HEAVY BURDENS

Lena’s POV 🌸

By 6:15 a.m., my alarm tore through the silence like a siren. I groaned, dragging my exhausted body upright. My eyes felt gritty, my shoulders stiff, and a dull ache pulsed between my thighs — a lingering reminder of last night’s unwelcome arousal. Sleep had been restless, fractured by vivid flashes of Kendra riding Professor Reed and the intense stranger from the penthouse whose fingers had brushed mine like a promise.

Reality crashed over me before my feet even touched the floor. Today was the Criminal Law mid-semester test — thirty-five percent of our final grade. One slip-up and my scholarship could crumble. Without it, everything would collapse: Cleo’s school, this apartment, our fragile little life.

In the kitchen, Cleo was already awake, eating cereal straight from the box, his small frame hunched over the counter. He looked up at me with a deep frown that seemed far too old for his eleven years.

“You came back really late,” he said quietly. “And you look… tired. Did something happen?”

I poured the last of the coffee into our chipped mug, avoiding his worried eyes. “Just a long night of deliveries. Nothing new.”

He didn’t buy it. “The school sent another message this morning. If we don’t pay the outstanding fees by Friday, they’ll suspend me from writing exams.”

My grip tightened around the mug until my knuckles went white. Rent. Food. Transport. Cleo’s textbooks. The list never ended — it only grew heavier. I felt like I was drowning, barely keeping my head above water.

“I’ll find the money,” I whispered, forcing my voice to stay steady. “I always do.”

Cleo’s face twisted with guilt. “I hate this. You’re only twenty-one. You should be out living your life, not carrying both of us. I wish I could help more.”

The words hit me like a punch to the chest. I set the mug down and pulled him into a tight hug, resting my chin on top of his head. He smelled like cheap shampoo and childhood. “You help by being here,” I murmured. “You’re the reason I keep pushing every single day. Never think you’re a burden, Cleo. Okay?”

He hugged me back fiercely for a long moment, then pulled away, nodding. I forced a smile I didn’t feel. “I’ll be fine. Now go get ready for school.”

The bus ride to campus was hell. Hot, overcrowded, and thick with the scent of sweat and cheap perfume. I clutched my notes, trying to revise, but the words kept swimming on the page. My mind betrayed me constantly.

Instead of mens rea and actus reus, I saw Kendra’s glistening body bouncing aggressively on Professor Reed’s thick cock. Heard her shameless moans. Felt that treacherous heat bloom between my own legs again. Then the image shifted to the tall, dark-haired stranger — Adrian — and the electric spark from his fingers brushing mine.

I pressed my thighs together under my bag, ashamed of the fresh dampness in my panties. Focus, Lena. Your future is on the line.

Kendra found me outside the lecture hall and instantly clocked my mood. She pulled me aside, eyes sparkling with curiosity.

“Babe, you look like you either failed already or got railed last night. Spill.”

I hesitated, cheeks burning, then told her everything — walking in on her, the shock, the unexpected rush of arousal that had left me soaked, and how I’d fled like a coward.

Kendra’s eyes widened for half a second before she burst into bright, unashamed laughter.

“Oh my God, Lena! I’m so sorry you saw that.” She grinned wickedly. “But… did you like what you saw? Be honest.”

“Kendra!” I hissed, covering my face.

She leaned in closer, voice dropping to a playful whisper. “No judgment, babe. Professor Reed has the thickest cock and he fucks like he’s trying to rewrite your whole nervous system. If you ever want to join next time… the offer’s open.”

I groaned. “You were riding him like your life depended on it.”

“Because it felt that good,” she said, shrugging with zero shame. “Best dick I’ve had in months. You need some stress relief too, Lena. You’re wound way too tight.”

The test hall was suffocating. The air buzzed with tension — pages flipping, pens scratching, students whispering desperate prayers under their breath.

When the question paper landed in front of me, my stomach dropped.

Halfway through, my concentration shattered.

“Discuss the doctrine of mens rea in relation to…”

The words blurred. Instead, my mind dragged me back to Kendra’s bedroom — the wet, filthy sound of her soaked pussy taking every inch of Professor Reed’s cock, her full breasts bouncing wildly, her desperate cries of “Harder, Professor!” Heat flooded my core. I shifted in my seat, horrified at how my body was reacting while I was supposed to be writing the most important test of the semester.

I squeezed my eyes shut for a second, forcing the images away. Not now. Please, not now.

My hand shook as I wrote, the pressure of everything — fees, rent, Cleo’s future, my own — crushing down on me. By the time the invigilator collected the papers, I felt completely hollow. Drained. Uncertain.

Outside, the sunlight felt too bright, almost mocking. Kendra linked her arm with mine.

“Well? How did it go?”

“I either passed,” I said weakly, “or I just professionally embarrassed myself.”

She laughed and bumped my shoulder. “That’s the spirit. Come on, let’s get cheap campus coffee. You look like you need it more than oxygen right now.”

As we walked toward the café, the weight of my spiraling life pressed heavier on my shoulders. The unpaid fees. The uncertain test. The dangerous attraction to a man I didn’t even know. The confusing, shameful arousal from watching my best friend get fucked.

Everything was moving too fast.

And deep down, I knew the hardest parts were still ahead.