The rain felt glorious. A perfect combination of wild freedom and cool bliss, making the chaos of my life momentarily slip away. I laughed with my arms wide open like a lunatic, twirling like the universe’s most dramatic ballerina in this impromptu rainstorm. Water streamed down my face, my hair sticking to my skin in messy, rebellious strands. For a fleeting second, I felt infinite.And then Mr. Wright looked at me—I mean, really looked at me. I noticed his gaze lingering on me a little longer than usual... not in a creepy way, though! At first, I didn’t think there was anything wrong with it. His gaze was normal. Stern but amused, like a teacher watching a kid playing with water, who’s way too immature. His eyes held that same calm, thoughtful demeanor he always carried — the type that could disarm a riot with a single glance. But then… his gaze lowered.From my face...To my neck…To my—OH SWEET HOLY MOTHER OF ALL THINGS…EMBARRASSING...TOO EMBARRASSING…I followed his line of si
His coat lay forgotten on a stone by the riverbank. He reached for it, shook off the dust, and without a word, draped it over my shoulders. The heavy fabric swallowed my shoulders, covering every inch of me that I wished had never been seen.His hands lingered on the edges for a second too long, his knuckles brushing against my damp skin before he pulled away like he was electrocuted.I swore I could feel his warmth through the rain.The coat was warm and smelled faintly of him — he really smelled different, something unique and something impossibly comforting.I stared at him, my lips parting, my breath caught somewhere between embarrassment and gratitude.“Th-thank you,” I stammered, pulling the coat tighter around me.He didn’t say anything. His eyes softened as they met mine, steady and unreadable. Rain trickled down his temple, catching on his lashes. He looked heavenly!Then, with a slight, almost imperceptible smile, he murmured, “It’s nothing.”But it was.It was a shield. A k
The car was moving steadily.I sneaked a glance at him. His hands gripped the steering wheel—firm, steady, capable. His jawline was sharp, his expression unreadable.What was he thinking? It couldn’t be about me, right?Alina, you idiot! He’s not thinking—he’s just driving!I looked away so fast I might’ve given myself whiplash.Stop it, Alina. Don’t be weird. You’re already wet and miserable — don’t add “creepy” to the list.We drove.And then, without warning, the car slowed.He pulled up in front of a brightly lit mall — with too many lights and too many people, all dry, clean, fancy and judgmental.“We’re here,” he said, like I’d asked to stop at an emotional torture chamber.He unbuckled his seatbelt and turned to me.“Do you want to come in, or…”Before I could find my voice, he added,“Actually, stay in the car. I’ll get it. No need to go out.”I didn’t argue.Didn’t nod.Just acted like a statue, clutching his coat tighter.As if I’d go into a mall right now.Looking like this
The car stopped suddenly — he actually parked the car and stepped out into the darkness — to give me privacy — that was when I realized…I didn’t even know how to open the bag.I was doomed.I don’t know how to address these feelings! I sat there, in the car, like a pile of human embarrassment on top of existential dread. My entire body was frozen — a mixture of cold sweat and a warm blush I couldn't seem to shake. Mr. Wright stood outside, too cool, too composed. The typical him! His figure against the streetlights was like the calm before a storm, but which storm? Oh, that was my inner turmoil which was about to drown me.---I sighed, staring down at the bag in my hands, willing myself not to flip out. Just change, Alina. You’ve been through worse. You can handle this. It’ll be over soon!‘Never trust a man’s choice when it comes to clothing’—that was a universal truth! And I knew it. So, I hadn’t expected much either. Now, I just needed something—anything—to cover myself. That
Mr. Wright's POVThe clock ticks.A steady, methodical sound. A sound that should be comforting, grounding.But tonight, it’s deafening.I sit at my desk, back stiff, fingers curled into the polished wood as if holding onto reality itself. The glow of the lamp casts long shadows across my apartment, but none of it—none of it—feels real.Not when my mind is trapped in her.Clara.The rain.The dress.The way the fabric clung to her like a second skin, exposing her in ways she didn't intend.I shouldn’t have looked. I know that. But knowing and doing are two very different things.I close my eyes, exhaling sharply, forcing myself to retreat into logic, into discipline—the very things that have always anchored me. But she is there, waiting in the darkness behind my eyelids.Her hair, dark and wet, slicked against her skin. Her lips, slightly parted, trembling from the cold, from the sheer weight of what had just happened.And that dress. God, that fucking dress.The rain had betrayed her
The door clicked shut behind me, and I exhaled, pressing my back against the wood. Silent. Still. Every move calculated. I was a ghost, a shadow, a fugitive in my own damn dorm room.Mission: Get to bed.Obstacle: Mia Carter, the world’s nosiest roommate.If she so much as sniffed out a secret, she’d gnaw at it until there was nothing left. And tonight? Oh, she was on the hunt. She’d been circling me all day like a damn vulture, eyes gleaming with the thrill of my supposed “date.”Too bad for her—I was slipping in unnoticed. No interrogation. No prying. Just sweet, glorious peace.I crept forward. One step. Two. Almost there—“I thought you weren’t coming back tonight.”HOLY FU—I sucked in a breath so hard I nearly choked on it. My knees buckled. My soul left my body.“MIA, WHAT THE HELL?!” I hissed, clutching my chest like a damsel in a 19th-century novel. “Are you TRYING to send me into cardiac arrest?!”She cackled. Not giggled. Not chuckled. The sound that left her mouth was pure
