Office Hours |h.s|

four

Maude

I rush into the apartment, still feeling as if I'm dreaming or something. Well not a dream, more like a fucking nightmare.

My mind just won't accept the fact that the man I've had a major crush on the last two weeks is actually my professor. It makes me feel sick to think that I've kissed him, that he's felt me up. And I don't know if I feel sick because I liked it, or because I can't believe he's my professor. A part of me still feels like I should drop the class, but he's right that it'll only set me back.

How do I keep going to that class, and face that handsome man, and not think about his lips on mine? How do I see his large hands, covered in rings, and not feel the ghost of them against my body? What if I run into him again?

The crazy part to me is that he flirted first. He's the one who wanted to see me again, he's the one who kissed me first. If he knew he was a professor, how was he comfortable kissing some random girl, who could be his student? And then for him to turn it on me in a way and make it seem like I seduced him, when he made every first move.

Cassidy is standing in the kitchen, obviously just keeping herself busy until I got home. I just sent the SOS and ran, not giving any other explanation. I couldn't risk anyone on campus hearing me and running to the Dean with that nugget of information.

"Maude! What the fuck happened? Ben and Violet said you were kept after class and that the prof seemed ready to rip your head off? Are you okay?" She asks, obviously looking very concerned.

My wide, scared eyes look at her, unable to get the words out, but I try my hardest. "I- Um, He... Uh... Fuck-" I whisper, running my hands through my hair and tugging on the roots. "The guy from the apple thing-"

"Red Delicious?"

My face contorts into an uncomfortable grimace at the nickname we unknowingly gave our professor. "Cass... He's Professor Styles. He saw me, and he hated my brother and probably my cousins, and now he thinks I fucking was trying to sleep with him because he's my professor and was trying to get ahead." My words come out rushed and panicked, and Cassidy's face quickly becomes just as horrified as I feel.

"Holy shit! You've got to be fucking kidding me!" She covers her mouth in shock, "What are you gonna do? What did he say?"

We go over to the couch, sitting on edge as I begin to recount how it all went down. I describe how I knew it was him when I heard his voice and how mean he sounded when he was talking about my family, and ultimately how Ben outed me as the Sterling and the disaster that ensued immediately after.

She listens intently, not knowing how to respond to all of this. It's something you only hear about in movies, and now this has become my actual life.

"So what are you gonna do? How did you leave things?" She asks, biting her lip slightly and giving me a sympathetic look.

I sigh, looking down at my hands, "We agreed to a fresh start and to be professional. But I know he hates my family so I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing."

She groans, tilting her head to the side. "I'm sorry, M. I know you liked him and I can only imagine how fucked up this must feel."

"You don't think he'll tell anyone right? I don't know how comfortable he is with the other professors or the attorneys at his firm, and either way if he tells someone it'll get back to my dad." Now that would be even worse than finding out I've made out with my professor. At least we hadn't had sex yet.

Cass shakes her head, furrowing his brows. "He wouldn't tell anyone. It's against the rules to have a relationship with students and he could get fired, he wouldn't risk that. He clearly wants to be careful about this. It's probably why he offered a fresh start, I don't think he wants you to go to the Dean about it. Honestly, this could work to your advantage since you could get him fired in a second."