New face, old flame

Her loud laughter interrupted my fading thoughts.

“You sounded like you were being fucked so hard! And did I hear you call Jalen? You don't come close girl—It’s past school hours, and you’re still in bed?” Kelly snapped, her thick, sluggish voice echoing through the room.

If only she knew how right she was about her assumption. And thanks to her, she had ruined the beautiful moment — right at the same spot where it always stopped. I was so close, I wished she hadn't shown up.

My eyes flew open at her words. I immediately grabbed my phone and checked the time.

10:00 a.m.

“Oh my God,” I muttered under my breath, leaping out of bed and rushing to the shower. Kelly’s laughter didn’t stop until she finally stormed out of the room — a relief that felt like fresh air. I was still terrified of her, even though we hadn’t spent much time together yet.

After a few minutes, I hurried out of the room and made my way to my first class — technically, the second one of the day already. But my legs froze halfway through the door when my eyes landed on him.

There he was — Jalen.

He looked as gorgeous as the image that always appeared in my dreams. His grey cotton turtleneck hugged his broad, tailored chest perfectly. The scent of his cologne drifted through the air — strong yet calming — and my body reacted before my mind could stop it. The memories of last night’s dream flashed through my head — the heat, the pleasure, the teasing.

I swallowed hard, feeling a shiver crawl down my spine. My body trembled slightly. Then his voice pierced through the silence.

“Fiona… are you coming in, or planning to camp by the door?” he said casually, his eyes briefly lifting from his iPad.

“Oh—uh, sorry, sir. I was just… coming in,” I stammered, quickly stepping into the classroom and heading straight for the last seat by the window.

As I settled beside my new seatmate, she leaned closer and whispered, “You’re lucky he’s the one teaching today.”

“Why?” I whispered back, glancing at her. Her soft curls framed her pretty face, and the loose black blouse she wore hung slightly off her shoulder as if she’d rushed out without care.

“Because he’s the nicest of all the professors,” she said. “Stick around for a while, and you’ll see.”

“Obviously,” I murmured sarcastically, earning a grin from her.

“I’m Paris,” she whispered. “We could talk more over lunch later.”

Before I could reply, his voice echoed through the room.

“Miss Paris and Miss Fiona — save your conversation for after class, alright?”

The way he said my name made my heart skip. It didn’t sound like a scolding. It sounded like a warning — or maybe a reminder of something I couldn’t explain.

Our eyes met for a brief moment before he looked away. My pulse quickened, and I tried hard to focus on his lecture. But I couldn’t. Every time he moved, my gaze followed. When he turned his back to the class, my eyes lingered — watching the subtle clench of his little butt cheeks and the way his shirt stretched across his structure.

I bit down on my lower lip, hardly hearing a word he said until a folded note slipped under my hand.

“You happened to be in my class, hun?” I read.

I looked around and caught sight of Jude sitting at the far end of the class, his rough brown hair dropped over one side of his face, slightly messy but suiting his cute face. I flipped the paper and wrote back:

“Hi, Clumsy.” I felt him roll his eyes.

The class went on for what felt like forever before Jalen finally ended it.

“Alright, see you all in the next class. All assessments should be submitted to my email by the due date,” he said, gathering his things before leaving the room.

I began packing my books, but my mind was already elsewhere — planning to trail him to his office once the hallway was clear. That was the last class of the day, and I wasn’t ready to end it without seeing him again.

Paris turned to me with a grin and stretched out her hand.

“Hi, I’m Paris,” she repeated cheerfully.

“You mentioned that earlier… during our whispered conversation,” I said with a small smile, my eyebrow arching slightly before I turned back to my books.

“Oh—right,” she laughed awkwardly. “Well… would you like me to show you around the cafeteria? Though, I’ll warn you — the food there isn’t great.”

I hesitated, then stood up. She followed beside me eagerly. I didn’t mind her company, even though her timing had completely ruined my secret plan to follow Jalen. But I didn’t really have a choice either.

“Sure,” I said casually.

After a long walk filled mostly with her endless chatter, we finally reached the cafeteria. The place was crowded, buzzing with students and chatter. We grabbed our trays and found a quiet corner away from the noise.

She was right — the food looked terrible, barely appetizing. I picked at something that seemed edible enough not to upset my stomach.

“Why bring me here when you know how bad it is? How have you survived this?” I asked, squinting at her.

Paris leaned closer, lowering her voice. “I usually sneak out to grab real food,” she whispered.

My eyes widened. “You what?”

“I know it’s against the rules,” she said quickly. “But considering what’s on your plate right now… wouldn’t you do the same?”

I couldn’t help but laugh softly. “You have a point.”

“If you don’t mind, we can go later. It’ll be fun,” she murmured, her eyes twinkling mischievously.

Just then, a familiar figure approached our table. The air shifted, and I knew who it was. I rolled my eyes before he could open his mouth.

“Did I just hear sneaking out?”