Chapter 1: Professor Grumpy pants

Sofia Pov

I have never done anything so risky in my life, but here I am, fumbling with the locks outside Professor Lucien Drake's office—about to break in.

My fingers tremble as I jiggle the key in the quiet hallway, praying no one walks by. Every click of the metal sounds like a gunshot.

You're probably wondering why I'm here.

Good. Because my heart is about to burst out of my chest. Maybe letting my mind wander will ease my trembling fingers.

My friends and I have been partying all week. The College football team won three matches in a row, so of course, we celebrated like idiots. Which means we didn’t study. At all. For Professor Drake’s big test. The one that’s 45% of our grade.

I have two friends—Mia and Keira. Lovely, reckless, bad-decision-making Mia and Keira. They're the reason I’m about to fail this class unless I manage to break into this office and snap a photo of tomorrow’s test.

Risky. Very.

My phone dings. I yank it out, already hating the message on the screen.

Hurry, Sofia. The staff meeting ends in ten minutes.

“Fuck,” I hiss as the lock finally clicks open. I slip inside.

The office is immaculate. Of course it is. Just like Professor Drake—precise, serious, and terrifying.

Where do I start?

I dash to the cabinet. Yank the first one open. Nothing. Just stacks of over sized text books.

The second didn't disappoint.

With shaky hands, I grab my phone, and take a quick shot of the paper sitting neatly on the top shelf. Questions. Objective answers. I got them.

Another ping.

Professor Lucien left the meeting. He is approaching.

I mutter a curse, slam the cabinet shut, and turn to run.

He’s there.

Standing in the doorway.

His arms are crossed. His jaw is tight with a death stare

My phone must have slipped out of my trembling hands, because I only heard it crashing on the floor.

"Professor Drake?"

My voice was shakier than I could imagine. His jaw ticks as he steps into the office, shutting the door behind him.

"What were you doing in here? I could feel the anger behind every word.

“I came to ask for an explanation on last lesson.”

Lies. I bet he could see through me. I tried not to even blink when I said it. God, save me.

My heart was pounding. He got here so fast.

I don't know why I agreed with Mia and Keira on this, but looking back, this was a suicide mission. Everyone knows how cold this man was. I'm dead. I know that, as Professor Drake bends down and picks up my phone.

I almost pee in my clothes. My phone is brightly displaying the last photo I clicked—the answer booklet.

I press my lips together to stop myself from breaking down in tears. Getting caught in something like this doesn't need debating—I'm going to get expelled.

Professor Drake is staring at my phone screen like it’s an alien object. His expression doesn’t change as his eyes meet mine. I shudder. His eyes are the strangest black I have ever seen, and God, this man is intimidating.

“Explanation on the last lesson, huh? Your phone seems to be saying something else, Sophia Carson.”

“You know my name.”

I almost forget I should be pleading when my name rolls off his lips—painfully perfect.

“Sophia Carson. Recently turned 21. Lives with her grandmother because her parents are divorced and both parties recently remarried.”

I shudder. It gives off weird.A slow chill creeps up my spine. How does he know all that?

“I know all my students, Miss Carson.”

It slipped my mind how detailed and intense he could get.

My phone dings. His eyes are on the screen, and his lips tilt a bit.

“You have really good friends, don’t you, Miss Carson?”

I want to disappear. Mia and Keira are only going to make everything worse with their endless texting.

God, what was I thinking?

I wouldn’t have been in this mess if they didn’t push me into it.

No—if I didn’t let them.

“Professor—”

He cuts me off with a raise of his index finger and tosses my phone on his desk.

The silence was unbearable. I know nothing is going to change his mind from reporting me to the Disciplinary Committee, but I can't get expelled. Grandma Tessa would be so disappointed.

She struggled a lot to keep here. This would break her her heart.

My heart is punching my ribcage.

My phone dings again. Professor Drake is staring at the screen like it’s an enemy zone.

“So I’m Professor Grumpy Pants, huh?”

“Shit.” I wince.

That’s the nickname we gave Professor Drake. No one has actually seen him smile, so most of us call him Grumpy Pants. But it's always behind his back.

He looks up, and tears welled up my eyes. “I could report you to the Disciplinary Committee.”

“Please be merciful. I don’t wanna get expelled. My grandma will be so disappointed in me.”

He scoffed.

“So you are not disappointed in yourself?"

Every part of me goes still as he focused on me.

"It's disappointing that your grades are terrible every school session."

My cheeks felt hotter under his scrutinizing gaze.

"I do my best."

His hands go to his tie, loosening it.

"Your best isn't enough."

He flung his tie on the desk and unbuttoned his first two buttons.

His rocked hard chest was now visible.

Focus, Sofia. You ain't supposed to check out your professor. That's disgusting.

Professor Lucien Drake is obviously good-looking and his height made him even hotter. That is actually words around the campus.

He doesn’t entertain anyone which earned him—Grumpy Pants.

"I could report you to the school disciplinary committee, but..."

My heart somersaults in panic. Cold tile presses against my knees as I fall, begging him like my life depends on it.

"Please, my grandma might die of a heart attack."

A grin spreads across his face, sending shivers down my spine.

"I may decide to let this go but I'll need your cooperation, Miss Carson."

"You will let this go?" I couldn't hide my happiness and hurriedly wiped the tears that rolled down my cheeks with the sleeve of my dress.

He leans against the desk slowly,. "Like I said, if only you cooperate."

Cooperate?

The way his eyes darken when he stared down at me made that word sound illegal and my mind raced with every possible scenario.

“and allow me to find the best punishment for your misconduct.”

Yes. His words sounded like what any professor would say to his students found in this situation yet part of me couldn't shake the way his gaze remained on my face.

I let out a shaky breath.

“How do you intend to punish me, Professor Drake?”

The words flew out softer than intended.

It was cringe. Stupid.

The energy around him was messing with my sense of reasoning and now my voice was betraying me.

His brow tilted.

It was like I knew what he wanted.

Or had an idea.

Maybe I was dead wrong.

But that look in his eyes.

“Come here, Miss Carson.” He whispered.

My knees left the ground and just like that I was closing the gap between us.