Chapter Two

Celine

“Fuck me, boy has no shame!”

Maddie’s voice cut through the quiet of my dorm room. She was staring down at my phone, eyes wide, before she turned it around for me to see. My phone was on my dressing table when it dinged. She had picked it up and I could tell whatever it's she saw was no good news.

I raised my head up from my laptop. Jason’s name lit up the screen with a single text. “I’m sorry. You’ll understand one day.”

A tiny scoff slipped from my lips. He’d been flooding my phone with messages since last night. After I caught him kissing that new transfer student, the notifications hadn’t stopped, pinging nonstop even as Maddie hauled my tipsy self into our dorm. It was the first time in my life I’d ever gotten drunk. I don’t even know what alcohol taste like.

I shrugged, stretching across my bed like it was a message from the school cafeteria about lunch. “Told you he’s an idiot.”

Maddie shoved the phone at my chest, her brow furrowed. “That’s it? That’s all you’ve got? Your ex cheats on you, takes his shiny new toy to his sister’s wedding, makes out with her in public and then texts you like some philosophical monk—you’ll understand one day—and you just shrug? Are you a robot?”

I know my best friend wanted me to react. She probably expected me to curse, stay in bed all day, cry my eyes out. I mean, isn’t that the logical thing to do when your boyfriend of three years dumps you right after you catch him cheating with a girl who’s annoyingly, painfully pretty?

I snorted and slid my laptop toward her instead. “Relax. I’ve got a plan. A perfect one.”

She shivered. “I don’t want to hear the word ‘perfect’ for the rest of this year, please. It’s all you said last night.”

I arched a brow, sliding my laptop toward her. “Fine. Since perfect offends you, check out my plan and tell me what other word you’d prefer.”

Skeptical, she leaned over, eyes darting across my screen. Then her brows pinched. “Hold up… why are you drafting an email to transfer classes? Since when do you care about Astrology? Don’t tell me you’re suddenly into zodiac signs.”

“Not that kind of astrology,” I said, smirking. “The actual science. Stars, planets, black holes. The physics kind.”

Maddie frowned. “Since when do you care about any of those?”

I didn’t bother answering. Instead, I shoved a folded piece of paper into her hand. “This will explain.”

She unfolded it, reading aloud under her breath. “Step one: get into Astrology class.” She blinked, then glared up at me. “Seriously? That’s your grand plan? Switch classes?”

“Keep going.”

Her jaw tightened as she read the second line. Then she blinked before reading it out loud, slowly, like she couldn’t believe the words. “Step two… get close to Professor Reed.”

Her head snapped up. “Excuse me? Professor Reed? As in—cold, mean, scary-hot Professor Reed? That Reed? Are you insane?”

I leaned back against my headboard, folding my arms. “That’s the one. Go on.”

Her eyes dropped back. “Step three… seduce the prof...” She let out a bitter laugh. “You're in sane. You've completely lost it. You want to seduce him?”

I leaned back against the headboard, arms crossed, enjoying her expression. “Bingo.”

She slapped the paper against my leg. “You’ve lost it. No wonder you didn’t cry when Jason dumped you. Your brain short-circuited instead. Reed is untouchable. People whisper his name like he’s Voldemort.”

I laughed, low and easy. “Which makes him perfect.”

Maddie’s hands flew up. “Perfect for what? A quick trip to therapy? You don’t even like older men.”

I shrugged. “I don’t need to like him. I need to make Amaya cry. She took something from me, I’ll take something from her. And what better way than stealing her precious uncle?”

Maddie’s jaw dropped. “Oh my God. This breakup did fry your brain.”

  “Maddie, this is not as serious as you make it look.” I say.

“Yeah, that’s so original. Do you know how many girls have tried? He doesn’t even blink.” She was practically having a breakdown, which only made it funnier.

“Which only makes me want it more.” I tapped the paper and smirked. “There’s more where that came from. Read.”

“Step four… succeed, date him…” Maddie stopped, mouth open. “Date him… Oh my God, you’re planning to date him?”

I leaned closer, grinning. “Then dump him. After I’ve made sure Amaya regrets breathing near Jason.”

