CHAPTER 15: IRRITATED

Alora spent the entire walk to class trying not to think about the previous night.

Unfortunately, her brain had other plans.

Every few minutes she would remember something Daniel had said.

Then she’d smile.

Then she’d immediately become annoyed with herself.

Then she’d smile again.

It was a vicious cycle.

“You’re doing it.”

Alora groaned.

“Cassie.”

“You are.”

“Cassie.”

“The smiling thing.”

“I’m not smiling.”

“You absolutely are.”

Alora rolled her eyes and pushed open the lecture hall doors.

The room was already filling.

Students settled into seats.

Coffee cups everywhere.

Half the class looked sleep-deprived.

The other half looked dead.

Medical school.

As God intended.

Cassie dropped into a seat beside her.

Alora opened her notebook.

Tried focusing.

Failed.

Her mind drifted back to dinner.

Daniel laughing.

Daniel telling stories about his sisters.

Daniel remembering random things she said.

Daniel somehow making two hours feel like twenty minutes.

The memory warmed her unexpectedly.

A strange feeling.

Comfortable.

Safe.

Before she could think about it further, the lecture hall doors opened.

Silence immediately spread through the room.

Professor Reid.

Of course.

He walked to the front without looking at anyone.

Dark suit.

Perfect posture.

That same impossible expression.

Alora watched him arrange his notes.

Then immediately looked away.

For some reason, remembering that he had seen her with Daniel last night made her feel oddly self-conscious.

Ridiculous.

Completely ridiculous.

Nothing had happened.

It wasn’t a date.

Nobody had done anything wrong.

Yet she still felt weird about it.

Professor Reid began the lecture.

For the first twenty minutes everything seemed normal.

Then came the questions.

And unfortunately for everyone involved, Alora knew the answer.

Professor Reid glanced around the room.

“Can anyone explain the mechanism?”

Silence.

A few students avoided eye contact.

Others pretended to be reading.

Alora sighed.

Raised her hand.

Professor Reid’s eyes landed on her.

For half a second something flickered across his face.

Gone immediately.

“Miss Alvarez.”

She answered.

Confidently.

Clearly.

Correctly.

Several students nodded.

Even Cassie looked impressed.

When Alora finished, silence followed.

Normally this was the part where Professor Reid either expanded on her answer or challenged part of it.

Instead—

He frowned.

Very slightly.

“The explanation is incomplete.”

Alora blinked.

“What?”

A few students exchanged glances.

Professor Reid remained expressionless.

“You omitted an important factor.”

“I did?”

“Yes.”

Alora frowned.

Because she genuinely hadn’t.

She knew she hadn’t.

He asked her another question.

She answered again.

Correctly.

Still—

“Not quite.”

The room grew quieter.

Something felt off.

Alora could feel it.

Apparently everyone else could too.

Professor Reid moved on.

Ten minutes later another question appeared.

Again Alora answered.

Again correctly.

Again—

“There are gaps in your reasoning.”

This time even Cassie looked confused.

Alora stared.

Professor Reid continued lecturing as though nothing had happened.

Her irritation began growing.

Slowly.

Steadily.

By the end of the lecture she was practically vibrating.

Not because she’d been embarrassed.

Because she knew she was right.

And somehow that made it worse.

The class finally ended.

Students immediately stood.

Conversations erupted throughout the room.

Alora stuffed her notebook into her bag.

A little more aggressively than necessary.

“Okay.”

Cassie looked at her.

“What?”

“What was that?”

Alora frowned.

“What was what?”

“Professor Reid.”

She froze.

Cassie pointed toward the front of the room.

“He was weird.”

“He wasn’t.”

“He absolutely was.”

“No.”

“Alora.”

“No.”

“Alora.”

She sighed.

Maybe.

A little.

A tiny bit.

Fine.

A lot.

Because now that she thought about it, he had challenged every answer she’d given.

Every single one.

Even the correct ones.

Especially the correct ones.

And somehow that annoyed her more than if she’d been wrong.

Before she could respond, another voice joined the conversation.

“Morning.”

Daniel.

Instantly the irritation lessened.

Not disappeared.

Just softened.

Daniel dropped into the empty seat in front of them.

Holding coffee.

Because apparently he was a hero.

“Please tell me one of those is for me.”

“It is.”

Alora immediately took it.

“You’re my favorite person.”

Daniel looked offended.

“Only now?”

“Coffee changes everything.”

Cassie nodded seriously.

“She’s right.”

Daniel laughed.

The tension in Alora’s shoulders eased.

Just like that.

Effortlessly.

The three of them left the lecture hall together.

The morning sun warmed the campus pathways.

Students moved between buildings.

The usual chaos.

For a while they talked about an upcoming exam.

Then a professor.

Then food.

Then somehow ended up debating whether cereal counted as soup.

A surprisingly intense discussion.

Daniel argued yes.

Alora argued no.

Cassie contributed absolutely nothing useful.

As usual.

They reached the courtyard.

Daniel glanced at Alora.

“You seem annoyed.”

She narrowed her eyes.

“How does everybody know what I’m feeling?”

“You make faces.”

“I don’t.”

“You do.”

“Traitor.”

He grinned.

Then offered his coffee.

A peace offering.

Alora accepted.

Because she wasn’t stupid.

The conversation shifted naturally.

The irritation faded completely.

At least until later that afternoon.

Another lecture.

Another class.

Another encounter with Professor Dominic Reid.

This time things were worse.

Much worse.

Because now Alora was paying attention.

Every question.

Every response.

Every interaction.

And the pattern became impossible to ignore.

He challenged her.

Again.

And again.

And again.

Not anyone else.

Just her.

By the end of the session even other students were noticing.

A few exchanged looks.

One guy in the front row actually winced when Professor Reid interrupted her answer.

The entire thing felt bizarre.

Because Dominic wasn’t rude.

Technically.

Nothing he said was inappropriate.

Nothing he did was wrong.

Yet somehow she left feeling like she’d failed a test she never knew she was taking.

The frustration followed her all afternoon.

Until she found herself standing outside the building with Cassie once again.

The campus buzzed around them.

Students laughed.

Cars passed.

The world continued normally.

Meanwhile Alora was slowly losing her mind.

Cassie folded her arms.

Watching her carefully.

Then—

Very casually—

Asked:

“Do you think Professor Reid has a problem with you?”

The question hit like a brick.

Alora opened her mouth.

Closed it.

Opened it again.

Because honestly?

For the first time…

She wasn’t sure.