Chapter 4

              Nikki was relieved she made it to her next class in time. Her second class seemed to fly by compared to Professor Thorn’s. This was most likely because it was less eventful than his class, which she found to be a great relief.

              “Finally free.” She sighed as she darted out of class. She stretched a bit before starting to make her way off campus. The apartment she had called home for the last few years was conveniently located only a mile off campus. It would only take her thirty minutes to walk home. She smiled as she walked. She was happy that her first day of college had gone so well despite being targeted by Thorn. After seeing him respond to Kendall, though, she started to think he was not as monstrous as he could be towards her, something she was, in the end, thankful for.

              As Nikki made her way through campus, she ignored the other students she passed. She had never been overly social with her peers, having graduated from high school the year before with no real friends besides her. Getting into the University of Moonward also seemed to set her apart from her peers: most of the people she knew had received rejection letters, so it was surprising to learn that Kendall had been accepted.

              “Her father probably bribed someone for her to get a spot.” Nikki snorted as she walked out of the campus gates. She then made her way down the wooded path. The roof of her apartment complex peaked out of the trees in the distance.

              “So glad my walk home is downhill.” She laughed lightly as she recalled her morning hike when walking to the campus. “I cannot wait to get a scooter. Then I will not have to hike up this hill every day.” She smiled as she started to walk. Clouds had begun to form overhead, and she cursed under her breath as she felt raindrops hit her face. She picked up the pace, hoping to make it home before the sudden rainstorm could catch her.

              “Shit!” She exclaimed as she raced down the hill. The scattered raindrops transformed into a downpour, and she quickly darted into a nearby gazebo before she could become completely soaked.

“Damn it.” Nikki groaned as she stared out at the downpour. She pulled out her cell phone and checked the weather. “Oh, no. It is supposed to last into the night.” She complained. Nikki sighed, frustrated, as she sat down on the gazebo bench. She pulled out one of her textbooks and read as she waited for a break in the unexpected storm.

              The rest of Thorn’s day was uneventful. He taught his second and third classes with no pushback from any of the students and felt like his life had returned to feeling its old mundane way.

              “How irksome.” He complained as his mind went back to Nikki. The young woman had invaded his mind, which made him infuriated. Thorn had never had a student cause him to react this way. He couldn't help but wonder what made her so fascinating to him. Did he see her as a puzzle that needed to be solved? Or a brat with the potential to become something more than spoiled? Whatever the reasoning, he was feeling frustrated about the whole thing. Thorn sighed as he locked up his classroom and office for the day. He hoped a nice dinner and a delightful book would finally free his mind from the irritating young woman's grasp.

              “Goodness.” Thorn was caught off guard by the torrential downpour that greeted him as he exited the building. He covered his head with his satchel and swiftly went to the nearby faculty parking lot where his car was parked. When he got in his car, he shook off his satchel, worried his laptop would get wet from the unexpected storm. He placed his bag in the passenger seat of his Jaguar coupe before starting up the car and heading out.

              As he drove off campus, he was caught in the evening rush of cars leaving the university, heading towards Moonward Bay. He sighed as he slowly followed the other vehicles off campus and down the prominent hill leading to the city.

              “Come on.” He complained as traffic came to a halt on the hill. As he sighed in frustration, he looked at a nearby gazebo. It took him a second to make out Nikki standing under the gazebo, staring intently at the rain as if waiting for it to stop. “Does she not have a car?” He asked as he stared at her. The car behind him suddenly honked. “Oh shit.” Thorn grabbed his steering wheel and began to drive. As he thought about Nikki being stuck in the rain, he frowned.

              “Tsk.” He pulled his car off to the side of the road so the other vehicles in line could pass him. “Curse my bleeding heart.” He growled out as he rummaged through his glove compartment and found a small spare umbrella stuffed inside. Thorn huffed as he turned off his car and then climbed out. He quickly opened his umbrella before heading towards the gazebo where Nikki was stuck.

              “Got caught in the rain?” Thorn called out as he approached her. Nikki turned to look at him with an expression of surprise. However, it quickly turned into a frown.

              “What are you doing here?” Nikki asked him.

              “I came to offer you a ride home,” Thorn stated. “Unless you want to be stuck here all night.” He smirked. Nikki rolled her eyes at him.

              “I do not," she told him as she approached him. Thorn shared his umbrella with her and then led her to his car.

              “Nice car,” Nikki commented, slightly impressed by the luxury vehicle before her.

              “I think so,” Thorn replied as he opened the car door for her. “After you, my lady.” He said. Nikki snorted in response to him acting gentlemanly while she climbed into the car. She set his satchel and hers on her lap as she sat in the passenger seat. Thorn closed her door and then went around to the driver’s side. He looked at the passing cars and frowned, realizing he would have to fight to return to the very slow-moving line of cars.

              “Sorry for making you have to be stuck in traffic longer.” Nikki apologized after he climbed into the car and started it up.

              “It is my fault. Despite my hardest, I could not bring myself to leave you here alone.” He teased her.

              “Haha, very funny.” Nikki retorted. “Then I guess I should be grateful you have such a bleeding heart for your students.” She teased him back.

              “You should.” Thorn nodded. “You should feel indebted to me, in fact.” He added while he merged back into traffic.

              “For letting you drive me down the hill?” Nikki laughed. She pointed to the apartment complex at the bottom of the hill. “I live right there.”