She smacked her palm against her forehead. “You’ve lost it. You've completely lost it.”

“I’ve found it,” I corrected. “The perfect way to win. Not by crying, not by fighting her. By proving I can aim higher. Jason is trash. Reed is a whole different league.”

Maddie stared at me for a long moment. Then she groaned. “So how do you plan on pulling this off? What, you’ll throw yourself at him?”

I wagged a finger in protest. “No. Men like him don’t fall for desperation. They fall for the one who couldn’t care less. So I’ll chase him… while making it look like I’m not chasing at all.”

Maddie flopped back on my bed, covering her face. “I’m calling your mom.”

I snorted. “Do that and I’ll tell her about your stash of weed.”

“Bitch.”

“Love you too.”

***

Getting into his class nearly killed me. Competition was brutal. Apparently, half the university thought Reed was worth the pain. By some miracle of my distinction record, I got a seat.

And that’s how Monday found me walking towards the door of his lecture hall, boots echoing too loudly on the floor.

 Let me rewind. I, Celine Morreti, the girl who lived in hoodies and jeans, was now parading around in a short black skirt. The kind of skirt that left little to the imagination. Paired with a red, netted long-sleeve top, red lipstick to match, and black boots to pull the look together, I looked nothing like myself.

And the funniest part? Mandie had stuffed my bag with gum in every flavor, along with one simple instruction: “Chew loud. Look bored. Professors hate that. I promise—he’ll notice.”

Inhaling deeply, I pushed open the hall door, exposing my late self to a room already half-full of students. The sound of the hinges echoed louder than it should have, betraying me instantly. A hundred heads turned at once, eyes sharpening, narrowing and assessing. Heat crawled up my neck.

Apparently, I’d chosen the wrong entrance. The hall had three doors—one to the right, another to the left, and the third discreetly at the back, the one every seasoned latecomer swore by. But me? Of course, I went for the front. The stage entrance.

The silence stretched, suffocating. My boots clicked against the floor as I tried to move, each step louder. Then—

“And you are?”

The voice rolled through the hall, calm but laced with something I couldn’t name. It wasn’t loud, yet it carried, commanding everyone’s attention effortlessly. I froze. Slowly, my eyes followed the sound, landing on the man at the center.

An involuntary gasp escaped my lips.

God help me. He was devastating. White shirt with the sleeves rolled, dark hair neat, eyes like midnight storms. I’d seen him before, hell, I saw him last night too. I knew he was captivating, but nothing prepared me for the raw magnificence of seeing him up close.

His posture was unhurried, one hand resting casually on the desk, the other holding a pen that hadn’t moved since I entered. He looked nothing like a man teaching a class of astrology—he looked like the kind of man who owned the room, and everyone in it.

I coughed lightly, forcing my composure, and resumed chewing my gum. “Celine Morreti, sir.”

He stared at me. Held my gaze and tilted his head slightly, as if trying to place me. For the briefest moment, his brow furrowed, something flickering behind those dark eyes. Then, just as quickly, his expression emptied, smoothed back into perfect control.

The way he looked at me, I almost dropped the act and slipped back into my normal self. But if I did, Mandie would gloat, and I can't let that happen.

“Celine Moretti.” My name slid off his lips, cool and precise, slicing across me like a draft of winter air. His mouth barely moved, yet I felt every syllable. “I don’t recall seeing that name on my list.”

I chewed louder, somehow fueled by a courage I didn’t know I owned. “New transfer,” I said sweetly, flashing teeth around the gum. “Thought I’d try Astrology.”

He gave no reactions. “Find a seat,” he said, voice smooth but commanding. “And discard that gum. Noise is prohibited.”

“Oh… sorry.” I plucked the gum from my mouth, holding his stare. “I’ll be good. Only make the kind of noise you accept, sir.”

The class went still, the tension humming like an exposed wire. A few students muttered under their breath, half shocked, half impressed.

Professor Reed's eyes cut through me. For a second, it felt like I’d overstepped. But I refused to look away. I let a slow, teasing smile curve my lips, and before I could think better of it, I winked. I winked at him.