The door clicked shut behind me, and I exhaled, pressing my back against the wood. Silent. Still. Every move calculated. I was a ghost, a shadow, a fugitive in my own damn dorm room.Mission: Get to bed.Obstacle: Mia Carter, the world’s nosiest roommate.If she so much as sniffed out a secret, she’d gnaw at it until there was nothing left. And tonight? Oh, she was on the hunt. She’d been circling me all day like a damn vulture, eyes gleaming with the thrill of my supposed “date.”Too bad for her—I was slipping in unnoticed. No interrogation. No prying. Just sweet, glorious peace.I crept forward. One step. Two. Almost there—“I thought you weren’t coming back tonight.”HOLY FU—I sucked in a breath so hard I nearly choked on it. My knees buckled. My soul left my body.“MIA, WHAT THE HELL?!” I hissed, clutching my chest like a damsel in a 19th-century novel. “Are you TRYING to send me into cardiac arrest?!”She cackled. Not giggled. Not chuckled. The sound that left her mouth was pure
Honestly, does it even matter anymore? Time’s just a blur, a fleeting concept that slips through my fingers, especially when I’m stuck in the suffocating hell of History class, pretending to care about monarchies and powdered wigs.I couldn’t focus on the lesson, though. How could I? My eyes were locked onto the back of Mr. Wright's head, as though it was some kind of magnetic force pulling me in. He'd insisted on being called Cristiano now—no longer ‘Mr. Wright,’ no longer the untouchable figure I once saw as my teacher. And every time he said my name, every time those deep brown eyes flickered to me from the front of the class, something in my chest twisted with a hunger I couldn’t ignore. The worst part? He knew it. And that infuriated me.The way his dark hair—messy, like he'd just rolled out of bed, trying to look all tortured artist chic—begged to be touched, ran my thoughts into a frenzy. Not that I wanted to think about touching him, of course. That would be... wrong. But ther
The lingerie.Jesus fucking Christ, the lingerie.My jaw clenches so hard it pops.I didn’t buy it. Thank God I didn’t. But I thought about it. I touched it. That thin, delicate lace, black and wicked like sin itself. I imagined how it would look against her skin. I imagined it fitting her just right. Too right.imagined her.And something inside me whispered, “Yes. That. That belongs to her.”Not to a lover.Not to some teenage boy fumbling in the dark.To me.That thought… that claim… it was a quiet, savage little voice in my head. And it scared the living shit out of me.I slam my palm against the wall, trying to knock it out of me. Trying to shake it off.No.No, no, no.This is dangerous. This is sick. This is fucking wrong.She’s a child. I’m her teacher. I’m the one meant to protect her, not fantasize about how her soaked dr
How did I go from keeping my distance to craving the sound of her voice?This isn’t what I wanted.This isn’t what I planned.I noticed her before I even knew her last name.Before I knew she was his sister.Before the universe laughed in my face and handed me my own damn punishment wrapped in soft skin and a defiant mouth.No—I’m not some fucking pervert salivating over teenage girls. Don’t even go there. I’ve seen bodies. I’ve had bodies. I’ve had sex more times than I can count, and none of it ever meant a damn thing.So no. It wasn’t her body that hooked me. Not at first.It was her.From the second I stepped into that classroom, the air shifted. I could feel the way the students stared. I’m not blind—I know what I look like. I’ve been dealing with starry-eyed crushes and giggles behind textbooks since I started teaching.But her?A
When Ethan asked me to take her out—to that stupid lunch because of the damn Parents’ Day bullshit the school insists on organizing—I should’ve said no.Every part of me knew it was a bad fucking idea.Parents’ Day. That glorified circus where all the proud parents stroll in like they’re collecting awards, beaming at their kids like they’re gold-plated trophies. Laughing, hugging, crying. It’s a feel-good disaster for teachers. But for kids like Alina?It’s a nightmare.Because her parents? They’re not an option.Not for her.And of course, Ethan couldn’t come. He’s always working himself into the fucking ground, never taking a break. So guess who got picked? Guess who got volunteered?Me.A teacher.A fucking teacher.What kind of twisted joke is that?A grown man, taking a teenage girl out for lunch, alone? How does that even look? Wh
Damn it.I was halfway through peeling that ridiculous dress off—arms flailing, sweat clinging to my spine like sin—when—Knock. Knock.My whole body froze.My breath hitched. My heart jackhammered against my ribs like it was trying to escape my chest.Not Mia.The shower was still roaring behind the door, steam crawling out from underneath like a ghost.Knock. Knock.Sharper this time. Impatient. Demanding.I swallowed the lump rising in my throat and tiptoed toward the door like I was defusing a bomb.Cracked it open—And there she was.The dorm warden.Crooked bun. Scowl forged in hell. Cardigan buttoned to the neck like she’d just returned from a Victorian funeral. And in her liver-spotted hands—one small, plain, brown paper bag.She looked me up and down with the judgment of a priest catching someone sneaking out of a brothel.“This
Her gaze dropped—to my neck.No.No. No. No.“Alina…” she said slowly, like a horror movie villain spotting the final girl’s fatal mistake.RUN.Before I could dodge, her hand shot out and tilted my face like she was unveiling the Mona Lisa’s scandalous twin.“WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!”I leapt back like she’d doused me in boiling water. “It’s nothing! NOTHING!”Her jaw dropped. Her entire soul combusted in real time. You could’ve powered the city with the drama pouring out of her.“OH MY GOD. YOU HAVE A MARK.”“It’s not a mark!”“It is! That’s a KISS MARK. A—oh my God—it’s a LIP-GHOST.”My eye twitched. “What the hell is a lip-ghost?!”“A ghost of a kiss! A spiritual smudge of sin!”“I will throw you out the window.