              “Oh, I thought you would’ve lived in one of the campus-funded apartments closer to the city since you got a full-ride scholarship,” Thorn commented. He was surprised to learn that she was living in one of the income-based apartments that catered to the poorer students who managed to get into the university.

              “I’ve lived here since I was sixteen.” Nikki shrugged. “The school was more than happy to take over the responsibility of paying for my lease from the city.”

              “The…city paid for you to live there?” Thorn questioned as he glanced at her in confusion. Nikki paused as she looked at him.

              “How long have you lived in Moonward Bay?” She asked him.

              “Um…six years,” Thorn told her.

              “I see.” Nikki nodded. She paused before continuing. “I was a ward of the city until last year. They gave me a stipend to live independently, buy my food and clothes, and whatever else I could convince them I needed.”

              “Oh…” Thorn realized what Nikki was telling him. She was an orphan. While he wanted to know more, he decided not to press her for information. “Well, then, I am even more impressed at your dedication to your studies.” He praised her as the traffic began to pick up as they came to the bottom of the hill. “It sounds like the scholarship was well-earned and well-deserved.” Thorn nodded.

              “You might want to be careful with how you talk to me, Professor Thorn.” Nikki chuckled. “People might start thinking you are not as cruel as the rumors claim.” She smirked.

              “Oh, no, darling.” Thorn laughed lightly. “I am sure you’ll come to see that I am just as cruel as the rumors claim.” He revealed. “I have the highest record for dropping students from my class and expelling them from the university.”

              “I don’t think that is something you should be proud of,” Nikki commented.

              “Then, do you think I should have kept that Kendall Madison girl in my class?” Thorn questioned. “Should I have let every rich and entitled student that ever disrespected me do so without consequence?”

              “Well, no.” Nikki frowned as she agreed. “I guess being cruel may be necessary at times.” She sighed as he pulled into the underground parking lot of her apartment complex. Despite being on the affordable side, the complex offered all the same amenities as the more expensive ones.

              “Ah…” Nikki paused as Thorn pulled up to the gate. A code was required to enter the building through the front door or underground garage.

              “Oh, this place has a gate as well,” Thorn said in surprise. “Ah, I can let you out here. You can use my umbrella to avoid the rain, " he offered.

              “No. It is okay. I can give you my code, " Nikki said. “1919, " she revealed. Thorn thought nothing of her giving him the code; he rolled down his window and punched it in on the keypad. He did not know that she had never shared her code with anyone before. So, sharing it with him was a sign that she trusted the older man.

              “In we go,” Thorn said as he drove into the underground garage. He pulled into a spot Nikki was pointing to and parked. “There you are. Safe and relatively dry.” He chuckled.

              “Thank you for the lift, professor.” Nikki smiled as she thanked him. She then started to get out of the car.

              “Do…you not own any means of transportation?” Thorn asked her.

              “Uh, no. I have been saving for a scooter but don’t have anything yet.” Nikki admitted.

              “Are you planning to carpool with any other students living here?” Thorn inquired. Nikki laughed as she gestured to the relatively empty garage.

              “Most of the people who live here don’t have a car.” She told him. “And I am unaware of any other students currently living here.” She added.

              “Then you plan to walk up that horrid hill to school daily?” Thorn asked her in surprise.

              “Until I get a scooter.” Nikki shrugged. Thorn frowned.

              “Then how about you carpool with me?” He asked. Nikki looked at him with an annoyed expression.

              “Huh?” She responded.

              “I drive past this building every day. I can pick you up and drop you off each day.” Thorn told her.

              “Isn’t that a bit too much for a professor to do? Like, won’t you get in trouble?” Nikki asked.

              “Moonward University has no rules against professors having personal relationships with students,” Thorn told her. “Us carpooling would barely count as a relationship in their books.” He shrugged.

              “Would it truly be okay?” She asked him. Nikki was not against having a free ride to school but was apprehensive about accepting a ride from the professor.

              “Of course. One of us may have to stay late while waiting for the other at times, but I have no issue doing so if it is in the aid of an exceptional student like yourself.” Thorn smirked. Nikki rolled her eyes.

              “Then it would be rude of me to refuse such an offer.” She teased him as she got out of the car. “Well, you have the code. Just pull into here in the morning.” She told him. “What time should I expect you to pick me up?”

              “Eight o’clock?” Thorn offered.

              “Got it.” She nodded. “Have a good night, Professor Thorn,” Nikki told him as she closed the passenger door. She paused before she closed the door, addressing him once more. “Thanks for the ride. It truly does mean a lot to me that you stopped to help me.”

              “Think nothing of it, Miss Crowman.” Thorn nodded. Nikki smiled softly as she closed the passenger door. The two of them waved goodbye as Nikki walked over to the elevator, Thorn waiting for her to get inside before leaving.

              As they parted ways for the night, they both took a moment to reflect on the strange day they had experienced. Nikki was relieved to have ended the day on a positive note with the professor. Thorn was turning out to be more of a support than she initially thought he would be. Thorn was experiencing mixed emotions about Nikki, though his thoughts towards her caused them more than how she acted towards him. As he drove home, he ran a hand through his hair. Offering to drive her to the university had felt so natural, but he knew deep down that it was not something he would have provided for any other student.

              “Do I like her?” He pondered. A scowl settled on his face as he scoffed. “How utterly ridiculous,” he said. Thorn knew, though, that he was lying to himself.