Page 13 of Colton

Then, as a particularly loud thunder roars outside, a knock comes to the door. My brows furrow, and I glance at the clock on the wall. It’s too late for students to be roaming around, and the professors know better than to disturb my peaceful time.

“Enter,” I say, keeping my composure. It’s silent for a while, then the door swings open, and my shock rises. Ms. Evans strolls inside, though, tonight, she doesn’t seem to be as confident. It’s rather strange seeing that look of uncertainty in her eyes.

“Sir,” she says, clearing her throat. Softly, the door closes behind her, and she fiddles with the hem of her shirt. She’s not wearing her uniform, instead she’s wearing a black, fitted, long-sleeved shirt, with a denim skirt that would definitely violate the dress code, if such a thing existed here.

“What can I do for you, Ms. Evans?”

I lean in the leather chair, my eyes staring through hers. I’m watching her like a hawk, and although she doesn’t falter under the intensity of my gaze, she does swallow and I watch her throat bob up and down.

That’s when I notice how delicate her neck seems. Thin flesh, exposed to the cool air inside of my office. It seems so breakable, and I’m not the one to notice such things. Yet now, I can’t help but think how easily my teeth could sink into that tender skin, how many marks I could possibly make.

What in the world are you thinking about, Colton? She’s a student.

Somehow, I force myself to snap out of the daze, immediately looking away from her neck. Jesus Christ, this hasn’t happened to me in a while, to notice something about a woman in such a way, and it’s the first time to notice one of my students.

“I came here to ask for a favor,” she says, though she seems reluctant. “You see, I’ve been having issues with Artemis.”

That immediately captures my attention. “Issues? What kind?”

“It might sound ridiculous, but she’s been borderline stalking me. We used to never run into each other, given that we only share one class, and different friendship groups. But all of a sudden, she’s transferred to the dorm across from mine, and she’s always near me.”

Usually, those things wouldn’t warrant thinking someone’s a stalker, but in the case of Artemis Hill? Nothing is a coincidence. She’s definitely planned this.

“Did she do anything?”

Ms. Evans shakes her head. “Not so far, no. But I’m worried. She doesn’t seem to like me, yet she’s doing everything she can to rattle me. She seems dangerous.”

Artemis Hill is dangerous. Especially when she hyper-fixates on someone, there’s no telling what she’ll do. The worst part is that I can’t tell what she’s thinking half of the time, hence, I have no idea why she’d even take interest in Ms. Evans.

She’s a student on a scholarship, she’s never been in trouble, and she’s not the one to seek trouble on her own. I make a mental note to talk to Artemis, again, about this. Ms. Evans does seem genuinely shaken up, and it’s not something that sits well with me.

It’s as though something stirs inside of me, yet, I can’t name it.

“I’ll speak to her as—”

The words get cut out of my mouth when another, sharp thunder flashes outside. The light in the office turns off, and the automatic lock keeps the two of us stuck inside.

A look of panic flashes behind her eyes, and despite the darkness in the room, the moonlight shines down on her, making her look almost angelic. Soft features, with those gorgeous bambi eyes that are almost inviting a predator to prey on.

“Did the power just go out?”

Her voice trembles, and she sits down on the chair across from my desk. She’s clutching her hands together on her lap, knuckles turning white from the force.

“Yes, which is strange. It doesn’t happen often, not here, anyways.”

“Well, it would probably be best if I returned to my dorm.”

I click my tongue against the roof of my mouth. “That won’t be possible. The door locks automatically when the power goes out.”

“Pardon?” She blinks. “Isn’t it usually the other way around?”

“Yes, but there are a lot of things here that I don’t want people seeing. Hence, I got the lock custom made. I never expected to be stuck inside, though.”

“So, what happens now? Do we wait it out? Are you going to call someone to let us out?”

“It won’t be possible unless they break down the door, so the safest option would be to wait it out. Since this doesn’t happen often, I’m certain the issue will be resolved quickly.”

She falters a little, slumping into the plush seats. She glances out the window, staring at the rain splashing against the windowsill, her gaze unwavering. It’s silent between us, and I’m struggling to keep the dark, depraved thoughts in check.