Office Hours |h.s|

fifty eight

Harry

Niall hands me a cold beer as he sits down on his couch next to me. He invited me over to watch the football game that was on tonight, which also meant I have to stay for dinner.

Usually I wouldn't mind hanging out with Niall and Shea for the night, only Maude texted me not too long ago that Cassidy was going over to someone's house to plan for her birthday party and she had nothing to do anymore. Now I'm stuck at Niall's when I could be spending time with my girlfriend.

Maude was understanding though, saying that we both have to make an effort to spend time with our friends and not just disappear all the time. She has a point too, especially since her friends have made it very clear that they don't like the sneaking around thing. I'm sure they expected her to invite her boyfriend to this birthday party since they made a big stink about where she was this weekend, but I'm not going near that place with a ten foot pole. I love Maude of course, but given the lies she told Cassidy and the fact that I'm a professor to pretty much all of the people in her close friend group, I think it's safer I sit this one out.

It's been a while since Niall, Shea, and I all hung out together by ourselves like this, and it's been nice getting to sit around and catch up with them. I can't lie though, I keep looking at the door, anxious Juliet is gonna walk through it again. I haven't spoken to her since I told her I didn't feel the same way. Honestly I've been actively avoiding running into her again, just not wanting to have that awkward conversation like nothing's changed when in reality I don't think we could ever have the same friendship. I know I wouldn't be able to be friends with her since I'd just be worried she's taking everything I say the wrong way.

I'm not an idiot though, I know Shea and Juliet have talked since the rejection, and Shea obviously has told Niall about whatever they talked about. It's gonna be a bit of an adjustment to the friend group now that Juliet and I are going to have to be separated for the time being. There's always the chance that in a few years down the road we reconcile and will be able to laugh at the situation once she's moved on, but I'm not exactly holding my breath for that.

Maude probably wouldn't be too keen on being friends with Juliet in the future anyways. There's too much history there. Honestly, the more I think about our future together, the more I worry. I can barely imagine her sitting here, hanging out with Shea while Niall and I drink beers and watch football. They're her professors too and I can't expect them to be okay with letting her into their lives just because I let go of my morals and started dating her. Mitch and Sarah would probably be more understanding, but she's still so much younger than us.

I just can't see myself with anyone else. Maude is genuinely the love of my life and if I don't end up marrying her, then I'm not getting married at all. I just hope my friends can see how good she is for me and will be able to move past the age thing. And the student thing. I understand why there are strict rules in place when it comes to having relationships with the students, even more now that I'm in a relationship with my student.

Absent-mindedly, my eyes watch the tv screen, not quite paying attention to the football game. It must be obvious too, since Niall decides to call me out on it.

"Thinking about the case?" He asks, and for once I'm glad I have a reputation of being a workaholic.

Looking down at the beer bottle in my hand, I press my lips together and shrug. "Yeah, it's been picking up. I feel pretty confident with the evidence we have and we're in talks with a few stores that may have him driving past on their cameras during the time the murder occurred which would really help."

"That's amazing, man! Isn't this the big break you were looking for? You said he had been unaccounted for during the time the murder occurred and now this could help!"