The Professor

Chapter 13

NOAH

Dalia hadn’t been lying when she told me I’d love the book she lent me on Friday and I needed to stop lying to myself about my feelings for her because I couldn’t control them any longer. I didn’t even ever have them under control.

So much for thinking my attraction to her would diminish over time.

I had stayed up late last night, trying to come up with a new approach to our relationship so I could avoid getting into a situation with her that could lead to disastrous consequences. I mean, some of the people on my father’s company’s board did not want me as the CEO and a scandal involving my student wouldn’t help my case.

But I’d ended up going to bed with no new approach and had a wildly erotic dream of her instead.

It was safe to say I was in trouble.

There’ll only be a scandal if you guys get caught. The thought slyly slipped into my mind and I swallowed. I was in a lot of trouble.

“What are you reading?” came a voice from behind me and I quickly put my phone away as I turned around to see Taylor.

“Nothing,” I replied and she narrowed her eyes at me. I’d wanted to text Dalia to let her know that I did enjoy the book but I’d ended up going through our previous chat instead – the ones from before the semester started. We had only talked for two days then and for a short period of time in each but the messages always made me smile when I read them. “You’re late.”

“Newton said time is relative.”

“Einstein did and that phrase doesn’t work the way you think it does.”

She rolled her eyes before glancing around as I got to my feet. “Where’s Axel?”

“He and Summer are stuck in traffic. They’ll meet us there.”

“Oh,” she muttered while I headed to my room so I could grab my jacket and car keys.

Today was Sunday, the day we used to have family get-togethers at our parents’ house in the past. We had stopped after what happened between Shane, Allison and I, and yesterday, mum decided that it was time for us to resume them again so she sent Taylor here to make sure I’d show up. She had even gotten Axel – Shane’s son with his ex-wife, Summer – to call me this morning and make me promise to be there because she knew if Taylor couldn’t make me show up, Axel would.

It was obvious that this get-together was another ploy to get Shane and I in the same room and with the way she had been trying to force me to reconcile with him recently, I was going to flip out on her someday.

When I stepped out of the closet, Taylor was standing next to my nightstand with the book Dalia had lent me in her hand. “This is Apex Oblivion,” she said, referring to the novel’s title, and I gave her a ‘So?’ look while she dropped the book back on the nightstand. “You refused to read it when I told you to.”

“You tend to exaggerate how good things are sometimes.”

“So what changed your mind?”

“None of your business.”

She sneered at me before heading out of the room while my phone began to ring and I pulled it out of my pocket to see that it was mum calling me. I knew she was calling to ask where I was so I declined the call and found myself staring at Dalia and I’s messages once more.

“Hurry up, Noah! We’re late,” Taylor called out from the hallway and I grabbed my car keys before sending Dalia a text.

I couldn’t wait to see her again tomorrow.

****

DALIA

“What the f**k?!”

“Stay still. I’m almost done,” Evie chided, tightening her hold on my hand, and I scowled when she kept painting my nails because it didn’t seem like she was taking what had happened seriously.

Evie had planned to come to Weston and I’s apartment yesterday but she later called us in the evening to let us know that she won’t be coming anymore because something came up. Now we were finding out that she didn’t show up because on her way over, she noticed an odd vibration coming from the wheels on her car so she stopped by the mechanic’s and found out that someone had loosened her wheel nuts.

“Don’t tell me to stay still. Who did that?”

She shrugged, her attention still on my nails, and I kicked her leg under the table. “Ow… I don’t know, D. I’ve given a statement to the cops.”

The cops… Cold spider-like fingers raced up and down my spine as I realized that she could have lost a wheel while driving and I swallowed. “...Do you– Do you think it’s the person that’s been harassing you that did it?” I asked and she shrugged again.

“I have a lot of harassers.”

“You know who I’m talking about.”

Being an anchorwoman for CTN Broadcasting wasn’t easy but the major problem the job had given Evie was the viewers who turned to harassers and there was one person who was consistent with the harassment. That person had even gone as far as sending death threats to her workplace and her apartment – yes, they’d found out where she lived – and the cops still hadn’t found out who they were so it was safe to assume that it was the same person that loosened her wheel nuts.

I still remembered when she showed up at our apartment one night because the person had broken into her place and trashed it.

I was really worried about her.

“It’s fine, Dalia,” she said as she screwed the nail polish cap back onto its bottle and my brows snapped together. “I mean, it’s not fine but I just don’t want you guys to worry about me,” she added, her eyes darting between me and Weston, and I heaved a sigh.

How could we not worry?

“Are you going back to your place today?” Weston asked and she shook her head.

“No. I need to get a new apartment so I’ll be staying with Ainsley till I do.”

“Ainsley? You don’t want to stay here?” he replied, tipping his head to the side, with ‘here’ being Wesley’s house, and she pressed her lips together.

“Can I just stay with you guys instead?” She turned her attention to me and I shrugged while wondering why she didn’t want to stay here. Did she and Wesley fight?

“Sure,” Weston and I said in unison and her face lit up before she scooched closer to me.

“Now enough about me. Tell me about Noah.”

“Ah.” I had told her about him after leaving the club that night he and I met and when she asked how our date had gone on Monday, I told her I’d tell her in person because I didn’t exactly know how to tell her he was my professor then. Now she was here and I still didn’t know how to. “Well…”

She raised her brows, waiting for me to continue, and I pressed my lips together before the doorbell rang, drawing her attention. “Give me a moment.” She got to her feet, heading towards the door, and I sneered at Weston when he gave me a smirk.

My gaze then fell on the book which Evie had been reading when Weston and I arrived, and Noah and the book I lent him on Friday came to mind. I wonder if he likes it.

My phone buzzed on the table, its screen turning on with a message notification, and my eyes widened slightly after I glanced down at it. I then quickly picked it up to unlock it and when I read the message, a smile spread across my face.

Noah: You were right. I loved it.