Page 7 of Love & Notes

There she is. The attention brings a smile to my lips.

Professor Mathias continues. “Since you find your private consultation so engrossing, perhaps you’d like to enlighten the rest of the class?”

I watch her collect herself, and from the set of her jaw, I can see that it costs her something.

“My apologies, Professor. Nothing of importance.” She replies, quickly.

Nice recovery.

I say nothing as I let the silence settle, and then because I am a dick, and I cannot help it, I hook one finger into the loop of her bow. And pull.

The knot gives way, and the silk slides from her hair and lands on the floor between us.

“There,” I say quietly. “Breathe.”

The sound she makes is not a word, more like something that exists between a gasp and a growl. It is by far the most interesting thing that has happened this morning. She is up before I can process that she is moving and proceeds to tell me exactly what she thinks of me and my father’s checkbook.

Silence. Complete, total, magnificent silence.

I look at her properly, for the first time since I sat down, and something happens that I wasn't expecting. Not the fury, or the flush draining from her cheeks, the thing that gets me is her eyes. She is terrified.

She has blown a year of careful composure in around fifteen seconds because of me. I would normally find it funny because I’m a prick, but today, I don’t find the usual humour in it.

“Miss Vance. Mr Thorne.” He looks between us. “My office. Tomorrow morning. Nine o’clock. Both of you. Don’t be late.”

Beside me, Bow-Peep closes her eyes.

I lean back and lace my fingers behind my head.

Your move, Vance. Let’s see what you do next.

3

Ellise

Ihave been standing in this corridor for ten minutes staring at Professor Mathias’s door and spent most of the night replaying yesterday's fiasco on a loop. My perfect reputation did not crack, it completely shattered. I exposed myself entirely because of him, and the realisation is eating me alive.

Right now, my body is doing that stupid, uncontrollable anxious thing where I am shaking so much that my knees almost buckle. I try to silence it by humming the melody of Liszt’s Consolation, but it isn’t working today. The music isn’t helping in the way that it would normally calm my nerves. If anything, it is adding to the panic of the situation.

“Ready for our private audience, Bow-Peep?”

Julian appears beside me with that infuriating smirk, as he leans against the wall, hands in his pockets, looking like a man who slept extraordinarily well—like this whole situation doesn’t affect him in the slightest.

“Thrilled,” I state, sarcastically, rolling my eyes at him without trying to hide it this time. Unlike him, this situation affects me enormously.

“You look tired.” He mocks.

“It’s none of your concern.”

I don’t have the energy to engage with him, so I knock on the door of Professor Mathias’s office with three sharp, precise movements, not allowing Julian the chance to say anything else—effectively shutting him out.

The sooner that I can get away from him, the better.

“Come in.” Mathias calls out from behind the door.

As we step inside, Mathias’ gaze cuts to both of us simultaneously. He briefly tracks Julian, who is radiating his standard-issue unbothered attitude, before his eyes finally settle on me. His expression shifts, dropping into something worse than anger. Professor Mathias looks completely disappointed in me.

This is utterly mortifying.