chapter 4

MAEVE

Philip let out a bitter laugh. “This isn’t over, Maeve!”And with that, he stormed out. Silence dropped instantly.

Nicholas released me just as fast, as if holding me was a mistake. I frowned slightly.

“Are you avoiding me? Why are you”

“Head to class, Maeve,” he cut in.

Nicholas walked out the moment he said that and without sparing me a glance. I let out a heavy sigh.

I didn’t like this. My eyes stung slightly, but I forced myself to hold it in.

The moment I stepped out of the classroom, my eyes met Rue’s.

“Girl! Where have you been?” she blurted, then paused.

Her expression shifted. “Are you okay?”

I forced a small smile. “I’m okay.”

She turned slightly, glancing in the direction Nicholas had gone. He wasn’t that far.

Then she looked back at me, narrowing her eyes a little.

“Is it because of Philip? And isn’t that the new professor everyone’s talking about?” she asked, curiosity sharpening her tone. “Why are you guys coming out of the same class?”

I hesitated for a second.

Everyone was talking about him. Of course they were, he was hot.

“Everyone's talking about him?” I asked, acting a little ignorant.

Rue leaned in a bit, lowering her voice like she was about to spill something.

“You don’t know? He just resumed today but he is like a hot cake now” she said. “Some students from his previous school actually transferred here this semester. There are so many things about him. Apparently he is strict”

My brows furrowed.

We started heading down.. I was quite curious to how Nicholas has been living..

“strict?” I asked and she nodded quickly.

“He’s extremely strict. Like… terrifying strict. No distractions, no nonsense. He doesn’t tolerate students crossing boundaries at all. He knows he is fine so girls hover around him. I heard he once corrected a girl who wrote a love letter to him In front of the whole class” she spilled and I gasped.

“That is embarrassing.” I stated.

She hesitated, then added, “But girls still try anyway. They say he doesn’t even look at them twice. Just shut them down instantly. You have to be very intelligent to get a pass in his course I heard”

Rue paused, watching my reaction closely.

“And now he’s here,” she finished softly, “our final year supervisor. ”

My throat went dry.

“For what? ” I asked.

Rue looked at me like I had lost my mind.

“For ours, dummy.”

I stopped walking.

“What do you mean ours?”

She stopped too, blinking at me.

“Maeve, did you leave your brain at home today?”

My eyes widened.

“Wait.” I tapped her. “You mean he's our supervisor?”

Rue winced dramatically.

“Not just our supervisor. One of the main supervisors in the department.”

My jaw nearly dropped.

“Wait, he's our direct supervisor?!” I gasped.

Rue nodded.

“Yep. Which means if we're assigned to him, we're officially doomed.”

I let out a dramatic sigh, running my hands on my hair. I wasn't expecting Nicholas to be even part of my academic life at the moment. Didn't think he would be our direct supervisor!

"Girl, he is basically the final boss of the Business Admin department."

"Rue..."

"I'm serious! That man has his hands in everything. Lectures, projects, grading, presentations, supervision.”

I halted and pressed my lips. You mean I have to see Nicholas almost everyday! At home? In school?! I'm doomed for sure, for sure.

“Are you okay?” Rue inquired, halting with me.

I shook my head. “I'm not”

*

The day went by quickly. Nicholas only handled one lecture, mainly introducing himself to the class. And just as Rue had said, he was strict.

The entire lecture, he barely smiled once. His expression remained cold and unreadable, and I did my best to keep my eyes off him.

After classes ended, Rue dragged me to her place. I ended up telling her everything that had happened between me and Philip, leaving out only one detail.

Nicholas.

I wasn't ready to talk about him yet.

By the time I got home, it was already 7 p.m.

Mom was in the kitchen making dinner.

"Mom!" I exclaimed, wrapping my arms around her from behind.

"My baby," she laughed. "Welcome home. How were your lectures today?"

I groaned dramatically.

