Chapter three: Too Close to ignore
1007 Words
Nafisa didn’t breathe properly until she was out of the lecture hall.
The moment the door closed behind her, she leaned against the wall, pressing a hand against her chest as if it could calm the storm inside her.
What just happened?
No… she knew exactly what happened.
What she didn’t understand was how she was supposed to survive the rest of the semester like this.
She had barely made it through one lecture.
One.
And now she had to sit through weeks—months—of seeing him every single day.
Professor Adrian Hale.
Her professor.
The man she had spent the night with.
Nafisa shut her eyes briefly, frustration building inside her.
“This is a disaster,” she muttered under her breath.
“A disaster?” a familiar voice interrupted.
Nafisa’s eyes snapped open.
Standing a few steps away was her best friend, Zara, holding her bag over one shoulder and looking at her with narrowed eyes.
Zara had always had that look—the one that said she already knew something was wrong before Nafisa even spoke.
“You look like you just saw a ghost,” Zara continued, walking closer.
Nafisa forced a quick smile.
“I’m fine.”
Zara stopped in front of her and crossed her arms.
“Don’t lie to me. I’ve known you for how many years now?”
Nafisa sighed.
Too well.
Zara knew her too well.
“It’s just… class stress,” she said weakly.
Zara raised an eyebrow.
“Class stress doesn’t make you look like you’re about to pass out.”
Nafisa hesitated.
She could lie.
She should lie.
But the words slipped out before she could stop herself.
“I messed up.”
Zara’s expression immediately shifted to interest.
“What kind of messed up are we talking about?”
Nafisa glanced around quickly before lowering her voice.
“The kind you can’t fix.”
Zara leaned in slightly.
“Now you have to tell me.”
Nafisa swallowed hard.
“Last night… I went out.”
“Okay…”
“I drank.”
“Still normal.”
Nafisa took a deep breath.
“And I met someone.”
Zara’s eyes lit up.
“Wait—this is actually interesting. Continue.”
Nafisa hesitated for a second.
“And I went home with him.”
Zara blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Then—
“YOU WHAT?”
Nafisa quickly covered her mouth.
“Keep your voice down!”
Zara pulled her hand away, eyes wide with shock.
“You? Nafisa Carter? One-night stand Nafisa??”
Nafisa groaned.
“Please don’t say it like that.”
Zara stared at her for a moment longer before leaning closer again, now whispering intensely.
“Okay, wait. Who is he? Is he cute? Rich? Dangerous? Married??”
“That’s not the problem,” Nafisa said quickly.
Zara frowned.
“Then what is the problem?”
Nafisa looked her straight in the eyes.
“He’s my professor.”
Silence.
Complete silence.
Zara’s expression froze.
Then slowly—
“You’re joking.”
“I wish I was.”
Zara took a step back, running a hand through her hair.
“No. No, no, no. This is not happening. This is a movie plot.”
“That’s exactly how I feel,” Nafisa said.
“Which professor?” Zara demanded.
Nafisa hesitated.
“…Adrian Hale.”
Zara’s jaw dropped.
“The Adrian Hale?? The scary one??”
Nafisa nodded weakly.
Zara let out a dramatic breath.
“Oh, you’re finished.”
“Zara!”
“I’m serious! That man looks like he doesn’t even smile. And you—” she pointed at Nafisa, “—you went and—”
“I know!” Nafisa cut in.
They both fell silent for a moment.
Then Zara leaned closer again, lowering her voice.
“Okay… wait. Important question.”
Nafisa braced herself.
“Was it at least worth it?”
Nafisa’s face immediately flushed.
“Zara!”
“What? I’m asking a valid question!”
Nafisa looked away, unable to answer.
Zara’s eyes widened slightly.
“Oh.”
Nafisa groaned.
“Can we not talk about this part?”
Zara smirked.
“Noted.”
Then her expression turned serious again.
“So what now?”
Nafisa sighed.
“He said it was a mistake. That it won’t happen again.”
Zara nodded slowly.
“Good. That’s… actually the only correct answer.”
“I know.”
“But?” Zara pressed.
Nafisa hesitated.
“But it doesn’t feel that simple.”
⸻
Across campus, Adrian stood in his office, staring blankly at the file open in front of him.
He hadn’t read a single word.
His mind was somewhere else.
Or rather—on someone else.
Nafisa Carter.
He leaned back in his chair, exhaling slowly.
This was a problem.
A serious one.
He had built his entire career on discipline and control. He didn’t make reckless decisions. He didn’t blur boundaries.
And yet, in one night, he had crossed a line that could destroy everything.
His jaw tightened.
It shouldn’t matter.
He had already made it clear—last night was a mistake.
End of story.
So why couldn’t he stop thinking about her?
The way she looked at him.
The way her voice softened when she said “Professor.”
The way she walked out of the classroom like she was trying to hold something back.
Adrian closed his eyes briefly.
This was exactly what he needed to avoid.
Distraction.
Emotion.
Attachment.
A knock on the door pulled him out of his thoughts.
“Come in,” he said.
The door opened slightly, and one of his students stepped in.
“Sir, I wanted to ask about the assignment—”
Adrian nodded, immediately shifting back into his professional demeanor.
But as the student spoke, Adrian’s focus drifted again.
Because standing just outside his office, waiting her turn—
Was Nafisa.
And for the first time since this situation began, Adrian realized something dangerous.
Avoiding her was going to be impossible.
- Writer
