Chapter 4- Tough Decision

ALEENA'S POV

“Really?” Lorcan looked at me with an annoyingly mocking smile spread across his lips.

“Yes!” I snapped angrily. “You can't blackmail me into becoming your plaything!” I turned around and walked towards the door immediately not even waiting for his reply again.

“Aleena?” he called out, and there was something laced in his voice—something I didn't want to examine further.

I stopped with my hand already on the door handle, waiting for him to maybe tell me this was prank, or he was going to forget about everything and hand me my grade.

He stood up—I knew that because I heard the scraping of his chair against the marbled floor, and his footsteps approached me slowly.

Then the footsteps stopped, and I felt him behind me—that intoxicating smell of his perfume that almost made me forget I was angry, and the warmth radiating from his body.

“You'll be back.” He leaned in and whispered close to my ear, his breath fanning my neck, and then he slip a piece of paper into my hand. “Text me when you change your mind. I'll respond.”

I pulled the door open and stepped out quickly, slamming the door behind me, and then I let out the breath I didn't know I was holding since Lorcan came up behind me.

How sure was he that I was going to accept his damned offer?

I shoved the paper into my bag and sighed loudly. “Ugggggh!”

I didn't even know what I was doing. I knew I was making a mistake by refusing him, and also, accepting his offer would—

“No!” I shook the thought off immediately, and started walking to my dorm. I was going to think of a solution when I got there.

—

I was walking fast, and my heels were clicking against the floor. My legs were moving, but my mind wasn't moving with them—it was somewhere else.

I rounded the corner, about to leave the faculty building when I almost collided into someone.

Vivienne—the campus belle. A proud, rich and spoilt brat.

She was standing by the water fountain, fixing her hair and lipstick in a small compact mirror. She looked up when she saw me, and her expression flickered.

“Aleena.” She said quietly. “What are you doing in the faculty building this late? It's past school hours and you're… Here?”

“I could ask you the same question, Vivienne,” I said trying to keep my voice steady. “Wherever I go is none of your business.” I said and tried to move past her, but Vivienne stepped into my path again.

“You were in professor Lorcan's office.” She said leaning closer to me. “I can smell his perfume on you.”

I crossed my hands now, fully pissed. “How do you know how his perfume smells huh?” I snapped. “Maybe if you had paid attention in class instead of worrying about make-up, you would have known why I went there.”

She was taken aback for a moment, not expecting my reply, but she quickly regained her composure. She must have thought that I was intimidated by her.

“He already gave you an answer on why you failed, so why did you have to see him privately?” She smiled mockingly. “You don't have the money to appeal the grade—it's quite obvious with the cheap clothes you wear.” She muttered. “So were you offering yourself in exchange so you could protect your little scholarship?”

The words hit me somewhere unexpected, but I didn't let it show. “Listen, Vivienne, I don’t have time for all these.” I stepped closer to her, and my gaze was sharp enough to slice through her soul. “I am not your friend. So whatever I do, however I do it and whenever I do it is totally none of your business, so stay the hell out of my way.” I said, shoved her aside, and walked away.

“You cannot run from the truth Aleena,” Vivienne said from somewhere behind me. “You seem to forget who you’re dealing with… But I promise, I’ll remind you.”

I just kept walking without looking back, ignoring Vivienne empty threats.

—

When I got to the dorm, it was already 6:30 pm.

I turned the door knob open and walked in, and I met Mira, sitting on her bed, scrolling on her phone.

I closed the door behind it, and leaned against it fir a while.

“Are you okay?” Mira said, looking up from her phone.

“Yeah,” I nodded slowly.

"You don't look fine."

I didn't respond. I just walked to my bed, dropped my bag on the table and sat down on the bed, my gaze fixed on the wall.

Mira set her phone down and adjusted on her bed, facing me totally. “Talk to me, Allie. What happened?”

"He failed me on purpose."

Mira sat up too fast, and her eyes widened. “What?”

"Lorcan failed me on purpose. He told me so."

Mira shook her head. "Why would he—"

I leaned back on the bed. "Because he wanted me to come to his office."

“Wh… Why?” she protested. “Why would he do that?”

I ran my hands through my hair pulling them at the roots. “He offered me a deal.”

“You're speaking in riddles, Allie. What kind of deal?”

“Detentions with him, three times a week.”

Mira's face changed, a frown appearing on her forehead. “What does that mean?”

"I don't know, Mira.” I sighed. “But I know what it sounds like."

"You can't agree to this, Allie." Mira stood up from her bed and walked towards me. “He can't blackmail you into doing shit with him—I mean—it's against the rules.” She said and settled beside me. “But you said no right?”

I nodded, feeling a sudden tightness in my chest. “Yes, I did.”

Mira exhaled. "Good. Good. That's—good.” Then she paused. “So what are you going to do now? You can't afford to fail that paper.”

I looked up at Mira. “I don't know yet, but I'm thinking of appealing the grade.”

Mira pressed her lips together. “Allie—”

“I know, I know.” I sighed and palmed my face. “Don't worry about that, I'd find a way.”

Her gaze lingered on me for a second longer. “Hmm, okay girl.” She said and patted my shoulders. “We'd think of how to get the money tomorrow.” She stood up from my bed and went to hers to sleep, leaving me alone with my racing thoughts.

—

I sat alone in the dark with my phone in my hands. I had been in that position since Mira went to bed and switched off the lights—for two hours.

I stared at the figures on the screen. Five thousand dollars to appeal a grade, and an extra tow thousand dollars for a scholarship student.

That was the main reason I couldn't afford to fail, because I knew I couldn't afford the risks that came with it.

I went to the last message sent by my mother that morning. “Allie darling, I paid for your room today. Don't worry about me—I'm fine. I just want you to graduate. That's all I've ever wanted. Live your best life, and always remember, mama got your back.”

I press my lips together and took a deep breath to stop myself from crying. I couldn't afford to disappoint my mother, after she'd sacrificed so much for me to come to Westhaven. I couldn't bother her with my grade at this critical point. The mess I found myself in was partially my fault, so I had to take responsibility for my actions without bothering anyone.

My mind drifted to Lorcan's voice, "You'll be back."

And I hated the fact that he was right. I knew it from that moment that he was right, but I had to force myself to think that there would be another alternative—the one I couldn't afford now.

I stood up, walked to my closet, and brought out the piece of paper he slid into my hand.

I entered his number into my phone and typed a message. “When does it start?”

My hand hovered over the send button for a while

allowing the decision to settle deep.

I clicked send before I could change my mind.

In less than a minute, my phone beeped, and Lorcan's message came through.

“Tomorrow, after class.”