LOGINThe café was bright and open, all glass windows and afternoon light, the smell of coffee hanging thick in the air. Nathan was already there when Elara arrived, smiling when he saw her, standing to pull out her chair as if nothing had changed.They talked for a few minutes, about nothing that mattered, about classes and schedules and things that felt increasingly distant to her. Watching him gesture as he spoke, his enthusiasm so unguarded, made her chest tighten in a way that wasn’t romantic so much as regretful. She tugged at the rope attached to the hood of Adrian’s sweatshirt for a while, casually realizing that she was sitting before a man that loved her while wearing the clothes of another. She interrupted him mid-sentence.“I think I like someone.”The words landed harder than she expected. Nathan froze for a fraction of a second, then nodded slowly, the smile slipping but not breaking entirely. “Okay,” he said quietly. “And?”At this, Elara frowned. “What do you mean ‘And’?”“
By the time Adrian guided Elara away from the bar, the club had blurred into something louder and less defined, the music no longer rhythmic so much as relentless, the lights smearing color across every surface. He kept a firm hand at her elbow as he moved them through the crowd, steering her toward a quieter corridor near the restrooms where the bass dulled and the air felt marginally breathable.Elara laughed softly, the sound slipping out of her without much reason behind it, her steps unsteady as she leaned more of her weight into him than she probably meant to. “So,” she said, dragging the word out as she tilted her head to look at him, eyes glassy but curious, “you’re a free-clubbing type now?”Adrian exhaled through his nose, more tired than amused. “I’m not,” he replied, keeping his voice low. “I was supposed to meet…someone. I didn’t expect to find you halfway through a bottle.”She frowned at that, as if considering whether to be offended, then shrugged it off entirely. Not
Nyra didn’t sleep much that night.By morning, the shock had settled into something quieter but heavier, the kind of curiosity that sat at the back of her mind and refused to leave. Elara found her in the kitchen, hair pulled into a loose bun, already halfway through a mug of coffee she didn’t look like she was enjoying.They stood there for a moment, the aftermath of last night hovering between them, fragile but not broken.“So,” Nyra said finally, setting the mug down. “I need you to explain something to me.”Elara sighed, bracing herself. “Okay.”Nyra tilted her head. “Why does your professor look like he could walk into your family reunion, and nobody would question it?”Elara froze, then let out a slow breath. “I don’t know,” she said honestly. “I swear, I don’t. That’s part of why I’ve been losing my mind.”Nyra watched her carefully. “Because that resemblance isn’t normal, Elara. It’s not just similar features. It’s… unsettling.”Elara nodded, her hands twisting together. “That
Elara looked at her watch and smiled as the big hand hit 12, marking the 3 o clock hour. Adrian's final class of the day just ended, and as she gathered her stuff from the glossy library table, her heart fluttered at the thought of seeing him. She decided to wait at least 5 minutes before casually strolling towards his office hallway, but as soon as the thought landed, her phone rang.It was Adrian.“Hello?”“Hey love, where are you”, he asked in his deep sexy voice. Elara felt her toes curl in her boots and bit the inside of her cheek.“I'm in the library, just finishing up”, she said quietly.“Okay, cause I'd like to see you”, she said, and she could hear the smile in his voice. She pressed her lips together in a secret smile.“Aren't you still in class?”, she asked shyly.“Nope. Finished early. I kept thinking about you, and it wasn't fair to my other students to I had to dismiss them early”, Adrian said with fake superiority.Elara rolled her eyes, “how noble of you”“Right? I kn
It takes less than a milisecond for the brain to make a connection, and in that tiny time frame, Elara realised she had just about ruined her life.Her eyes widened. She slapped a hand over her mouth, horror flooding her expression. “Oh my God,” she whispered. I just confessed to my professor!She turned toward the door, stumbling, her feet refusing to obey her. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said any of that. Please just forget it. Please-”Before she could reach the handle, she felt a warm hand wrap around her wrist, and before she could react, Adrian pulled her back in one swift, decisive motion, her momentum carrying her straight into him. She felt her body pressed flush against his chest. He was solid and warm and far too real, and the sudden proximity stole the air from her lungs.She froze completely. Slowly, he reached for her chin and gently lifted her gaze to his face. His expression was rigid, eyes dark and intent, something fierce and final burning behind them. Whatever int
The café Nathan chose was small and softly lit, tucked between a bookstore and a closed florist at the edge of campus. It smelled faintly of cinnamon and roasted coffee beans, just the kind of place that encouraged long conversations and quiet confessions.Elara arrived five minutes early and spent all of them convincing herself she wasn’t nervous. She didn't even know why she was feeling this way and she hated not understanding her feelings, especially because it was becoming a norm lately, with Adrian-Don't! She stopped herself before she could start thinking about a certain someone again. "We're here for Nathan," she muttered to herself, allowing her mind to wander to the dynamics of their relationship before Nathan's exchange program in Russia.They had been good together, amazing even. And the sex was even more amazing. Nathan knew exactly what her body wanted, needed and loved and she had learned and absorbed his body like a textbook for a core course. Her cheeks warmed with t







