Chapter 18
Edrin
I felt the sensation of someone leaning close to me as I slept. Cracking my eyes open carefully. I caught a glimpse of long, dark hair and striking blue eyes. Audrey.
ust as she was straightening. I threw my arm out and wrapped it around her waist, yanking her close.
Jung
-What do you think you’re doing, young lady!” I growled, my fingers digging into the soft flesh beneath her sweater.
Audrey’s eyes turned into saucers at my touch. Her face reddened until it practically looked like a ripe little strawberry, and her mouth turned into an ‘O‘ when she realized she had been caught in the act.
“P–Professor–I mean, Edwin, she gasped, pressing her palms flat into the expanse of my forearm to try and pry it away. “I–I didn’t-
Seeing her struggle like this, like a mouse caught in a trap, made my grip soften a bit. Audrey took the opportunity to wriggle free–but in the act, she stumbled backwards and knocked into the ink pot sitting on my desk.
“Hey!” I jumped up, narrowly avoiding having jet black ink spilled all over my clothes.
“I–I’m so sorry!” she breathed, already by the door. I’m sa.. I’m so sorry”
“Audrey, wait-” | |
It was too late. She was already out the door in a rush, leaving me alone with nothing but confusion, ink splatters, and.. What was this?
Stooping. I picked up a small white envelope that was sitting in the middle of an ink puddle. It appeared to be sealed, so I carefully tore it open with a furrowed brow and pulled the contents out
As soon as I did that, I was hit with the scent of women’s perfume and flowers–almost as though the card inside had been sprayed with the stuff. I coughed and waved my hand before opening the small, nondescript pink card.
What was written inside practically made my heart stop in my chest.
“Dear Edwin..“the card began. “I may not have known you long, but I feel as if we’ve known each other for years. Perhaps you hardly notice me the way I notice you… Perhaps you don’t notice me at all..”
I quirked my eyebrows as I sank back into my chair and continued to read.
“…But I think that we do share a sort of chemistry between us; I’ve felt it during our fleeting glances, those brief moments when our eyes meet. Maybe you don’t notice it, but I do. I’d like to give us a chance…”
The more I read, the more I found it nearly impossible to contain the smirk that spread across my lips. Audrey had dropped this note in her haste, a love letter for me? The signature portion was smudged out by ink, completely unreadable. But the curving handwriting had to be hers. I was sure
of it.
“How bold,” I muttered to myself as I turned the card over in my hand. It seemed rather unlike the shy girl who had shared my bed with me–the virgin who had trembled just at my lips touching her neck.
But I supposed that I had misread her. Maybe she wasn’t so shy after all; maybe that was why she was leaning so close to me just now as I slept. To steal a kiss before she left her confession for me.
I almost felt bad that I had interrupted it.
“Edwin! Is everything alright?”
The sound of Charles’s voice suddenly snapped me out of my reverie, and it was only then that I realized I had inadvertently read the little love note several times over, Quickly closing the card, I looked up to meet my Beta’s face.
“Yes, everything’s line. Why?”
“Oh, I just heard some commation, and–Goddess, Edwin, look at yourself!” Charles scurried from the doorway, slipping his phone out of his pocket. He turned on the front–facing camera and handed it to me
My eyes widened at the sight, and a curse escaped my lips. There, in the reflection on the screen, was my face staring back at me–with several umall sloodles on my temple. A little flower, a moon, and a nice ‘A‘ written underneath it.
Her dama linke signature.
“Here,” Charles handed me his hatalkerchief, which I used to wipe off the marker; thankfully it was easily removable
4.36 PM c
Chapter 18
But how dare she? What kind of childish stunt….?
“Was it her!” Charles asked, sticking his hands in his pockets, “Audrey?”
I nodded stiffly and tossed his phone back to him. “It seems so.”
Charles raised an eyebrow. “Oh. I thought you two were kissing.”
“So you saw her?” I asked, my voice slightly raising involuntarily.
“Yes, well.” Charles visibly blanched and ran a hand through his hair. “I came in and thought I was interrupting an intimate moment, so I waited in the hallway. But then I heard a crash, and she came running out.”
Sighing. I shook my head and stood to cross over to the window. I could see the academy’s courtyard down below, and although I strained my eyes to find Audrey amongst the sea of other students, she wasn’t there.
“She’s my student, Charles,” I said matter–of–factly. “I would never.. And besides, you know me. I don’t let useless emotions tie me down.”
“Of course, sir. Anyway, I came to deliver this.” He held up a manila folder behind me.
I glanced over my shoulder and nodded toward the desk. “Put it down there. Not in the ink puddle, if you don’t mind.”
“Certainly.“With that, Charles turned on his heel–but stopped upon seeing a small bag hanging from the doorknob. It was still swinging as thought it had just been placed there. “What’s this?” he asked, holding it out to me.
Furrowing my brow, I crossed the room and took the bag from his hands. Inside was nestled the white t–shirt I had loaned Audrey last night. It appeared freshly washed, folded perfectly. There was a small note laying on top that simply read. “Thanks. -A”
“It’s for me,” I said, striding back to my desk. “You may go. Chades.”
Charles slipped out of the room, and I was once again alone. I slowly sank down into my chair and plopped the bag on my desk, carefully beginning to wipe up the spilt ink with some paper towels. But as I worked, my eyes kept wandering over to that little envelope with the pink card
inside.
Oh, Audrey, I thought to myself with a shake of my head. I supposed that she might have heard my statement about not getting tied up with feelings when she had left the shirt earlier. It was a relief, at least, to know that I wouldn’t need to reject her to her face now that she knew the truth.
But still, I couldn’t help but feel a small pang of regret. My fingers made their way over to the card, tracing the corner of it gently. The smell of perfume and flowers still lingered–a heady, all–too–intoxicating scent that I didn’t usually like. But she had put in the effort, and she had gone out on a limb. I commended that.
*You should have alerted me when she was trying to kiss me,” I said quietly under my breath, chiding my wolf. “You just sat there.”
My wolf growled pensively.
“I couldn’t help it. Her p
presence lulls me.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” I growled in response.
