Chapter 11

The first light of the day began to fill the room. Ariel stirred against the pillow, her skin still clammy from the fever that had kept her curled up in bed last night. The small, damp cloth that had been resting on her forehead had become a little dry and slipped down as she slowly opened her eyes. The ceiling fan spun gently above, and for a moment, she forgot where she was… until the scent of coffee drifted into the room, mixed with the sound of someone humming softly. And then it all came back to her.

She was in Luther’s apartment.

The realization settled slowly, not in a bad way, but it still made her feel a little uneasy. She pushed herself up gently and rubbed her eyes, then frowned.

“How did I not notice I had a fever?” she said quietly to herself, her voice sounding rough and scratchy. She gently touched the place on her forehead where the damp cloth had been lying. “Oh, this is just wonderful.” She continued, a hint of frustration in her tone. “Now I’m becoming more of a burden to him.”

Glancing quickly at the time displayed on her phone made her heart thump faster in her chest. If she even attempted to go back to her place to freshen up, she’d miss her first two classes completely. She glanced down at her clothes, sighing in relief. They weren’t the same clothes she had worn to her classes the day before. At least she had that small grace. Thank God she’d gone home before work last night.

With a silent prayer that Luther wasn’t anywhere close to the bathroom, she slipped off the bed and tiptoed across the hallway.

Once she had taken a quick shower and managed to make her hair look presentable, she walked out of the room. The pleasant smell of cooking eggs mixed with the rich aroma of coffee filled the air around her. She stopped just as she reached the doorway, and what she saw in front of her made her pause and take a little breath.

Luther stood at the stove, shirtless, wearing nothing but a pair of dark pajama pants that hung dangerously low on his hips. The soft morning light shone on the curve of his shoulders, and she could see the strong muscles in his back as he used a spatula to turn something that was cooking in the frying pan.

Ariel suddenly found it hard to breathe. She remained completely still, just looking at him as if he were a beautiful statue from ancient times that had somehow come alive.

Just then, he turned his head.

His eyes looked directly into hers, and she quickly stood up straighter. She cleared her throat softly and made herself look up to meet his gaze.

“Good morning,” she said, trying to make her voice sound relaxed and normal.

“Oh, you're awake,” he said, his voice sounding comforting and low. “I was just cooking some breakfast. I hope you have an appetite.”

Ariel moved her head up and down to say yes, but her mouth felt a little parched. “Yes. Thank you.” she managed to say.

He gestured with his hand towards the kitchen counter. “Would you like some coffee?”

She nodded again in response, watching as he carefully poured coffee into a mug and then gently pushed it across the countertop towards her. He seemed so relaxed and in control, even though the situation was quite informal.

“Are you feeling any better now?” he asked kindly as he set a plate with scrambled eggs and toast in front of her.

“Yes, I am. Thank you for taking care of me,” she replied, gently biting the inside of her cheek. “I... I'm not sure how I didn't realize I had a fever. I suppose my mind was just... occupied with other things.”

“I could tell that you weren't quite yourself yesterday," he said, leaning back against the kitchen counter on the opposite side from where she was sitting, holding his mug of coffee in his hands. “I should have asked how you were doing, but instead i asked about you and Ethan. But I had a feeling you would still ignore me either way.”

Ariel chuckled softly. “You're probably right about that.”

They ate their breakfast in silence for a little while. The distant sounds of the city starting its day could be heard faintly through the windows.

“I can drive you to the university.” Luther offered unexpectedly.

Ariel looked up from the piece of toast she was eating. “Oh, no, you really don't have to. I mean... it's not necessary at all. I don't want to draw any attention.”

He raised one eyebrow slightly, a questioning look on his face. “You mean you don't want people to get the wrong ideas.”

She paused for a moment before answering. “Something like that.”

“I don't see any problem with a teacher giving a student a ride when she finds herself without a way to get there.” he stated directly. “There's no way I'm going to let you go out by yourself when you’re still sick. It's not something we need to discuss further.”

A small smile tried to appear on her face, but she quickly hid it by bringing her coffee mug up to her lips. The thought of having more time with him, even if they didn't say much, created a pleasant feeling within her.

“Alright.” she agreed softly.

________

The sleek, dark car drove into the parking area, and as soon as Ariel got out, people immediately started to notice.

She tried to keep her head down, but she could definitely feel people looking at her. The quiet talk seemed to follow her as she walked.

“Was that Professor Grayson's car?”

“No way! Did she just get out of his car?”

“They must be having an affair.”

On the other side of the open area, Professor Julia was standing near the steps of the library. She was on her way to begin her class for today. The moment she saw them, her eyes became narrow as she watched what was happening. Her hand tightened into a fist around the papers she was holding.