Chapter 7

Aliyah's POV

I approached the room on shaky legs, breathing hard as my chest thumped with nervousness.

Things had been going from bad to worse to downright devastating, and I was at the point where I didn't even know what the hell to expect.

My knuckles reached the door's frame in a soft knock, and two pairs of eyes turned to face me.

Jude's face split on a grin. "Aliyah. Come on in."

Professor Deville just watched me, mouth set in a flat line and eyes still icy. I dragged in a deep breath before I stepped in, refusing to let his gaze make me wobble.

"You asked to see me, Sir," I forced myself to say after waiting for an eternity in silence.

Jude cleared his throat, completely missing whatever was traveling between the professor and I.

"Did I?"

"Technically, it was me who sent for you."

I turned my attention to Jude now, not just because he was the one who was doing the talking, but also because I could no longer bring myself to keep looking at the man who's dislike for me was so evident.

"May I ask why?" I said to Jude.

The voice that answered me was not Jude's. It was that of the man who had plagued my dreams for as long as I can remember.

"You get to play Cassandra. Congratulations on having men around you who can rally in your defense."

My eyes snapped to his, and from the way he was looking at me, one thing was clear. He knew. He knew about what happened between his brother and I.

I opened my mouth to give him a response, but Jude beat me to it.

"Men? I didn't know you were so famous around me, Aliyah." His tone was so suggestive it made me cringe.

I was so far from being famous around men, but somehow I had managed to snag the attention of two completely identical yet dissimilar men, and not in the good way.

My throat bobbed and I turned my attention back to Jude. "Huh?"

It was the weakest response I could give, but it was somehow still the only one I could give. My mind was rolling, my heart thumping with a variety of reckless, confusing feelings.

"Run her through the required information," Professor Deville spoke, his words aimed at Jude this time. "Remember your grades are hanging in line for her."

With that, he turned and stalked out of the room like he hadn't just blown a lot of things that I knew and represented off into the winds.

"Want to tell me what you did to piss the professor off so badly?" Jude asked, drawing my attention to himself again instead of letting it beat a wild path after the man that just walked out.

"I have no idea," I managed to say.

"Really?" He questioned, sounding disbelieving. "You're sure you have no idea? I mean, it seemed like you two were having a conversation I wasn't privy too."

My eyes hardened and I shot him a glare. "Look, I appreciate you talking to him on my behalf, Jude, but that doesn't mean you can make baseless accusations as you see fit."

I spun around and started to head out of the room, drama being the last thing on my mind right now. The drama studio felt small today, suffocating even. Like it was holding secrets that I didn't want to be found.

Jude was so close to finding them now, though; and even though I knew I shouldn't be mad at him after what he did, I couldn't help the anger that started to course through my veins.

"Hey hey hey hey," Jude said, scrambling to block my path. "What the hell? Why are you so mad? It was just a joke."

I refused to look at him, I didn't want him to see the fears that danced in my eyes right now.

"That's an expensive joke. It could cost both him and I our reputations and our place here in Rising Moon."

"You're right," he conceded with a nod. "I'm sorry."

Unable to hold on to an anger that should never have been aimed at him to begin with, I sighed. "Fine. Thank you again for speaking up for me."

His charming smile bloomed again, a twinkle in his eyes announcing that he was about to ask for something in return.

He did. "It was a pleasure. I mean, how would I be able to ask you to accompany me to the party at Aaron's if you're upset at being dropped?"

"I'm not going to that party," I retorted.

"Oh come on," he pleaded, taking a hold of my hand now as he found his place so close to me.

I take a step back. "I don't do parties. I can pay you back somehow, but not like this."

He leaned in closer, his smile dropping as he started to give me puppy eyes. "Come on, Aliyah. I'm the only one without a plus one and I can't think of a better person to have by my side than you."

Reaching out, he tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear, caressing my cheek so gently I instantly felt the need to flee.

I pulled away from him, taking a step back and putting some distance between us.

"Fine," I clipped out. "But no funny business."

He made a show of giving me a salute. "Deal. I'll pick you up at 7?"

Dread rolled down my spine at the thought of actually going out with Jude Thurnbull, especially to a party that would be swimming with college students and all the things I like to avoid, but I found my head moving in a nod.

"Yeah."

By the time I stepped out of the classroom, I was both alone and exhausted. My chest heaved with a weary sigh and I closed my eyes, rubbing against my temples as a headache started to form.

I needed to find a way to ammend my relationship with Professor Deville, and I had to do it quickly. But how?

As if in response to my internal thoughts, my phone pinged again. Even before I pulled the sleek device out, I already knew who this new text was from, and I wasn't wrong.

"You can't change his mind. Not without my help. But I'll let you be. You can make your own decisions."