THE ROSE AND THE THORN

Chapter 41

RUBY'S POV

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"I thought I was doing the right thing," I sighed.

"What? Getting back with your ex without telling me was 'the right thing'?" she snapped at me.

"No. Not that. That was a mistake," I explained.

"Then what part of breaking my heart was 'the right thing'?" she asked me angrily.

I flinched at her tone, but I couldn't blame her for acting this way. I didn't realise when I did it that her feelings for me were so strong. I thought that she would surely get over it quickly. I had no idea she would be so hurt.

"I didn't think you felt strongly enough for me to have broken your heart..." I admitted quietly.

"Well, don't let it boost your ego too much..." she muttered.

"India, you shouldn't be with someone who you have to hide!" I told her, and she rolled her eyes at me.

"I thought I made it quite obvious that I didn't care about that!" she snapped at me.

"India, you're young. You should be going out and having fun!" I said.

"You're just grasping at straws now!" she spat at me. "I can still go out and have fun even if I'm with you. I don't have to fuck someone to have fun. If you don't want to be with me just tell me, but quit making up shit excuses."

I sighed loudly and ran my hands through my hair, tugging on it to release some of the stress that had built up inside me.

"Inds, I want to be with you, I do. But I am your teacher!" I said.

That's what it came down to. I was her teacher, and we couldn't be together. Not now, not for the next few months.

"Then I'll wait," she said, moving closer to me. "I told you I'd wait. But then you fucked off with Maria."

"I'm not with her anymore," I explained to her.

"Yeah, well... I've heard that before," she muttered angrily.

I didn't know what else to do, what else to say. She was right with everything she said. I fucked up, and I was willing to do everything in my power to fix it. We sat in silence for a few moments, and I used this time to look at her. To truly look at her.

She had bags under her eyes and her gorgeous blue orbs were surrounded by bloodshot white. Her skin didn't glow like it used to, it was dull. Her hair was thrown into a messy bun to hide that it probably hadn't been washed for a while...and she was thin. So very thin.

I looked at the girl in front of me and saw that she was broken. Beautiful, but broken.

"India..." I croaked out, stepping toward her and pathetically reaching out to touch her.

She didn't respond. She just looked up at me through her thick eyelashes. I watched as a tear fell from her eye and rolled down her cheek before she swiftly wiped it away, sniffing and turning her back towards me.

"You can go now," she choked out, walking away from me towards the kitchen.

"Please, don't make me go!" I begged, but was met with no reply.

She went on with her night as if I wasn't there. She began to pull things out of the fridge and prepare dinner, pretending she couldn't hear me each time I spoke her name. Eventually I gave up, standing silently and continuing to watch her as she moved.

Even in her pain, she was perfect. She was the most beautiful person I had ever laid my eyes on and I couldn't comprehend how I had let things get so fucked up. She didn't walk like she used to, instead her shoulders hunching forward and her head hanging down. Her eyes didn't look upward, instead staying on the ground as she navigated her way through the kitchen.

I watched as she continued to prepare food on the kitchen counter, when suddenly she dropped everything and took a step backwards. She stared at the counter for a few seconds before gathering everything and moving it to the other side of the kitchen, continuing to prepare like nothing had happened.

I didn't understand what had just occurred, but it only took me a moment to figure it out. It was that kitchen bench, the one where we had been together for the first time. Without thinking I walked into the kitchen, running my hand over the counter longingly.

"I'm not exactly in the mood to reminisce," I heard her say to me.

"That's not - I wasn't..." I stammered.

"Then what are you doing?" she asked me.

"I'm...I guess I am reminiscing..." I confessed, because that was the truth.

My mind had drifted back to that day when I finally experienced what I had wanted for so long. The feeling of her tongue on my clit, the feeling of her clenching around my fingers. The feeling of our bodies connected as we kissed, as we touched.

Everything about it was perfect, and I craved her touch. I craved her fingers interlocking with mine. I craved her hands running through my hair and her nails scratching down my back. I craved her lips on my own, on my neck, my chest, my entire body. But most importantly, I craved her love.

There was no denying it anymore. I was absolutely in love with India Thorn, my student. I had done the unthinkable, the unspeakable...but I didn't care. I wasn't going to deny myself any longer, I was in love. So fucking in love.

Without another word I turned around, closing the distance between India and I. I placed my hand softly on her shoulder and felt her body tense up underneath my touch. I pushed her slightly, turning her body to face me.

"India," I breathed out, moving my hand from her shoulder to cradle her cheek gently.

She gulped loudly, but let her face lean softly into my hand. She didn't speak, so I used the silence to say the three words I knew I should've said a long time ago.

"I love you."