Chapter 2

Ivy

The second I heard his footsteps nearing the door, I ducked into the shadows, pressing my back against the cold wall. My breath caught in my throat. My body went rigid, frozen in panic.

Through the narrow crack, I saw Mr. Dante’s shadow stretch across the floor as he opened the door wider, his head tilting slightly like a predator sniffing the air. His brows were drawn tight, his blue eyes sharp, scanning the hall.

“Who’s there?” he muttered again, his voice low but sharp.

I swallowed hard, squeezing my thighs together to keep myself still, praying my heart wouldn’t give me away with how loud it was thundering.

Seconds dragged by like hours. His gaze lingered for a moment longer, searching, and then, finally, he pulled the door shut.

Only when I heard the faint click did I release the breath I’d been holding. My legs felt weak, trembling, but I forced myself to move, hurrying down the hall before he could step out again.

By the time I slipped back into Rosa’s room, my chest was aching from how fast I’d been breathing.

Rosa was asleep, sprawled across the bed like a child, her hair messy, lips parted slightly. Oblivious.

I climbed in beside her, pulling the blanket over myself, my body still shaking.

But my mind wouldn’t let me rest. The images kept replaying, uninvited—Mr. Dante’s rough hands gripping, his cock glistening, the way Mrs. Tessa moaned like she was drowning in him.

My thighs rubbed together under the blanket. Shame burned me, but my hand moved anyway, sliding down until my fingers pressed against my clit. I imagined him, his weight on me, his cock inside me, and my body responded instantly. My eyes fluttered shut, my breath hitched.

It was wrong. So wrong. But I couldn’t stop. I stroked faster, chasing the feeling I had when I watched them. My teeth sank into my lip as the coil snapped, my whole body shuddering in release.

Nothing compared to what I saw tonight. Nothing.

Eventually, exhaustion won. My breathing slowed, and my eyes drifted closed. Sleep claimed me.

The next morning, sunlight poured into Rosa’s room. My head felt heavy, but today was supposed to be important, first day of college.

I showered, dressed, but as I stood in front of the mirror, brushing my hair, all I could think about was what I had witnessed. My body buzzed with leftover heat, an ache deep inside that refused to leave me alone.

I stepped into the kitchen, my bag slung over my shoulder. And then I froze.

He was there.

Mr. Dante.

Standing by the counter, a white t-shirt clinging to his torso. His abs were faintly visible through the thin fabric, his chest broad, his arms veined. His jaw was sharp, his expression unreadable as he sipped from a mug of coffee. He was a professor at our college. History professor, that means I'd be seeing him often. This is crazy!

Our eyes met.

I inhaled sharply, my fingers gripping the strap of my bag tighter.

“Morning,” he said casually, like he hadn’t been inside another woman last night, like I hadn’t stood there and watched every second of it.

I nodded quickly, trying to keep my face neutral.

But curiosity slipped past my lips before I could stop it. “Um… where’s Mrs. Tessa? I haven’t seen her around this morning.”

For a second, something flickered in his expression. Then his jaw tightened. His lips curved into a calm smile, but his eyes didn’t match.

“She left around nine last night,” he said smoothly. “Had to visit her family. She won’t be back for a while.”

I stared at him, my mouth slightly open. Nine?

No. That was a lie. I remembered the clock clearly—past one, almost two in the morning when I saw them together. My stomach twisted. Why would he lie?

I forced a small smile and excused myself quickly, but his words haunted me.

By the time I sat in class later that day, I was restless, unable to focus. The professor’s voice droned on, but all I could think about was the way Mr. Dante had looked at me when he lied.

Why cover it up? What happened to her after?

The scratching of pens around me faded when movement caught my attention. Jaxon.

He walked in wearing his hockey jersey, confidence dripping off him like sweat. His dark hair was messy, his lips curved in a cocky grin.

My chest tightened. Last night’s humiliation flashed through me, but when his gaze swept the room, it landed on me. He smirked, puckering his lips as if to blow me a kiss.

My mouth fell open.

Did he just—?

My stomach fluttered unexpectedly. Maybe… maybe he didn’t remember? Maybe he was too drunk last night to recall what happened. Relief, twisted with embarrassment, filled me.

But before I could overthink, his voice cut across the chatter.

He was speaking to a girl who had shyly asked for his key card.

“Don’t come if you’re a virgin,” he said bluntly, laughing as the girl’s face turned red.

My eyes widened. The words sank like ice into me.

So that was it. That was why he’d shoved me away. Not because it was me—but because I was still a virgin.

I sat frozen, my nails digging into the edge of my notebook. My chest burned with shame.

Fine. If that was what it took, I’d lose it. Somehow, some way.

I didn’t have time to be picky. I didn’t have the luxury of waiting for the perfect guy. I was dying. Success, dreams, a future—none of that mattered anymore. All I wanted was to live what little time I had fully.

And if losing my virginity was part of that, then I’d do it.

My gaze drifted across the room, landing on Davis.

Everyone knew him. He was notorious for being the one to take girls’ first times, the one who didn’t care about attachments or feelings. He’d take anyone under a skirt.

Maybe he’d take me too.

I wrote a note, my hand shaking slightly, and slid it toward him. When he unfolded it, his brows lifted. For a moment, I thought he’d sneer. Laugh.

But instead, he smirked, scribbled something back, and handed it to me.

Meet me at the abandoned warehouse.

My stomach twisted. Fear, nerves, excitement all blended together.

Maybe I'd finally lose my virginity tonight.

Later, I stood inside the dusty, dim warehouse. My palms were sweaty as I rubbed them against my jeans, waiting.

He arrived soon after, swagger in his walk, licking his lips in a way that made my stomach churn. He looked at me like I was already naked.

I told myself I wanted this. I needed this.

So when he came closer, I turned, bent forward slightly, ready.

But then he unzipped. My eyes widened.

What… the hell?

That tiny thing? That couldn’t even break me if it tried.

He spit into his hand, rubbed it over his fingers, and pushed two inside me. I gasped. My knees buckled slightly. His fingers were better than I expected, hitting a spot that made me twitch.

But when he slid himself in, with a condom, thrusting clumsily, sweating within seconds—it was nothing. I felt almost empty. He was the one moaning, panting, acting like he was putting in work.

I just lay there, staring blankly, wondering how this was supposed to be it.

Within minutes, he groaned loudly, pulled out, and yanked off the condom, tossing it aside.

“That’s it,” he said, already zipping up. “I’ve got practice.”

I sat there in shock, pulling my panties back on slowly, my mind numb.

“That’s it?” I muttered, my voice hollow.

But he was already walking away, not even glancing back.

The anger rose too late. My fists clenched. My body trembled. I wanted to scream.

What the hell was that? That wasn’t what I wanted. That wasn’t what I needed.

And now I was back at square one. He couldn't even break my hymen.

There was only one choice left. The only man I knew was truly experienced. The only one who had already made me feel things without even touching me.

Mr. Dante.

And tonight, Rosa wouldn’t be home. She was going to her boyfriend’s.

The thought twisted inside me, wrong and tempting all at once.

I reached for my phone, needing to distract myself, and that’s when the headline popped up.

A woman found dead. Identity confirmed: Mrs. Tessa.

My hands flew to my mouth. My breath hitched, eyes wide.

No.

My chest tightened, the room spinning.

Could it be…?