"I'm having it rough, Mom."

"My poor baby." She chuckled as I leaned around her, trying to see what she was cooking. "Why don't you go shower and come down for dinner?"

I nodded.

I didn't see my stepdad anywhere. He was probably still at the office, working late as usual.

I started climbing the stairs when Mom's voice stopped me.

"Oh, and call your brother, Nicholas. You can both come down for dinner."

I froze. A small pout formed on my lips before I could stop it.

"Alright, Mom," I replied after a brief hesitation. I headed to my room and took a quick shower. I was starving, but there was one thing making my heart race like crazy and that was going to Nicholas's room.

Our rooms weren't far from each other.

After changing into my sleeveless nightwear, I took several deep breaths before walking over to his door.

I knocked three times.

"Come in, Maeve."

My breath caught. I turned the doorknob and stepped inside.

Nicholas was seated at his desk, a pair of glasses resting on his nose as he skimmed through a stack of papers. They were probably related to school.

He didn't even acknowledge my presence. His attention remained fixed on the documents in front of him, completely absorbed in whatever he was reading.

I cleared my throat loudly.

"Mom said you should come downstairs for dinner."

His eyes remained on the papers.

"I'll be there in a minute."

Not even a glance.

I stood there awkwardly for a second, waiting for him to look at me.

He never did. I twitched my lips.

"What's going on, Nicholas? Are we enemies now?"

It took me nearly two minutes of standing there like an idiot before I finally found the courage to ask.

He stopped reading, his eyes lingering on the papers for another second before he slowly rolled his chair back and turned to face me.

I swallowed hard.

"Why would you think that?" he asked calmly.

"I don't know." I let out a frustrated breath. "You've been acting so weird. And don't even get me started on how you disappeared four years ago. I didn't hear anything from you, Nicholas. Not a single word."

My voice cracked slightly.

"We were so close."

He stared at me in silence for a long moment before letting out a little laugh. What was funny?

"We're not even real siblings, Maeve." His voice was low and composed. "Why are you so affected by my disappearance?"

My brows knitted together.

"Excuse me?"

He pushed himself up from the chair and began walking toward me.

Slowly, deliberately.

I was standing beside the bed, and with every step he took, my heartbeat grew louder.

He stopped only when there was barely any space left between us.

The closeness between us forced me to take a step back until the edge of the bed hit the back of my knees.

I lost my balance and sat down.

Nicholas remained standing, towering over me.

"Are you sexually frustrated, Maeve?" he asked bluntly.

My eyes widened.

"What?" I breathed, my brows knitting together as I looked up at him.

A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

"I can tell," he said evenly. "With everything that's been happening... and the kind of guy you've been chasing and following around”

His words hit a nerve.

"Don't talk to me like you know anything," I shot back, my voice instantly defensive.

“Well at least I know I can do better than him, maeve” he said immediately.

My face twisted “what?”

Nicholas pulled off his glasses.. I watched him go down to his knees, my heart pounding like crazy, palms sweaty. I wasn't sure what he was up to.

He kept the glasses by my side. His eyes fixated on my legs. I was wearing my short night wear, not so short but because I was seated, it went up a bit exposing some parts of my thighs.

“Your legs have become hotter Maeve." He groaned, running his hands on the exposed part of my thighs.

My body shook.

His blue eyes pinned me in place , the look in them sent heat rushing through me. They were doing things I didn't want them to do to me.

Nicholas caressed my thighs, then slowly pushed his hands deeper into my dress..

I gasped. “Nicholas, what..”

He pressed my mouth shut with his other hands.

“Spread your legs maeve…” he demanded, his voice husky like a magnetic pull.

I spread my legs, my body coursing in pleasure. Shit. What the heck was I doing?

“Fuckkkk…” he groaned at the sight of my pussy. I wasn't putting on panties because I don't sleep with them.

Nicholas didn't hesitate, he dipped his head in between my thighs, his tongue touching my clit.