05

Sophia’s POV

The class ended and I couldn't get out of there fast enough.

My hands were shaking as I shoved my notebook into my bag. My heart was pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears.

I needed air, I needed to get as far away from that classroom as possible.

I stood up too fast as I could with people already filing out, blocking the aisle. I pushed through them desperate to escape before I lose the remaining sanity left in me.

"Hey, watch it—"

Someone bumped into me from behind hard making me stumbled forward, my bag slipping off my shoulder I was going to fall but strong pair of hands caught me.

"Careful there."

That voice, that deep fucking rumbling voice.

I looked up.

And there he was.

Professor Thorne Sinclair.

He stared down at me, his jaw tight, his eyes darker than they'd been in the classroom. His hands shot out to steady me, gripping my arms hard enough to bruise.

For a moment, neither of us moved.

I could feel his breath on my forehead and smell that cologne—spicy and expensive—the same one that had been all over my skin that night.

My body remembered before my brain did making my knees went weak.

"Ms…?" he said his voice was calm and professional like he didn’t know who I was.

Like he hadn't been inside me last week.

I swallowed hard with my throat dry and my voice came out shaky.

"Sophia. Sophia Hayes."

"Right." He nodded slowly. "Ms. Hayes."

His hands didn't let go. His thumbs pressed into my biceps, just slightly making me feel the heat of them through my shirt.

"You seem distracted today," he said with his voice was low and quiet enough that only I could hear. "Is there a problem?"

"No," I said quickly too quickly. "I'm fine."

"You were distracted." He leaned in just an inch, his voice dropping so only I could hear. "By what exactly?"

My heart stopped.

By you.

"Nothing," I whispered. "I wasn't—"

I felt my face flush.

"I—I'm sorry It was my first day. I was just—"

"Overwhelmed?" He raised an eyebrow. "That's understandable but if you're going to succeed in this course, you'll need to focus. Business Strategy isn't a class you can sleep through."

"I wasn't sleeping—"

"Then what were you doing?" He leaned in slightly. "Daydreaming, perhaps? Your mind seemed to be somewhere else entirely."

My heart was racing.

He knew what he was doing.

Fucking asshole!

Why else would he be saying this?

"I'm sorry, Professor," I managed. "It won't happen again."

"I hope not." He let go of my arms. "I'd hate to see a promising student fall behind because she couldn't keep her head in the game."

Was he talking about class?

Or was he talking about the club?

I couldn't tell.

And that terrified me.

"If you need extra help," he continued his voice dropping even lower, "my office hours are posted on the syllabus. I'm always happy to give struggling students some... personal attention."

My stomach flipped.

"I'll keep that in mind," I whispered.

"See that you do." He stepped back. "Have a good day Ms. Hayes."

I didn't wait for him to say anything else.

I turned and fled.

The rest of the day was a blur.

I had two more classes I couldn't tell you what happened in either of them. I sat in the back, staring at the whiteboard, seeing nothing.

His face was everywhere.

His voice was in my head.

His hands were on my skin.

Professor Thorne Sinclair.

My professor.

The man from the club.

The man who'd taken my virginity was my professor.

Was fate playing a game with me? .

But the damage was done.

My one-night stand was my professor.

What the hell was I supposed to do now?

I finally made it back to my mother's house around five.

The mansion loomed in front of me like a prison. I just wanted to go to my room and freshen up and maybe get some rest if possible.

I walked in in haste only to be interrupted by Diana.

"Sophia! How was your first day? !"

"Fine?" She set down the spoon and walked toward me. "Just fine? Come on, sweetheart, I want to hear all about it. Did you make any friends? What were your professors like?"

“Mom. Stop."

She blinked. "What?"

"Just—" I ran a hand through my hair my voice shaking. "Stop pretending. Stop acting like you care."

"I do care—"

"No you don't." The words came out sharp, cutting through the space between us. "You didn't care when you left me and Dad so please don’t stand here pretending”

Diana's face went pale.

"Sophia—"

"I'm only here because Dad asked me to come. Because he thought it would be good for me to 'mend things' with you." I laughed bitter and hollow. "But you can't mend something that was never whole. You can't just show up twelve years later and pretend we're a family."

She opened her mouth and closed it with tears welling in her eyes.

"I don't want to be here," I said. "I don't want to pretend. I don't want to play happy families. So just—just leave me alone and stop pretending you care cause you never did and never will”

I turned to leave but then I heard it.

"What's going on here?"

That voice.

That deep rumbling voice that made my blood turned to ice.

Was I hearing things now? Cause It couldn't be.

I looked up slowly with heart was pounding so hard I thought it might explode and there he was.

Thorne.

Professor Thorne Sinclair.

Standing in the doorway of my mother's living room looking like he owns the place.

What?

What is he doing here?

Was I hallucinating?

He looked at me then at Diana then back at me with face was unreadable.

My mother walked toward him wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Hi honey," she said her voice light and carefree like she wasn’t just about to crying "you’re home early."

“Got off work early," he said with his voice calm, measure like he hadn't just seen his student screaming at his wife.

But his eyes were on me. Those dark intense eyes they never left my face.

Diana turned to me her smile back in place.

"Sophia this is my husband." She gestured to him like she was presenting a prize. "Thorne, this is my daughter, Sophia the one I’ve been telling you about."

She beamed at both of us.

I couldn't move, breathe, heck I couldn't do anything but stare at him.

This man who'd taken my virginity, who happens to my professors.

Is my stepfather?

"Nice to meet you Sophia," he said his voice was smooth and polite like he was meeting any stranger. "Your mother has told me so much about you."

I couldn't speak, I opened my mouth but nothing came out.

He extended his hand toward me.

"You must be tired," he continued. "First day of college. It can be overwhelming."

Professor Thorne Sinclair was my stepfather too?

The man I slept with was my stepfather?

He stood there, waiting for me to shake his hand. I couldn't do it, I couldn't touch him.

"I—" My voice cracked. "I need to—"

I turned and ran.