The sunlight peeked in through the curtains and hit my eyes. I immediately got up and when I turned to my side, the handsome man that had slutted me out the night before lay asleep beside me.
I quietly got out of bed, picked up my clothes that had been thrown in all corners of the room and put them back on. Luckily, I was able to locate my wallet and placed it into my back pocket. Before I stepped out of the room, I took a brief moment to take in the image of this beautiful man sleeping peacefully. In another universe, we were probably lovers and instead of sneaking out of his hotel room so early, I would wake up to breakfast in bed and he would tell me stories of his adventures when he was my age. Maybe in another life. I rushed out of the hotel building and booked myself a cab that would take me straight to school. I had my ID on me so they would be sure to let the taxi through. I had overslept and missed two classes but I knew that if I got ready fast enough, I would be early to Archeology class. At least Nico wouldn’t be at the dorm ready to tease me for smelling like several rounds of sex. Speaking of sex, I bit down on my lower lip as I thought back to the moments when the handsome stranger pinned me down and rammed his dick into me. I even lost count on how many times he made me cum. All I know is at some point my legs couldn’t stop shaking. A text came in from Rita as I reminisced on my night. “Alex, please tell me that your one night ride hasn’t chopped you up into a million pieces” I chuckled as I read the text. “Dramatic much? Plus, I’m pretty sure I could spot a serial killer from a mile away” “Probably going to be a little hard seeing as they look really hot these days” “Lol. I’m surprised you finally decided to check up on me. I thought you and Nico were too busy making out that you forgot that I existed” “oh we did. Did I ever tell you that he’s such a great kisser?” “I wonder what else he’s good at” “I don’t mind giving you some details” “Lol, eww. Please don’t” “Lol whatever. Did you have fun at least?” “The time of my life” “You’re welcome.” “Girl please” “Hello, I’m the one who dragged you outside” “Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever you say” “Are you on your way back yet?” “Yup. I’ll see you in a few” “Sure thing. Make sure to grab a bite to eat. I’m sure last night must have taken a lot out of you” I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “Lol, girl bye” “Byeeee” I placed the phone down and sat quietly in the back seat. As predicted, the security personnel let the car through after I had presented my proof of identity. After paying off the driver, I went straight to my dorm, showered the memories of last night away and when I looked like my usual self I headed straight to class. Nico had texted to say that he had saved me a seat for which i was grateful. At least I wouldn’t have to sit next to someone I didn’t know. The buildings at Heldon, especially the ones for lectures were large and a testament to modern day architectural advancements. I hurried into the hall where the class was meant to hold. A few more minutes more and I would have been officially late. Not really a great look for a student on a scholarship. There were people already seated, waiting for the professor to step in. My eyes met Nico’s and he waved me over. I half jogged to where he sat and placed myself on the free seat next to him. “Hey little I ran off to go have the time of my life” Nico said. I rolled my eyes and sighed. “Boy, don’t start. You know I left your ass a text and an address” He chuckled and shook his head. “Yeah well, I’m happy that you actually hooked up with someone. You still look like you had the time of your life last night. You did have fun right?” I fought back a smile. Fun did not come close enough to describing the events of the night before. It was a memory that I would smile back on at old age. “I mean it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I’m just glad that I didn’t accidentally go see some weirdo or worse.” “A gay serial killer?” “Dear lord, please,no” “Me too. I am really not the type to talk to the police about a missing person” “What about you and Rita? Before I ditched the party, you two seemed really cozy” “Bruh, we’re always cozy. It’s our weird little thing at this point” “Best not get that girl pregnant” “Now that I think about it, I don’t think I’d mind that. Plus it’s going to be really hard with the things that she does” I slapped his arm playfully. “Boy, shut the hell up” He laughed. “It’s true” “Whatever. How come Mr Harper isn’t here yet?” Nico shrugged. “I have no idea dude. Traffic maybe? Not all the teachers live at the staff quarters” “For all his talk about disliking tardiness, he sure knows how to set one hell of an example” At that moment, a tall, handsome man with an intimidating aura and fashionable clothing stepped into the classroom and stood before everyone. Everyone went mute and when I turned to see who had come in and my heart dropped. No way! It was the man from last night. God please, don’t let this be what I think it is. Don’t let the man who fucked me silly barely twenty four hours ago be my new professor. “Good morning class,” The man spoke, his voice stern and commanding as the night before, “My name is Professor Tristan Walker. I will be the one taking you Archeology from now on as Mr Harper will be unavailable”115[ALEX'S POV]Cheers erupted from our friends as I knelt with him, pulling him into a fierce, breathless hug. The applause from Nico, Rita, Marilyn, and Mathew was thunderous, a joyous sound of love and support. We kissed, and in that moment, all the pain of Heldon, all the long, lonely nights in Australia, all the uncertainty of our future simply dissolved. It was just us, in a circle of love and celebration, finally home and finally whole. The ring felt impossibly light and impossibly heavy all at once on my finger.As our lips parted and the cheers reached their peak, the doorbell rang.The sound was a jarring, discordant note in the symphony of our joy. Marilyn, bless her heart, bustled to the door. I saw her open it to a girl who couldn't have been more than seventeen or eighteen. She was pretty in an unassuming way, with kind eyes and long, brown hair. She wore a simple, functional backpack and looked lost, a little out of place, and entirely unfamiliar."Hello dear," Maril
