Love Bound (Student/Teacher) ✔️

Chapter 22

"What are you doing here? I just saw you enter the diner and sprint to this side" Mason explained. His eyes sparkled emerald green.

"Our eyes resemble you know" Even though I was attempting to disregard this question, they were really similar.

Mason lifted his eyebrows amused "You know I can pinpoint three strangers in this diner that have the same eye colour as each other. Why so intrigued?"

He sat in front of me. It was clear that I had been crying. My eyes were red, it felt like they were on fire. But Mason didn't mention it, and I was grateful.

"They really are intriguing" I genuinely said. "Your eyes hold a story, a really deep one. But not so brutal. Not so empty. They're lively, but somethings missing." Mason looked at me while I spoke and wiped my tears.

I rested my head on the leather seat and looked at his confused face "Mine are empty. There's no story to tell. Just dull. Hence why, your eyes intrigue me"

"Similar eye colour, different story" Mason summed it up. He was deep in thought as he looked at me.

Mr. Vervain approached us. The moment the door opened I just sensed it was him. He looked at Mason confused "Didn't I tell you we'd meet up tonight?"

"I just came to have a bite before my break was over" Mason never looked at him, he just stared at me. My neck to be precise, I had a birth mark that was noticeable. It was nothing unique, just a simple line in the corner.

"What do you do Mason?" I didn't want to acknowledge Mr. Vervain now, if he wanted to be in denial then nothing can stop me from being one as well.

"Psychologist. I'm well at reading people though." Mason moved further down the seat so Mr. Vervain can sit. I looked at him, but he wasn't looking at me or Mason. His gaze was fixated on the zigzag patterns traced throughout the walls of the diner.

"Read me" I shifted my gaze to Mason, challenging him to.

"You're difficult to read Aster" Mason scratched his head. Stella had a right to be head over heels for this guy, he was handsome and humble and I instantly decided to like him in that moment.

I had an epiphany, I have been accepting people, mentally and physically to enter my life, it was extremely unusual, but so far my intuition has served me right.

I guess the only reason I can think of, on meeting and growing a liking to Ben, Mason and Mr. Vervain all at once, is luck. Luck is on my side right now. I just need to hold onto that, and hope that it will get me far.

"Am I? What do you think Mr. Vervain? Am I difficult to read?" Mr. Vervain took his time to look at me, and when he did I understood why he wasn't looking our way. It was clear as the sky that he was completely detached. His eyes were dark. I just knew he wasn't in his right mind.

"Mason knows better" Mr. Vervain's look was so cold I couldn't endure it anymore. I felt his emotions all aimed at me, they were cruel.

"Go easy on her Mike. She's your student." Mason's eyes had a hint of anger and that bad feeling in my heart was automatically replaced with reassurance. That his behaviour wasn't acceptable, it wasn't me, it was just him.

"It's because she's my student that I shouldn't" Mr. Vervain stated with gritted teeth.

"Ignore him. Here's my card. We should catch up, I'd like to finish our conversation. I'm intrigued" Mason looked at me knowingly, he smiled genuinely.

"What makes you think I won't throw this the second you leave?" I said, challengingly.

"Because you're intrigued as much as I am" Mason winked. He slipped the card across the table and told Mr. Vervain to meet up at the same spot later on in the evening.

I didn't look at Mr. Vervain. I thought about Mason as I reverted to my position. I leaned my head on my shoulders and covered my face. He was right. I was intrigued by him. Our conversation didn't amount to the connection I felt with Mr. Vervain, but there was something.

I heard Mr. Vervain move out of his seat. "Are you hungry?"

"No"

"Ok let me drop you off" Mr. Vervain didn't even wait for me. I looked at his retreating form and held in the tears that were coming back.

The second I closed the car door he accelerated. My body slammed back on the seat and I couldn't hold it any longer.

"What the hell is wrong with you?! Calm down or you'll get us both killed" I fastened my seatbelt trying to take my own advice and calm the hell down.

I was met with silence. I didn't expect better. He was acting weird, and it frustrated me that he was angry for no apparent reason. I was the one that's supposed to be angry.

We didn't talk. The sun was slowly setting and Friday was getting closer by the second.

Mr. Vervain dropped me off in front of 'my house'

My heart constricted. It felt like it was crumbling into tiny particles. Fighting with Mr. Vervain has become a habit since our new found understanding of where we stood. Which happened to be nowhere.

I couldn't leave him knowing that I was going to have to face a fatal night.

He kept his gaze fixed on the road as he waited for me to leave. But I just waited. For something. Anything from his side. A reaction. That's all I needed, to know that we were still intact.

"I just realized something Mr. Vervain" I whispered.

Silence.

"I'm attached to you."

More silence.

"I can't leave without closure." I sighed.

Tears I couldn't control began to stream down my face. I shut my eyes, knowing that Mr. Vervain and his pride were hard to tackle.

I opened the door and left. My feet started moving towards the direction of this lovely house. I'm glad an old lady lived there; she was in a different world. It was rare to see her interacting with anyone from the neighbourhood let alone appear outside.

I heard a door shut and all I could feel was Mr. Vervain's chest, against me.

His embrace was so firm, like his life depended on it.

My life depended on it.

I held my sob returning his embrace just as hard. His sweet cologne soothed me, he rubbed his hand against my back gently.

"I never got to ask you that question, remember the deal?"

"Mhm" lost in his arms.

We stayed there. I waited comfortably.

"Do you trust me?" Out of all the questions he could have asked, he chose this one.

I thought about it. Do I?

"With my life"

He held me tighter. Mr. Vervain slowly leaned down and placed a soft kiss, on the corner of my neck.

"Be safe"

My heart was beating frantically; this man will be the death of me.

As we separated, without giving each other a second glance, I hoped tomorrow night wouldn't be the death of me.