time I reached my grandparents’ house, the lights were already off.

Good.

I didn’t want questions. I didn’t want to explain something I didn’t even understand myself.

I slipped inside quietly, closing the door behind me with barely a sound. The familiar scent of chamomile and old wood wrapped around me, grounding me in something safe. Something normal.

Not like tonight.

Not like him.

I leaned against the door, closing my eyes.

And there it was again—

That feeling.

Not fear.

Not exactly.

Something heavier. Warmer.

Dangerous.

I went straight to my room, locking the door behind me out of habit. My bag slipped from my shoulder and landed on the floor, forgotten.

The mirror caught my attention.

For a second, I didn’t recognize the girl staring back at me.

My cheeks were flushed.

My lips slightly swollen.

My eyes…

They looked different.

Brighter.

Alive.

I hated it.

My fingers brushed over my mouth again, like I could erase what happened. Like I could undo the feeling still lingering there.

“You’re being stupid,” I whispered.

It was just a kiss.

A stranger.

A reckless moment.

Nothing more.

That’s what it was supposed to be.

But my body didn’t agree.

Because when I closed my eyes—

I could still feel him.

The way his hand rested at my waist—firm, certain.

The way he pulled me closer, like there was no space for hesitation.

The way he kissed me—slow, deliberate… like he wasn’t in a rush.

Like he knew I wouldn’t stop him.

My breath hitched.

No.

No, that’s not true.

I’m not like that.

I turned away from the mirror abruptly, shaking my head.

“Stop it.”

I needed sleep.

I had class tomorrow.

A normal day. A routine. Something predictable.

That’s who I am.

Not… whatever tonight was.

I changed quickly, slipping into something comfortable, and climbed into bed. The blankets felt cold at first, then slowly warmed around me.

But sleep didn’t come.

Because every time I closed my eyes—

I saw him.

That look in his eyes.

That voice—low, smooth, like he knew exactly what he was doing.

The way he looked at me…

Like I wasn’t invisible.

My chest tightened.

No one looks at me like that.

No one ever really sees me.

I turned onto my side, pulling the blanket closer.

“What is wrong with me…” I whispered into the dark.

It was just a stranger.

Just a kiss.

So why does it feel like something changed?

And then, quietly… dangerously…

A thought slipped in.

What if I see him again?

My grip tightened on the blanket.

“No,” I whispered quickly.

“I don’t want to.”

I shouldn’t.

I won’t.