[Four years later....]The descent into the familiar sprawl of Los Angeles felt surreal. For four years, our lives had been framed by the endless blue of the Pacific from a different hemisphere, the sun rising on a new day while America slept. Now, the sprawling grid of city lights below us was a promise, a beacon of a life we had worked so hard to reclaim. I felt Tristan’s hand tighten around mine, his thumb tracing a slow, steady pattern on my knuckles."Home," he whispered, his voice a low rumble that vibrated through me.I just nodded, my throat tight. The last time we had left, it had been an escape. A frantic, humiliating flight from a life that had been ripped to shreds. The scandal that had consumed Heldon University—and our lives—had forced us to rebuild from the ground up. Tristan had lost his job, his reputation, his life's work. I had lost my scholarship, my future, and the trust of my friends that I had thankfully managed to regain before we left.Australia had been ou
The sleep that had swallowed me was a heavy, dreamless blanket, a welcome oblivion from the crushing weight of reality. I woke slowly, the morning light filtering through Tristan's curtains feeling foreign and soft. The house was quiet, but as I made my way to the living room, I heard hushed voices.My heart immediately seized with panic. Tristan? Was he on the phone with his lawyer? With the university? I rounded the corner, expecting to see him pacing, but stopped dead in my tracks.Sitting on the sofa, looking small and exhausted but undeniably real, were Rita and Nico. Wait, how? Is this a dream? What were they doing here?Oh no, they came here to give me more of a tongue lashing? Well, I'm not going to stay and let that happen. I turned to run back into my bedroom when I heard his voice.Nico looked up first, his eyes wide with relief. "Alex," he breathed.Rita just stared, her face a complicated mess of shame and relief. I felt my legs quake under me but I fought to keep steady
The tranquil elegance of Samantha's home had been a temporary haven, but her words had been a catalyst. I drove away, my mind no longer held any resentment.In its stead was a storm of guilt and regret. Alex. Nico. My two best friends. I had turned my back on them when they needed me most, all because of a truth I had completely misunderstood. Even if I had misunderstood it, I was right to be angry. Tristan had broken my sister's heart but he had done his best to make up for it with her and had given her a shot at happiness.Samantha had let go of the anger and pain that I was still stubbornly holding on to all these years. It was the reason that Alex must have been so scared to tell me the truth about what was happening.I thought back to the way that I had come at him that day. The awful names that I had called him. It made me flinch the more I dwelled on it. I was angry and I had said some very cruel things.I wish I could take them back.I wish that I could take care of Alex now.
The dorm room, the campus, my friendships—it all felt like a battlefield. The only person I could think to go to was my sister, Samantha. I drove to her house, a sprawling, modern-gothic marvel tucked away in a quiet, tree-lined neighborhood. My own family's wealth meant I was used to this kind of luxury, but Samantha's home was a masterpiece of taste and refinement. At least that was how I felt. Our mother, on the other hand, felt it was too morbid.It reminded her of a horror movie and she hated it. Samantha didn't care about our mother's feelings. She liked to do what she liked.As I walked up the marble steps, past the impeccably manicured lawn and the fountains that whispered rather than splashed, my chaotic emotions felt completely out of place. The floor-to-ceiling windows seemed to look out on a world of perfect order, and the air inside smelled of expensive lilies and quiet wealth. It was all so serene, a stark contrast to the storm raging inside me.I found Samantha in her
The quiet of the house felt deafening, usually it would have been punctured by laughter and stories but not today.Today, we were dragged into the storm that our lives had become all of a sudden. Alex was asleep, finally, a deep, heavy quiet emanating from the bedroom. I’d watched him collapse onto the bed, pulling the comforter over his head like a child seeking shelter from a monster. I had said nothing. All I could do was watch from the doorway.His raw pain, the way he’d flinched from Nico, the primal scream he’d let out at Caleb—my Alex. My poor darling was utterly shattered and it was all because of me.My own email, the cold, curt termination notice, felt like a branding iron against my skin. Professor Tristan Walker. Archeology Department Head. Gone. Just a few lines of corporate jargon, severing years of dedication, research, and passion. It was swift, brutal, and completely absolute. The university, in its infinite wisdom and self-preservation, had acted with ruthless ef