The door clicked shut behind me, and I exhaled, pressing my back against the wood. Silent. Still. Every move calculated. I was a ghost. A shadow. A fugitive in my own damn dorm room.Mission: Get to bed.Obstacle: Mia Carter, the world’s nosiest roommate.If she so much as sniffed out a secret, she’d gnaw at it like a rabid dog with a bone, then set the damn bone on fire and dance in the ashes. And tonight? Oh, tonight she was on the prowl. She’d been circling me like a vulture in designer pajamas, eyes glittering with suspicion and caffeine-induced insanity.Too bad for her—I was slipping in unnoticed. No drama. No questions. Just sweet, glorious oblivion beneath the covers.I crept forward. One step. Two. Almost there—“I thought you weren’t coming back tonight.”HOLY—!I gasped so hard I practically inhaled my tongue. My knees buckled. My soul left my body and filed a complaint with the universe.“MIA! WHAT IN THE ACTUAL HELL?!” I whisper-screamed, clutching my chest like a Victori
Silence is a crueler punishment than words.I’d rather he yelled at me, scolded me, told me I was a reckless, impulsive girl who didn’t know what she was playing with. I’d rather he looked at me with disgust, with regret—hell, even with anger.But he gave me nothing.Not a glance.Not a word.Not even the barest acknowledgment that I existed.Cristiano Wright had vanished.Not literally, of course. He was still here, in the same classroom, standing at the same podium, his deep voice filling the space with lectures about history that I wasn’t listening to.But he wasn’t here.Not for me.And it was driving me fucking insane.It started the moment I walked into class.His eyes skimmed over the room, pausing on every student but me.I sat in my usual seat, watching him, waiting for the subtle smirk, the flicker of emotion, the challenge in his gaze that always made my pulse quicken.Nothing.He didn’t look at me once.“Alright, let’s continue where we left off yesterday,” he said, voice
The kiss was wildfire—devouring, insatiable, reckless. Cristiano’s hands gripped my waist, not forcefully, but with the kind of desperation that made my pulse stutter. It wasn’t gentle. It wasn’t careful. It was raw and filled with something neither of us dared name.I knew this was wrong. Every fiber of my being screamed at me to stop, to pull away, to regain the control that had already slipped through my fingers. But how could I, when his lips moved against mine like he was memorizing me?His hands skimmed the fabric of my blouse, fingers flexing like he was trying to ground himself, to hold back. But I didn’t want him to hold back.I deepened the kiss, pressing closer, feeling the hard lines of his body, the way his breath hitched. My hands tangled in his hair—so soft, so inviting, so maddeningly perfect—and a shudder ran through him.But then, like a snapped thread, everything shattered.Cristiano wrenched himself away from me so fast it left me breathless. His chest heaved, his
Honestly, does it even matter anymore? Time’s just a blur, a fleeting concept that slips through my fingers, especially when I’m stuck in the suffocating hell of History class, pretending to care about monarchies and powdered wigs.I couldn’t focus on the lesson, though. How could I? My eyes were locked onto the back of Mr. Wright's head, as though it was some kind of magnetic force pulling me in. He'd insisted on being called Cristiano now—no longer ‘Mr. Wright,’ no longer the untouchable figure I once saw as my teacher. And every time he said my name, every time those deep brown eyes flickered to me from the front of the class, something in my chest twisted with a hunger I couldn’t ignore. The worst part? He knew it. And that infuriated me.The way his dark hair—messy, like he'd just rolled out of bed, trying to look all tortured artist chic—begged to be touched, ran my thoughts into a frenzy. Not that I wanted to think about touching him, of course. That would be... wrong. But ther